The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-26
SECOND DAY OF HE WARn


SECOND DAY OF THE WAR"
On the flagship New York. on Havana
AprH 2S.-1o p, m.-The second day OF the
war has come to a close and the fighting
squadron has no casualties to report
After the excitement this morning over
! the Italian man-of-war and the capture
! OF q schooner by the torpedo boat Porter
nothing occurred out OF the regular rou-
tine, Opinions as 20 the length Of time
the blockade viii continue make il from
! three to six weeks Admiral Sampson has
so far not taken the offensive against the
! Spanish batteries It is certain that the
I insurgents are by no means inactive al
| this critical period.
Naval engagements between the formid-
abs fleets would be much TO the liking OF
! the officers OF the feet, AS a body they
are anxious TO put to test the thousands
of theories to which they have been de-
voting their time since entering the naval
| academy, apart from the fact that their
! fighting blood IS up. a pacific blockade is
! poor work from a naval point Of view,
! despite the excitement OF occasional cap
/ lures.
Many naval officers maintain that land
base of operations in Cuba should be se-
| cured before the Spanish fleet arrives The
general idea is that the Spaniards will
endeavor to recuperate at st. Thomas
! from the effects of the voyage before
coming to Havana
After the Dauntless had towed the prize
schooners away in triumph this afternoon
on her way to Key West, the blockade
line was extended The ships were mostly
separst ted by several miles Of water, max
ing fifteen miles from point to point The
entire blockade lines stretch for about
40 miles, from Mariel, sixty miles west
of Havana, to Cardenas, sixty miles east
OF the beleagured city. These distances
are approximate,
The Iowa was the only one Of the ships
around Ell MORO that remained fairly STA
tlorary today. She stood away out to the
northwest. The Indiana. Detroit and May
flower cruised around in that vicinity,
while the Wilmington and Marblehead
kept to the northeast.
The tug Algonquin. which arrived today
from Key West, and the torpedo boat
Dupont kept close to the Iowa The New
York cruised around close in shore For
two hours this afternoon she was within
easy range of the Cojima battery No. 2.
to the eastward of FL Moro. with its T.
inch guns, but the Spaniards apparently
thought 1t hopeless to shoot at a distance
of five miles. 1t was hard to realize while
the hagship's band played operate airs
during dinner that stray shot from q
inc osYS q ~
make music Of another kind. Few believe,
however, that the guns can carry with
any accuracy the distance they are cred
tied with on paper.
The Mangrove arrived from Key West
this evening. 1t was reported that the
Mayflower had stopped a tramp steamer
about ten miles northwest of Ell Morro,
and that the steamer was allowed TO pro-
coed, so II is presumed that she belongs
to a neutral nation. Several shots were.
it was said. fired at her.
When darkness came tonight, after =
glorious sunset, the semi-circles Of block
aiding ships closed in considerably in order
TO prevent anything slipping in or out OF
Havana harbor. Not a light was shown.
The torpedo boats Porter and Dupont
kept up a ceaseless patrol.
They were quite invisible. The irrepress-
able spirit of daring Of Iieutenants Ere
mont and Wood. their respective com
nanders. probably took the black flyers to
within a remarkably short distance OF FL
MORO.
When the Ericsson picked up her small
prize last evening she was only two miles
from the Spanish batteries.
The day has been busy ore for the
officers and men. and the slight relaxation
this afternoon was very acceptable. Ad-
m.ra1 Sampson and Captain Chadwick
have been on the afterbridge most Of the
time, both always as cool as cucumbers.
The former, despite his IS years. is as
energetic as the youngest man on board.
He seems to have an eve for everything
and a grasp OF detail that Is astonishing.
It IS hardly thought that the steamer
Panama the much hoped for p-5ze will
arrive before tomorrow Sunday