Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-25
THE CRUISE OF THE DAUNTLESS.
What The Associated Press Reporters Saw
With the BIockading Fleet.

Key West. April 24.-The Associated
Press dispatch boat Dauntless arrived
IN this harbor, yesterday, before mid
night. having in tow the first sailing
vessel prize of the campaign, the
schooner Mathilde, of Havana. 60 TONS
loaded with rum.
When the Dauntless left the main
fleet under Rear Admiral Sampson, at
3.15 o'clock, on Friday afternoon, what
seemed to be a thorough blockade of
Havana had been successfully inaugu-
rated The fleet range from s to 10
miles from the shore along which they
are extended for fully 90 miles in the
following order. running from west 10
east: Mayfower Iowa, Newport, De-
troit, Marbehead, Indiana, New York
and Wilmington, with the torpedo boat
Porter attending the flagship.
MORO Castle and the city of Ha-
vana are in good view from the flag
ship with glasses, but the coast as it
always the case, is covered with a haze.
No news Of what is occurring in the
blockaded city has been obtained, and
the newspaper men are equally in
doubt as to the intentions of Rear Ad-
miral Sampson and the United States
Soon after 9 o'clock, yesterday morn
ing. the Amphitrite, Puritan. Cincin-
natl. Castine. or Machias and three
torpedo boast, after much interchange
of signals. parted company with the
flagship, sailing in a northeasterly d.
rection presumably to blockade Matan-
Zas Cardenas and Sagua la Grande.
is is peace or war? Has Spain
backed down, CT is she fastening her
fleet westward with orders to attempt
to raise the blockade, which, despite
all stories to the contrary, cannot be
long resorted to in Cuba" are samples
of scores of similar questions which are
puzzling every one in the fleet. unless
it be Rear Admiral Sampson, who, as
ever, keeps his own counsel.
Owing to her late arrival on the pre-
vious night and with necessary DELAYS
on the following day The Associated
Press dispatch boat Dauntless saw the
last boat of the naval and newspaper
fleets leave Key West harbor on Fri
day morning with her anchor still
down at $50 o'clock. when the stern of
the United States dispatch gunboat
Dolphin nearly fouled her while the
latter vessel was swinging out from a
coal pier. The Captain of the Dolphin
sang out: Il guess you are all right.
We usually ram with the other end"
At $50 A. NJ, with her anchor apeak,
the DauntleSs got under way with
plenty of steam up and with a determi-
nation prevailing among those on
board not to be the last to pass the
Sand Key light She sped along at
II knot rate and as she passed out a
hearty cheer was given for the United
States cruiser Nashville and her prize,
the Buena Ventura.
Then she squared away for the fleet,
not even the smoke of which was WISH
bic at that time. The Dauntless DASH
ed ahead until 8 o'clock, when many
black StreakS We're seen marking par
alel lines across the southern horizon.
Ten o'clock. and the vessels of the
fleet could be counted even to the tor
pedo boats. The manouvres of the
We're noted, but, of course,
their purpose was not understood
AT II o'clock, the Dauntless passed
the cruiser Wilmington, at the rear of
the long strung out line. with it's tor
pedo flankers. Then until noon, there
were more or less exciting brushes
with one or the other of the newspaper
boats. At 1890 p. NJ, the order was
given to slow down, the Dauntless then
being to the eastward and abeam of
the flagship New York and in the lead
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