The Portland daily press., 1898-04-25
DAUNTLESS' STORY.
Exciting Experience OF Associated
Press Boat.

On Board the Associated Press De.
snatch Boat Dauntless, Key West, April
24-The Associated Press despatch boat
Dauntless arrived in this harbor yesterday
before midnight having in tow the first
sailing vessel prize of the campaign, the
schooner Mathilde of Havana, 60 tons.
loaded with rum.
When the Dauntless left the main fleet
under Rear Admiral Sampson at 3.15
O'Clock on Friday afternoon what seemed
to be thorough blockade of Havana had
been successfully inaugurated. The fleet
ranges from eight to ten miles from the
shore along which they are extended for
fully 2 miles in the following order run
ming from east to west: Mayfower, Iowa.
Newport, Detroit, Marblehead, Indiana,
New York and Wilmington with the tor
pedo boat Porter attending the flagship.
MORO Castle and the city of Havana
are in good view from the flagship with
glasses but the coast, as is always the
case, Is covered with haze. No news of
what is occurring in the blookaded city
has been obtained and the newspaper
men are equally in doubt as to the inten.
tions of Rear Admiral Sampson and the
United States government.
Soon after 8 o'clock yesterday morning
the Amphirite, Puritan, Cincinnati. Cas-
tine or Machias and three torpedo boats
after much Interchange of signals, parted
company with the flagship sailing in q
northeasterly direction, presumably to
blockade Matanzas, Cardenas and
Sagua Ia Grande. ii
sis it peace or WARP" elias Spain
backed down, or is she fastening the fleet
westward with orders to attempt to raise
the blockade, which, despite all stories to
the contrary. cannot be long resorted to
in Cuba,' are samples of scores of SINH
lar questions which are puzzling everyone
on the fleet. unless it is Rear Admiral
Sampson, who, as ever, keeps his own
counsel
Owing to her late arrival on the preyi-
GUS night and with necessary delays the
previous day the Associated Press de-
spatch boat Dauntless saw the last boat
of the naval and newspaper fleet leave
Key West harbor on Friday morning with
her anchor still down at 7.l5 o'clock
when the stern of the United States
d 9spatch boat Dolphin nearly fouled her
while the latter vessel was swinging out
from a coal pief).
II guess you are all right. We usually
ram with the other end
At 7. 30 a. m. with her anchor apeak the
Dauntless got under way with plenty of
steam up and with REORGANIZATION among
those on board not to be the last to pass
Sand Key light. She speed along at 10
knot gait and as she passed out a hearty
cruiser Nashville and her prize the Buena
Ventura. Then she squared away for the
fleet. not even the smoke of which was
visible at this time. The DauntIess dashed
away until 9 o'clock when many black
streaks were seen making parallel lines
across the southern horizon. Ten o clock
and the vessels of the fleet could be
counted even the torpedo boats. The
OF the squadron were noted
but, Of course, the purpose was not under
stood.
r. At II O'Clock the Dauntless passed the
cruiser Wilmington at the rear of the long
strung out line with it's torpedo flankers,
Then until noon there were more or less
exciting brushes with one or another of
the newspaper boats. At IL. 80 p. M,
the order was given to slow down, the
Dauntless then being to the eastward and
abeam OF the flagship New York and in
the lead of the long thanking line of news
paper tugs and yachts. The Dauntless left
Key West one hour and twenty minutes
behind the others but in four hours and
q half she was at the head of the process
sion and quiet Capt. Floyd, who knows
the boat better than any living person,
remarked:
''She can't beat IA knot at her best,
but it's funny how manys16 and IL knot
clippers she will leave astern."
When the flagship New York after the
hills of Cuba had been sight d started off
at 20 knot clip to capture the Spanish
steamer Pedro the Dauntless veered and
followed and was in at the death. Those
On the Dauntless saw the first hostile shot
fired and as the flagship swung round for
her chase after what proved to be a Ger
man trading steamer they gave the New
York the first cheer. But all of these
things were seen by lot of correspond
snts wet from head to foot with spray by
the barrel full thrown constantly higher
than the pilot house while to move about
one Lad to have the use of legs, hands
and feet. But the game was worth the
Jon of 1T, while the expectancy of greater
things added to the attractiveness of the
situation. After a night of rolling in a
heavy sea, to get under way in the morn
ing, the better to see the Iowa and Indi-
ina in fighting trim. start seaWard, and
1etter still to follow the New York as she
'aced seward to intercept what proved
10 10 al IUdlldu Judu OF war from which
vessel Rear Admiral Sampson received
ais first rear admiral salu5e from foreign
war ship came the stirring incident of
jhe Matilde, followed by the determine
Jon to return to Key West with de-
,patoh. The Associated Press despatch
BOAT was asked through the megaphone to
jhe Spanish prize to Key West, which
was fitting ending for the day. 1t was
IN example of the grim irony of fate
which gave the most famous ex-flibuster
jhe first opportunity to tow Spanish
prize to the United States for which she
received the thanks of Captain Chadwick.
AS the Dauntless passed under the lee of
The New York she received the heartiest
If cheers from tn blue Jackets, while the
officers of the flagship clapped their
hands, the megaphone roared some en-
,ouraging words and Admiral SAMPSON
lifted his cap in answer to the salute of
the corr espondents. The sea picture
here pre sented was worth rememberino
The big hull of the New York, the lone
black hull of the Porter with her threat.
ming looking torpedo tubes over which
he spray dashed violently, the saucy
Oauntless with forestaysail and mainsail
let, the smokestack bleaching forth thick
smoke, the snaky hawser leading to
where the schooner, heavy laden, was
.olling with her scupper under, her crew
busy getting up her foresail, mainsail and