The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-12

Experience of the Gunboat ON Her
Trip from San Francisco.

AEAp StAh II E&uCASCOs
Correspondence of the Associated Press.
KEY WEST, Fla, June THE United
States steamer Armeria, with ammunition
for the fleet, arrived from Norfolk after
dark last night and anchored off Fort Tay-
lor. The evening before the Armeria and
Yosemite had an experience that was inter-
esting with a supposed Spanish cruiser The
Yosemite investigated and found it to be the
Marietta, that had made the circuit of the
Horn with the Oregon. The officers report
ed that they had not sighted half a dozen
vessels since they left San Jose, Costa Rica,
March 16, and had seen only one ship since
leaving Rio Janeiro, May 3. The officers in
quired eagerly for news. They said they
had no information about the war except
the first bulletin announcing Dewey's vic
tory at Manila. The reporter told them the
full extent of this victory and the later
events. The officers and crew listened to
the recital with laughter and exclamations
of surprise and satisfaction.
Just after the Marietta anchored the
cruiser Montgomery came in with the tor
pedo boats Foote and Rodgers on either
flank. With the large number of ships al
ready in the harbor the newcomer made a
lively scene, and the Marettas officers
asked particularly about certain ships that
could be seen from her decks, notably the
big Indiana and Minneapolis in the of1ng
and the Vesuvius and the d-fashioned
Lancaster, close by. The officers, after get
ting an idea of the present state of affairs,
began to think of the folks at home and in
quired about cable facilities The reporter
told them that in every town in the United
States with over five hundred population
the Marietta's arrival had already been bull
letnp6 and that 4
send word home to relieve anxiety. Some of
the officers asked If the arrival would be
bulletined even in Brooklyn where one of
their number lived. and was assured that it
would. They were very much relieved to
learn that a rumor published in the Brazil
ian papers that the Marietta had been sunk
had received no credence.
On her voyage the Marietta watched eag-
erly for the much-talked-of Spanish tor
pedo boat Temarario, said to be lying in the
River Plata to intercept the Oregon and
Marietta when they should come up from
the straits of Magellan, and were disap-
pointed in hot seeing her. The Temarario
would surely have been sunk the MariettAs
officers say. Coming from the Brazilian
coast the Marietta took the Providence
channel and saw no American war ship un-
til yesterday, when she fell in with the
yosemite and the Armeria. The Yosemite
held her up very promptly hosting the
American flag and making signals which the
Marietta did not understand. Finally they
were able to converse in the wig-wag
tongue, and the Marietta learned how thor
oCghly out of date she was, with her black
paint and old signal code. The Marietta
reached this harbor without further Incl
dent
The crew had a very serious grievance
which they asked the Associated Press to
ventilate. They thought the officers were
not bold enough. The reporter gathered
from their talk that they considered it
would have been the proper thing for the
Marietta TO have secuted around for Span
tsh ships and brought in a few prizes. or
else to have passed close to the shores of
Porto Rico and Cuba and put a few shots
into the hated enemy. 1t is doubtful if the
naval authorities would have approved such
a proceeding. but the Marietta's men were
looking for fights