The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-23

Key West April 22-The North At
lanuc squadron, except the monitors
Terror and Puritan and the smaller
cruisers, sailed from Key West at 5:45
o'clock this morning, headed for the
Florida straits.
ne SKIES We're growing gray with
the coming dawn when the fornidabIe
FAMILY of destrOyers quietly and unos-
tGHtdtlously steamed away, presum-
dDly Tor the shores of Cuba Besides
the TWO monitors the ships left behind
| are the gunboat Helena, cruisers Mar
3iehead and Detroit, dispatch boat
Dolphin and the torpedo boats Cusb-
| ing, Dupont and Porter
| throughout the long night. 11nus,,aI
dcuVlty on the vessels of the fleet told
| weary watchers on shore that the
IonS-aWalted advance on Havana was
near at hand, yet there was nothing Of
! HcIal on which to found that belief.
Early IN the evening, however. came
the first realization of the fact tbat
the tedious period of inaction was
nearing its close. When signals v-era
holsted, recalling all the men to the
SHIPS without delay, many interpreted
lnIs as precautionary measure. es-
a
per or othcers, including several of the
f1agship, remained ashore and had
!edNe Tor the night About IL O'clock
tnere occurred a decided change in the
situation, when a special boat hurried
from the flagship with orders to ali
sun ashore 10 Immediately return To
the ships. Midnight found the cir,
empty of gold braid and blue Jackets
with which it had grown so farniliar
save one or two recaIcitrant lacks
whose cornwall patriotism had run
away with their sense Of duty. there
was not naval man to be found in
town
GLITTERING PANORAMA.
The theatre of action was trans
ferred TO the harbor, where glittering
panorama was enacted until daybreak
appeared slowly over the waters of the
gulf.
For many days past the flagship
majestically swung at anchor about
seven miles out, fanked by her
gorgeous sisters, the Iowa and the In
diana. To the eyes of Key West the
great smOkestacks were barely visible.
while the hulls lay like indefinable
shadows in the distant waters. The
inner harbOr, however, offered a
striking picture, crowded with mon
ltorS, cruisers, gunbOats and little, but
sinister, torpedo boats, fitting noise
lessly in and out of the maze of greater
vessels lying at anchor.
SIGNALLING.
When twilight fell last night this
scene was unchanged. The signalling
between the distant trio of ships and
those closer in shore had been the Gus
tom ever since the assembling of the
fleet here, but last night, varicolored
lights glimmered tween sea and sky
almost without cessation.
The first streaks of the morning light "
were crossing from the east and two
bells had just sounded from the ships
when tiny, and TO unfamiliar eyes. an
almost imperceptible line of fire ap-
peared on the sky above where lay the
flagship.
A moment or two after and the sig
nal staff of the Cincinnati, lying off
Fort Taylor in the inner harbor, flashed
into colored light, acknowledging the
call.
The Puritan and Helena Joined in the
signals. and soon the
skies were kaleidOscoped, as ship after
ship answered, and new lights licked
fraught with the gravest i'm
portance and creative of history.
WHAT IT MEANT.
What words. of course. no one ashore
knew, but the few who watched with
eyes from sea and docks
needed no interpreter to tell that If
meant hostile action.
The message was not long in deliv-
cay, but sunrise had fully come as the
last letter fiickered and went out. Then
the witnesses saw that the movement
had actually begun under cover of the
night The big ships could still be dis
cerned in the distance, but the others
had moved toward them, the flagship
drawing other ships of the squadron
TO her.
The Wilmington and Amphitrite had
slipped from their anchorage and ad-
vanced within hailing distance of the
flagship.
NOT so IMPOSING.
The departure of the fleet was not so
imposing as had been anticipated. On
the contrary, there was something of a
to. get away. When all was
ready the flagship swung round and
came well into the harbor. SIGNALLING
to-the ships to sail.
After receiving responses, she turn
ed and headed for the open sea, with
the Indiana closely in her rear
The Indiana had been coaling at Dry
Tcrtugas, but was cabled for, and at
she joined her two sister ships
at the anchorage. OF the fleet lying
close 10 the shore, the Amphitrite was
the first to leave. She numbered along
after the Machias She was the first
Of the monitors to join the warlike pro-
cession, looking the deadly instrument
she IS
FOLLOW IN ORDER
Then came the Nashville, her three
distinguishing her from
the others. with the gunboat Whining
ton pumping alongside. The Castins.
which was next, was little. COMPARED
h.. I.rrf I1rl~
game for bloody work. should the for
lures of war demand. The Cincinnati
was delayed a little time, as she was in
he act of taking coal from a schooner
IF Fort Taylor when the signal to sail
vas given But she got into the jagged