The San Francisco call., 1898-12-19
HAMMERED IN MOVEMENTS
DELAY CAUSED BY TOWING THE
 COLLIER MERRIMAC.
Coaling of vessels Under Difficulties in Rough Weather and in Full Sight of the Enemy's
 Ships.
Special Dispatch to The Call.


 part of the operations and movements of the flying squadron from its sailing from Key West for Cienfuegos up 10 but not including the first bompard- ment. The report is as follows:
 Flying souadron. United States Flagship
 Brooklyn, off Santiago de Cuba' May |
 30 1898.
 Sir: | have the honor to report that the squadron sailed from Key West on the morning of the 18th inst. for Cientue- gos. Cuba. in obedience to orders rom rom Rear Admiral Sampson; In foPabg hgsett5 @tti Texas and Scorpion. En route, passed the Marblehead, Nashville and Wasp, com, com municating with the last ndIheu 9Sn Off Cape Antonio communicates Wllu tue Cincinnati and NesuVius, scouting.
 ?. On the morning of the I'd inst: the squadron stood in for the entrance o5 Cienfuegos harbor to reconnolter ana later in the day passed the entrance twice | close in As l had heard the firing or guns on the previous afternoon III the dlTection of the port and as there was conslderdpIe l smoke observed in the harbor, was lea to believe that the Spanish squadron might have arrived there. That day the Dupont joined me with dispatches rom Admiral Sampson, directing that the blockade of Cienfuegos be preserved ana the Scorpion be sent to communicate Wllh the Minneapolis ana HarEa[u, oi,ed 1li 9dtt t5a ago. Also on this day the Iowa Jolneu the squadron. ...,,,i.t,o7
 & A line of blockade was eStaphsneu about four miles off shore, and at night an in-shore line was maintained. consist ing variously of the Scorpion, Dupont dHu Castine the last named vessel arrlVlhs on the 23d, conveying the Merrlhhacit ma t1o ,,,,
 4 Also that on the 23d inst. the Hawk arrived with dispatches from Ad1nlfaI 1 Sampson, directing me to move eastward with the squadron to Santiago, II satlS f,, fled that the enemy's vessels were not m Cienfuegos. Not being satisfied at thls time that they were not there, 1 held my position, being further strengthenea Tn my opinion by the fact that was m fomed by the captain of the Brltlsh steamer Adula that when he left Kingston a cabegram had been received, on the Thursday preceding my arrival OH Clen- fuegos, stating that the Spanish squadron had sailed from Santiago.
 D. The Iowa, Castine and Dupont took coal from the collier on that day, the Iowa particularly needing coal, as she had sailed from Key West to join this squadron before completing !oadlng ana
 G. On the 24th inst the Marblehead, Vixen and Eagle joined the squadron ana the Marblehead and Eagle were lmneal- ately sent to communicate with tQe lnsur5 gents to the westward of Cienfuegos, ana to furnish them with ammumtlonl cIo9IIn- ing and dynamite: upon Collnatleea nf 4bo aftar- noon he reported to me that he nao op- tained information that the opanlsh squadron was not in Cienfuegos. DIS patches were at once sent by the Dupont to Admiral Sampson and to Commodore Remev for the department, indicating that this squadron would move toward
 !. Great difficulty has been experlenced in coaling the Texas on account or her protecting sponsons in any seaWay what ever and only under the most taVoraple conditions can she go alongside coiller' In anything more unfaVoraple thah ap- soluteiy smooth water there is great dan. ger of injury either to the Texas herSeIf or the collier. In this connection the ad- vantage of a tumble-home 10 | the slqe fI IS l z1I ir1c1r accidents due to projections on the snip side. IL. o.., the squadron stood to sea, to the east ward with the Brooklyn, Massacnusetts, Iowa and Texas in column natural order; | the Marblehead, Vixen and Eagle on the | battleship The Castine was left at Glen i fuegos to notify the Scorpion on her re- | turn. should she not be sighted by us, to proceed to Kev West in company.
 a The run to Santiago was marked by | rain and rough weather to such an extent sneed of 75 to S.5 knots and fell behind so ! much as to seriously delay the squadroh; which was forced to slow to speed or | from four to five knots for her to regaln | and hold her position As this rough head ! sea continued with no apparent prospect or l abating and as the Eagles coal supply was becoming dangerously low, She was sent to Port Antonio for coal, with dlrec- l lions 10 make the best of her way back to Key West. o,,:o,. | Merrimac was disabled by the breaking of her intermediate pressure NfilVe SIetiI 5rSsIi | and the cracking of the sturlng poA; LIS 1 served as a further embarrassment 10 Ine | squadron and a source of considerable l anxiety as. with the weather condltons that had prevailed since leaving Clen1ue- gos, it appeared absolutely necessary to abandon the position off Santiago ana seek place where the vessels could De coaled and the collier's machinery re- pdii II Of Off Santiago the St. Paul, Yale and Minneapolis were sighted and communl, cated with. The Minneapolis reported that she only had sufficient coal to reach | Key West and that her machinery was Tn | bad condition The coal supply or the other two scouts was also much reduced. Arrangements were at once made Wnere3 | by the Yale was to tow the collier, and as the prospect did not seem favorable for replenishing the meager coal supply | of the other vessels the squadron stood to the westward. towing the collier. The operation of taking the collier in tow proved to be quite difficult, owing to the size and weight of the two ships and the repeated parting of the tow lines Finally the collier's chain cable was got to the Yale and the squadron proceeded. The St Paul was ordered to remain off San tiago until her coal supply would no longer permit of further delay.
 F. After standing to the westward for about three hours, or about tWenty-fiVe | miles the conditions became less unfa- | vorable and the squadron stopped. The | Texas and Marblehead were sent along | side the collier, whose injury naQ been temporarily repaired, and coaled during the night.
 13 Inasmuch as it was known that, in case the Spanish squadron had reached Santiago, Admiral Sampson was able to block any movement of the enemy through the Bahama channel, my inten- tion in standing to the westward was, should it become necessary, to bar any effort of the enemy to reach Havana by a dash through the Yucatan passage.
 14. On the 24th inst continued coaling the Texas and Marblehead and later the Vixen. In the afternoon. having managed to get sufficient coal into these vessels to enable them to remain with the squadron, shaped course for Santiago off which port we arrived about dusk Established an inner picket line, consisting of the Vixen and Marblehead the remainder of the squadron lying off the entrance of the port about four or five miles out.
 15 The next morning. 29th inst. steamed in to examine the entrance to the harbor and sighted the Cristobal Colon, appar- entity moored head and stern across the western channel around Cay Smith. also one of the vessels of the ViZcaya or h. fanta Maria Theresa class, moored In the eastern channel. and two small torpedo boats Later in the day made out the military tops of a third vessel further up the harbor.