The evening times., 1898-08-11
THE LITTLE DUPONT.
Services That De Not Appear In the
Battle Reports.

1aeunG nc ROB9D.
There Is a kind Of service, spry and
unceasing. performed by little craft, of
which the public Is not informed in the
accounts Of big naval fights. Such serv-
ice was performed by the little torpedo
boat Dupont during the trying times
at Santiago. That vessel came into the
port Of New York on Thursday. The
Commercial Advertiser gives this ac-
count of her movements:
The Dupont Is In command Of Lieut..
Spencer 8. Wood, with Ensign F. H.
Clark second in command. Her crew 1T
present numbers twenty-seven men. be-
Ing three short OF her complement. She
vas attached to Commodore SchIcy's fly
ing squadron early IN June. but was
compelled to run up to Mobile for re-
pairs. She LEFT Mobile on June Is. the
day after Skaters army sailed from
Key West. and picked up the transports
on the north coast Of Cuba, near sasua
La Grande. two days later. As soon a.
she arrived at Santiago Admiral Samp-
son selected her and the Ericsson to
watch the channel leading to the harbor
Of Santiago.
FROM that time until the destruction of
ADMIRAL Ceryera's feet on the morning
OF July 3. the Dupon, took up her posi-
ton each night about 500 yards of Nor
70 Castle, ready to dash forward the mo-
ment the searchlights on any of the big
6attieships of the fleet should show a
spanish snip In the harbor channel Oc-
cas'ohaiiy mere were false alarms, and
one night she cruised hither and Won
udnRerOuSIY close IN ha
TOT wnat was supposed to be the Spanish
torpedo boat destroyer Terror, but with
oo, success. She also prowled around
unosr the very guns Of MORO several
nights while the auxiliary cruiser g,
LOUIS was fishing for the cables. Alto
sesner' her men passed through MANY
trying nights. only to be sent hitb.r
anu 'hither during the day. bearing dis
patches from Commodore Sampson to Gen.
Shafter at Siboney. Occasiona,lv Oh.
"ouio get away to Guantanamo Bay for
day or SO, that her crew NIGH roc,
and sleep. e''
Inc torpedo tubes on the Dupont were
stiii charged with torpedoes when she
came into port this morning, and the
powder charges to send them into the
water were in their places on ton OF the
tuoe. The torpedoes, too, had their busi-
NJ e"os aHxed ready to explode the
-. oi gun co'oH ana dynamite inside
Ihey got through with US down there"
sa'o one OF the officers this afternoon
so We came north. We had a pre,tv
not time OF 1t. but managed to enjoy our
selves. The climate at Guantanamo Bay
is simply wonderful. In all the tina we
were down there We had only TWO rain
storms. and those no worse IL as bad
taan storms you have up here. II rains
al around Guantanamo every day. So
curing the day You have a delightful sea
oreeze and at night cool land breeze.
Its good place for summer resort
no mosquitoes and no flies I was quite |
surprised to learn that Capt. Clark was
aiing and had been detached from the
oregon There seemed TO be nothing the |
matter with him when we were down |
lhere The Oregon is certainly splen- |
lid ship. but she has had good men and |
good officers who understand her thor |
oughly 1t Is a fact that since she LEFT |
Frisco not a drop Of salt water has enter- |
ID any of her boilers. Every steam Joint |
has been kept perfectly tight. so that
here has been absolutely no leakage of |
steam. 1t has all been condensed and |
Ised over and over agin. Salt water is
what raises Ned with our ships. and IL |
hey can keep fresh water in the boilers |
Ill the time everything goes along much |
,etter. The Oregon is the crack ship of |
hat fleet.