The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-02
Experience on Board the Associated
Press Dispatch Boat.
LITTLE FOOD SUPPLIES IN HAVANA
Beef IL Selling at $3.50 Pound.
The Volunteers Drilling Nlghtiy.
BombartImcnt Welcomed.

Iisultub 1890, ny tHe ASSOclhleu fTtsS'l-
Newsgathering at sea has its attractions.
but 1t also has its drawbacks. Incident
after Incident could be written describing
how, out OF semi darkness, rushed long
black torpedo boat aud the hoarse order to
heage to was followed on the instant by
the threat Of a shot Then ..hsre have
been times when all steam was called for
because we We're in grave doubt whether
an approaching stranger will be an Ameri-
can or Spanish, but in no doubt at all as
to what our fate would be should the un-
known vessel prove to be Spanish gun
boat, for the spanlards would rather gather
In the Dauntless than almost any other
craft that sails the seas
OF Matan2as the other night a man of
wars man assured some OF the crew OF
The nauntless that two Spanish gunboats
had escaped the blockade at Cardenas and
we're cruising outside seeking to capture
any crsft carrying the United States colors
Probably the yarn was false, but it's eff
feet ON the crew was far from reassuring,
and 1t was a positive comfort to be hailed
by the Indiana and ordered TO heave to
and be boarded by an officer who evident
ly wanted TO be Well assured of our identi-
" The big batUeship gave a sense of
absolute security and now none of the
crew believe any Spaniards brave enough
10 come within score OF miles Of this
and similar instruments of protection and
defense.
At sea. day after day, the personality
Of the warshps grows on you and your
regard is totally different from that which
fool tau I'D t1,n ~. n.
they are In home harbor or peacefully
cruising up and down IA friendly coast. II
they seem grimmer, they certainly seem
greater for defense. for honor, for sue
cess If any persons have the idea that
the ships Of the blockading squadron of
Havana remain punched together opposite
MORO they should at once change their
notion Last night the distance between
he Wilmington on the eastern flank and
the Iowa at the western end was not less
than thirty miles.
Newspaper boats give the fleet much
trouble at night. It is unintentional OF
course. War vessels are dark as pitch
at night and the correspondent boat runs
directly within prescribed limits Of ap-
proach before the faintest sign of proximity
of cruiser or battleship The moon,
which is nightly waxing in power, Will
help greatly in the Identification, but The
DAuntlesa recently succeeded in getting a
night order for signals, which Will be bet
ter still
Sitting near the Dauntless pilot house
recently off I'll Moro with 4 pair OF marine
glasses that brought the saffron bastions
within a half mile it was impossible to
Keep from specializing on the condition OF
things within that city, where for two
months many of us lived on patience and
the hope of a bomhardment which it now
seems is not to occur. We know as we'll
as If we were eye witnesses that famine
is within, that it Is not confined to re-
concentrates. most of whom must be dead
by this time. but embraces the lady OF
quality and her liege lord the profe y onal
man aad his family, the small storekeeper
and his brood, the artisan and his help
NEE.
Probably as yet, the Spanish officers and
the wealthy contractors have found enough
OF The whrewithal to buy it even with
beef at Sl,5o per pound tha last quotation
reaching rs), Beyond question large
majority of the Havanesa would wei ONE
the oombardment they daily expect IL as
tnied that whsn II was over and the city
in the hands OF the United States forces
food conditions would change and tn,
awful uncertainty as to what the next hour
might bring forth be resolved into GER
tainly in the crucible of action.
When night came we could sec the re-
Central and Parade ~, So ~ ''u '',
as II we We're NJ thn 1,cteto rreT h as Wei
alons the broader stroste ~ 49, euat
Were marching and coun.Sr marrh;nc
arc so fond Of and their h,,,,o.s i" e., NY
trying to keen tire 10 tbojr o' ~ 'I'h
We honed some os tbesc ,,o,,,' Uwn musit,
hungry since ihev certainty O dasar' W.
they are so blooitbirstv ,,ith ~ ' s w. ~
and so cowardly when ,n,, w." H., Na neipluss
foe. - q" "''"eu
Was The band r,avn, =, ..o ,
around tho statue Of ,he ,,r,, e stnu1
Probably not. Even M r,oro,,ri.i ,,oli
would scarcely he In musjca, 40, -.
a shcrt walk to the shore ,ro,,id "Son whsh
the ''pillars OF fire nv ni,bt" -, s.,o" mum
OF The b,octoiors ~, ~ .nc
the principal cafes werS crov,ao. 'uene
neis and the better cIa,s ot ot,,t,, oul
surely congreVated tbero II, a.e.S NeIe
berT drinking ;hnir lirbt yi,os - nun
glass of absinthe-.hev ,ro ~, e.'a''
runkenuegs--talinr fifteon a ~ 10
while hsnds and arms v.a,.o, "a, uu]en,
shoulders were psrretrali, u, I'M
Recent letter tn tho wri,or ~ 'vJN"
lavnne eaif. ~ ''''H" III
"The big Hote, r,,latorr.