The sun., 1898-05-28
The FLEET
OF SCHLEy
Want FIGHT
The Commolore's Flying Squad
ron Would Not BOmbard
Cienfaegos on Monday.
HAVANA WILL BE CAPTURED
Army of $4,000 Men to be
Landed in Cuba.
The Queen Regent Urged to Flee
by the Emperor of fAustria-.PortO
Rico to be Occupied by
United States Troops I'M
mediately-Eastern
Troops for
Manila.
Special Dispatch to THE SUN.

Special Dispatch to The SUN.
KEY WEST, Fla, May 27.-T. NJ.
Rienade on board the Premier with
Commodore Schley's squadron, sends
the following dispatch dated May 22, on
board ship:
Commodore Schley's flying squadron
arrived off Cienfuegos at s O'Clock this
morning. An hour earlier schley had
signaIlesd to fleet: ave will blockade
Cienfuegos. Have steam up and be
ready for anything. DO not know il
enemy is in port.
The squadron steamed slowly for al
hour along the Cuban coast toward
entrance to Cienfuegos harbor without
seeing any sign OF life. The vessels
were about 800 yards distance from each
other. Just as the flagship passed the
promonotory at the entrance OF the har-
Dor, the squadron being about two miles
off, five shots were fired from shore, ap.
parently rifle shots. Schley signalled
'Cear ship for immediate action"
In less than three minutes ships were
stripped to the buff, everything NOV.
able went overheard to the sharks, guns
were manned and up went the battle.
flags on the ships. As we passed on at
half speed we swung out in hall circle
and the small foritcations at the en-
trance to MORO channel, leading to
Cienfuegos harbor, came into view
silently.
A big Spanish flag foated over one OF
them. From our foretOp the masts OF
three sailing vessels and the gray funnel
of a steamer was all that could be made
out in this harbor. Just then small
steam craft, flying the Spanish colors,
evidently a coast guard, pOked her nose
out OF the channel, but turned tail and
fled back almost before she could be
made out. The flagship swung out slowly
from the coast. the other ships following.
No order to fire came, the men were dis
missed from quarters and battlehags
hauled down. 1t was evidently not
Schley's intention to lombard.
At 8 o'clock as we lay lazily drifting
about three miles off the coast and oppo-
site the harbor entrance, smoke was
sighted to the southwark. The men were
beat to quarters again and we stood
ready to meet the Spanish fleet. The
stranger. however, soon showed herself
to be a United States torpedo boat flying
dispatch flag. Her commander went
aboard the flagship and all aboard the
fleet waited eagerly for the news or
orders.
Commodore Schley hoped to find the
Spanish fleet at Cienfuegos. 1t would
be difficult job to take Cienfuegos,
as the channel entrance to the harbor
is narrow, and presumably protected
by forts and mines. We sighted moth
ing on the way down but American ves-
sells.
On Friday we had scare, beat to
quarters, cleared ship, etc, because
OF the sighting of war vessels at 9.45 Il.
M, dead ahead, in the middle of Yu-
catan Channel. They turned out to be
friendly and proceeded after signalling
to Schley.
AT go Friday we sighted Cape An
tonic and bore eastward Saturday even
ing we slowed down and ran at half
speed until 3 a. m. today then bore
direct for Cicniuegos, sl,wing down
again as we ran along the coast. Every
night we have been prepared for sudden
action, with guns loaded while men
slept at their stations. When the first
alarm came on Tuesday we really
thought, for few minutes, we were
running into the Spanish fleet. Every
BODY aboard the fleet is wild to fight.