Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-03
Captain Sigsbee Tells Of the St.
Paul's Cruise.
DOING SCOUT DUTY AROUND CUBA
Spanish Fleet Was in Santiago
Harbor When He Left.
CAME IN FOR SUPPLIES

| NEW YORK, June 3.-The United States
| auxiliary cruiser st. Paul. Captain Sgsbee
| commanding, came into port early today,
| having passed the night at anchor off San
| dy Hook. After the st. Paul had cast an
! chor off Tcmpkinsville, S. L., Captain Sigs-
| bee, in civilian attire, went ashore and
| thence proceeded to the navy yard The
| St. Paul is standing high out of the water,
| showing that her supply of coal has run
short. Her sides show the paint scraped
| off in several places, Indicating that she
| has seen rough weather. but there is moth
| ing about the navy scout to show that she
| is in need of repairs. Visitors are not al
| lowed on board the st. Paul, nor are boats
permitted to go alongside.
! Visit to Admiral Bunce.
| After visiting Commodore Bunce at the
! ravy yard Capt. Sigsbee relaxed from his
| reserve sufficiently TO say to a reporter:
| II had target practice right along from
| the first day l arrived at Santiago, on May
%, and, while none Of my men have been
| in the service long, l am well satisfied with
| their work at the guns. We have not been
in any fight so far. but my men will give
| a good account of themselves.
1T was on the 25th when we captured
the Restormel 1 knew that the Spaniards
|
| every effort to see that they did not get it.
While off Santiago with Schley l saw
| two more Spanish cruisers and Schley saw
| two torpedo boats. There is no question
| that they are bottled up as tight as can be
| in Santiago barber.
| Il went in SO close that l made sketches
| of their fortifcations, which L am sending
| 10 Washington.
Their guns could easily have reached
| me, but the batteries made no attempt TO
| fire, for what reason l do not know. II
| may be the Spa,Iiards old not want to re-
| veal the strength and location of their guns.
l am going to Washington with dispatches
| from the fleet and as soon as we nave
| coaled and provisioned We shall put to sea
| again. This will probably not be for three
| or four days.
LAS soon as 1 arrived outside the harbor
| of Santiago there We're indications of the
presence of Cerveras fleet on the inside
| beyond the hills.
| Il hugged the mouth of the harbor SO
closely that it would have been impossible
for anything afioat to sneak out without
| our seeing them.
| Saw Two Spanish Vessels.
1T was either the third or fourth day
| after our arrival that 1 saw two Spanish
Vessels, WHICH was SURF WdS lhc 'iLNos q
and the Cristobal Colon. They crept cau-
| tiously into the stream an1 got to the mid
die of the channel AS soon as they caught
| sight of me they scampered back as rapidly
| as they could steam.
| LAS soon as we arrived off the harbor l
announced my presence by the courtesy of
| a salute taking as a target one of the Span
ish forts. The fort evidently did not intend
| to accord me the courtesy due in return,
| for its guns remained silent. When l was
| satisfied with the practice my men had had,
| | steamed the ST. Paul out Of range and re-
| sumed scout duty outside the mouth OF the
| harEor.
1T was directly under the guns Of fort
| and within easy range that L took the Res
| tormel, with 2. 400 tons of coal aboard.
This coal was evidently intended for the
| Spanish fleet, and the attempt OF the hes
| tormel to run our blockade and enter San
| tiago harbor would of Itself have been good
evidence that the Spanish were there. We
| had to fire several shots at Ter before she
| hove to. 1 put prize crew aboard and
| sent the collier to Key West.
During the period L at Santiago, be-
| tween May - and -, Schley came and went
! several times, cruising little to the west
| ward. But the st. Paul remained off San
tiago harbor for all of the slSht days.
| Thought SchIey Was IA Spaniard.
1T was on May % that l saw heavy lines
| Of smoke from what l at first thought was
| the Spanish squadron coming to the relief
! of Cervera. There was great excitement on
| board the st. Paul, and l imm ediateIy put
! out after the fleet. l soon found the smoke
was coming from Schley's ships returning
| to the entrance Of the harbor.
"On this day both Schley and myself saw
again positive evidences that the Spanish
| feet was still bottled up inside the Santi-
| ago harbor.
when 1 came up with Schley's fleet We
| both signaled tcgether-Schley to me and
to him.
| CAPT HEYL DETACHED.