The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-20
ON THE DISPATCH BOATS.
Special Correspondents Have a Varie-
ty of Experiences.
Letter in New York Post.

Letter in New York Post.
The men on the newspaper dispatch boats.
without arms and without protection are IN
at any time to be captured by the Spaniards,
but when night comes they are In danger OF
being fired upon by the. Americans and sent
important news of the war ships the dis
patch boats themselves might relate incl
dents and experiences or a tnrllilng nature:
Scarcely night passes that one or more OF
the dispatch boats is not actually nred
upon or threatened with dire punishment IL
of the fleet limit with all lights out, the
fleet constantly changing position, heavy
gale blowing and strong current, II Is not
easy to tell where the three, five or ten-rnile
limit may be, and. innocently, Q olspatcn
boat may drift within the forbidden limit
rammed bv a gunboat without knowing that
she has disobeyed the order of the night.
Yet, with all the danger, some very anus
ing incidents grow out OF the narrow es-
capes One night since the Santiago block,
adge was established, one of Rear Admiral
Simpsons gunboats sighted dispatch boat
standing off at a distance of mile or two.
and made for her under fun steam. Turf
Gus gale was blowing. The waves and the
wind made it impossible for either the gun
boat or the dispatch boat to understand
what was being shouted from the decks.
When the gunboat came within mailing dis
lance of the dispatch boat the officer on
deck shouted through the megaphone, ask
ing the name of the little craft.
The men on board the dispatch BOAT Irieu
the gunboat. but the fury OF the storm was
so great they could not be heard. closer
came the gunboat, rearing and plunglng on
the heavy seas, and again shouted at the
why don't you answer? with an OATH
You'll get a shot through you IN TWO mn
Just then the little fragment Of profanity
uttered in good clear English was UNDER
stood by the men on the dispatch poat, anu
this answer was sent back through the
megaphone: This is the dispatch boat -
Until we heard captain cussing we thought
you were Spaniard. me next cay Wn asa
the correspondents and the captain OF the
gunboat came within hailing distance or
each other they had good laugh over the
episode of the night before.
And there are other experiences not so
exciting, but no less amusing, which come
to these correspondents who have made
their homes on the sea: Often they are out
for weeks without putting in at a port, and
the wardrobes as well as the stores become
very much depleted. Many of the corre-
spondents have learned to wash and mend
their clothing, and many times their APP
pearance when they land after a long, hard
chase after the feet would startle their
friends at home.
light material, usually light duck or linen,
and knocking about on the decks or the
badly soied. On the chase after Schley's
fleet when he went TO Santiago, one very
fastidious correspondent had the bad for
tune to have all his clothing washed over
wearing The trousers of his suit had be-
come badly soiled. and he determined to
wash them. Not knowing the technicalties
Of the laundry, he gave them thorough
soaping and tying them to strong cord
threw them over the stem of the boat, hop
ing that during the night old ocean would
finish the washing. The next morning when
the trousers were hauled in to dry they
were torn to shreds. The sharks had beer
nibbling at them. The young man went into
port at Cape Haitien two days later wear
ing summer underwear instead of white
duck. File was hero with the natives. They
mistook his undergarments for tights, and
believed him to be a famous acrobat.