The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-19
Just Drifting and Floating Along the
Coast, When 1t is Not Pitch
ing and Tossing.
SPANISH PATROL ALERT
BIockading Ships Are Seen the Darkest Nights, and
in the Daytime Cavalry Squads Ashore Paral-
lei the Course of Ships Off Shore.

Copyrighted 1898 by the Associated Press)
Key West, Fla, June 12.-(Correspond-
ence Of the Associated Press.)-The cap
tain of a vessel just returned from the
blockade of the northern coast of Cuba
today said:
eve are sick Of the patrol duty drift
ing and floating along the coast. The
work has become more disagreeable since
the rainy season set in. Sometimes one
squat will follow another the whole day
long. and the rough seas will drench US,
even upo nthe bridge. The smaller boats
approach as near to the coast as they
can with proper depth of water.
Between Port Cabanas and Bahia
Honda the blockaders run along about
half a mile from the beach and just out
side of the white water,
From five or six fathoms the bottom
pitches suddenly to two or three humid
red fathoms, and the boats can safely
skirt the outer edge Of the surf.
The system of watch kept by the Span
iards from Cardenas almost to Cape An
tonic is admirable. Even on the darkest,
move slowly along lanterns flash news Of
our approach down the coast, so that it
would be impossible to make a landing
with a small boat. In the day time
smoke signals are used. and the beach is
patr0lled also by Spanish cavalrymen.
Our vessels move about five miles an
hour and the Spanish horsemen can keep
up with US. Three troops follow US along
the beach for several miles, till they coma
TO station Of three others. These take up
the work and run along with us. They
never lose trock OF US, day or night.
The new fort at Fort Cabanas looks to
be very strong. The old fort at Bahia
HONDA does not seem to be occupied; at
least there is no flag on it.
"Fromh Fort Cabanas to Bahia HONDA
small hills rise back of the beach and be-
tween these hills and the summit of the
mountains far inland, are beautiful fields
of sugar cane and other crops. The land
seems 10 be cultivated to the Utmost. All
Of this territory is. of course tributary
to Havana and furnishes food for the
city.
There may be vessels In Havana har-
Dor ANXIOUS to slip out. but they are not
war ships. The Spaniards have two or
three small gunboats at Havana but no
other warships. and Captain General
Blauco's dispatches about warships en-
tering and leaving are all bombast. The
gunboats. if they ever get out, would
never return
The report that the mouth of Havana
harbor has been left open is not true.
There are always three or four boats
proving about that would snap up even
the smallest fishing smack that tried 10 go
Ia or out.
Commodore Watson's flagship is now
the Nashville. but he has moved about
from one ship to another so much that
be saws his tooth brush is on one vessel,
his hair brush on another. and he Won
ders when he will be able to collect his
personal effects"
a United States torpedo boat dashed
out Of Key West harbor evidently car
ryinE dispatches. This morning her mis-
sion was seen. soon after her return, for
s whole fleet of warships arrived. The
Eagle came in and anchored. So did the
cruiser Bancroft. Soon afterward the
Manning entered and then the monitor
Puritan. accompanied by the auxiliary
guuhoats Wasp and Wampatuck. The
batyleship Indiana and rhe cruiser De
troit anchored in the outer harbor. These
vessels. all of which, except the Eagle
and Puritan had left with orders 10
convoy troopships. had been recalled from
of Havana by the Ericsson and it is sup
posed that a new start from Tampa IS
about TO be made tsince aCcompIished)
The auxiliary sunboat Osceola arrived
q $3.50 this afternoon from a scouting trip.
she left port on Wednesday to seek the
Easle's mysterious Spanish fleet" She
.ruised as far as Cardenas but saw no
Standards