The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-03
St PAUL IN PORT.
Captain SigsbeeVisits Wash
ington With Dispatches
From Sampson.


NEW YORK, June 8. 1ses.-The u S.
cruiser st. Paul arrived this morning and
anchored off Tompkinsville. S. l., at $3.50
o'clock.
The St. Paul attracted much attention
| from the passengers of the Staten Island
/! ferryboats. She was lying close to the
shore and near the Staten Island ferry
| slip. It is supposed the st. Paul came in
for coal as she is flying light" the term
used to indicate that she Is without fuel
| Captain Sigsbee of the St. Paul came
ashore from his vessel shortly before nine
clock The former commander of the
Maine was quickly recognized and re-
ceived an ovation.
Captain Sigsbee hot a long time after
went ashore and proceeded to Washing
ton with dispatches from AAsaairal Samp
son, but before going he gave short in
| terview, in which he said that the st.
Paul had been continually cruising since
she went to the West Indies, having
plenty of excitement and lots of work.
The most of the time was spent cruising
| off Santiago de Cuba keeping watch on
| the Spanish fleet under Admiral Cervera
! All on board were in excellent health and
| spirits and glad to get a breathing spell
in a cooler climate, It having been very
hot weather in the West India waters.
| In addition to what Captain Sigsbee
| said. Lieutenant Commander briggs told
the story of the cruise of the st. Paul
The st. Paul left Philadelphia on May A.
after having been fitted for service, pro-
| ceeded to Hampton Roads, being delayed
| some on the way by fog, and after coal
| ing left there for Key West. She left Key
West on May 49, under orders to proceed
with utmost despatch, for Cape Haytien
| Arriving there she was ordered to cruise
| off Santiago de Cuba to watch for the
| Spanish fleet. The st. Paul arrived on
| Santiago de Cuba on May 20; the St.
Louis. which had been there, had left on
| the 18th, leaving the entrance to the port
unguarded for about "a hours and making
| it possible for the Spanish fleet to enter
| Santiago during the interval. 1t would
appear that had been done. for not a
doubt rested IN the minds of any of the
! officers that Cervera's fleet was bottled up
| there and that they did not get in after
| the ST. Paul arrived and during her cruise
| of nine days before the entrance.
| Upon the st. Paups arrival off Santiago
| she at once began target practice using
| the forts at the entrance as the target,
but did not draw any fire in return from
| the Spaniards, She afterw ards moved out
Of range Of the forts. The following days
/ were spent in like practice, moving within
about four miles off the entrance during
| the day and laying off the shore about
| twelve miles at night. The greater dis
! tance away at night was necessary to
avoid the Spanish torpedo boats which
might be lying in walt to creep out on
their mission of destruction. At intervals
the cruisers Minneapolis. Yale and Har-
ward were in the-vicinlty. stopping day
or two and going away.
| A number of newspaper despatch boats
were sighted, some of them chased, and
one which did not pay attention to a
| blank shot fred for her to heave to was
considerably scared by a solid shot strik-
ing the water near her and came to time
| in a hurry. Several vessels were sighted
| and chased. one of them being an
Italian bark and sorry the men
were to find she was no prize.
The only prize taken was the British coal
| steamer Restormel, since arrived at Key
| West. The chase was most exciting
one. 1t occurred on May 25 and when the
| Restormel was first sighted she was al
/ ready near the harbor. going at 12-knot
| gait. paying no attention to the blank
| shots from the St. Paul to heave to. Her
| captain seemed determined at all hazards
to get his load Of coal into Santiago.
The ST. Paul put on al speed to catch
| her and only succeeded rounding up her
prey by shell, when within five miles
| off the forts. Had 1t been ten hinutes
later the collier would have been safely
under the protection of the Spanish forts
and Admiral Cervera would have had a
| fine lot of Welch coal for his ships.
Cruising on close watch every day
nothing had been discovered of the where
abouts of the Spanish feet when on the
morning of May 20 Sunday at $3.50 clock
smoke.was sighted on the horizon, and the
| ST. Paul started with all speed In the di-
rection of it to find out If was not the
Spanish fleet so long looked for, and the
/ ship was made ready for action. Pre-
sently seven steamers were made out,
then on nearer approach It was discovered
to be Commander Schley's feet approach
ing Santiago.
/ AS the entrance of the harbor was APP
preached at $50 A. NJ, big warship was
/ seen for the first time lying across the
| harbor inside the entrance and the stern
of another. They had apparently dropped
down from an anchorage further inside
where they had not been seen on account
| Of the high hills in the vicinity and the
winding entrance They were believed to
j be the Spanish flagship Cristobal Colon
! and the cruiser Theresa or Vizcaya-
Two torpedo boats crept outside the en-
trance short distance under the cover of
| the forts, apparently taking cognizance,
] and then hurried back into the harbor,
wher no doubt the presence Of the Amer
lean feet was creating some excitement.
No one was permitted to board the st.
Paul, nor were boats allowed to go near
her. A watch is kept BY the sailors on
| the st. Paul and warnings given to boat
men not to attempt to come alongside the
vessel.
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