The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-25
ON THE DAUNILEsS.
The Dispatch Boat Brings In n Prize
Loaded with Rum.

The Dispatch Boat Brings In a Prize
Loaded with Rum.
. On Board the Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Dauntless. Key West. April
24.-The associated press dispatch boat
Dauntless arrived in this harbor yes
terday before midnight. having in tow
the first sailing vessel prize of the cam
paign, the schooner Mathilde of Ha-
vana, 60 tons. loaded with rum.
When the Dauntiess left the main
fleet under Rear Admiral Sampson at
3:15 o'clock on Friday afternoon, what
seemed n thorough blockade of Ha-
vana had been successfully established.
The feet range from s to 10 miles from
shore. along which they are extended
to fully 20 miles. in the following order,
running from west to east: Mayfiower,
Iowa. Newport, Detroit. Marblehead, In
diana, New York, Wilmington, with the
torpedo boat Porter attending the flag
ship.
MORO castle and the city OF Havana
are in good view ffeNn the NesN1s4YS -wftls
glasses. but the coast. as is always the
case, is covered with a haze. No news
Of what is occurring in the blockaded
city has been obtained, and the news
paper men are equally in doubt as to
the intentions of Rear Admiral Samp-
son and the United States government.
Soon after 2 o'clock yesterday morning
the Amphitrte. Puritan. Cincinnati,
Castine. Machias and three torpedo
boats, after much interchange of signals,
parted company with the flagship, sail
ing in a northeasterly direction, pre-
sumably to blockade Matanzas. Carde-
mas and Sagua la Grande. Owing to her
late arrival on the previous night and
with delays on the following day. the
associated press dispatch boat Daunt-
less was the last boat of the naval and
newspaper fleets to leave Key West on
Friday morning.
At 1855 a. m, with her anchor apeak,
the Dauntless got under way with
plenty of steam up and with a deter
mination of those on board not to be
the last to pass the Sand Key light. She
passed out with a 12-knot rate of speed.
Then she squared away for the fleet,
not even the smoke Of which was visi-
BILE at the time. The Dauntless dashed
ahead until 3 o'clock, when many black
streams were seen making parallel lines
across the southern horizon. Ten
O'Clock. and the vessels OF the fleet could
be counted, even to the torpedo boats.
The maneuvers Of the squadron Were
noted, but of course their purpose was
not understood.
At IL o'clock the Dauntless passed the
cruiser Wilmington, at the rear of the
boat Flanders. Until noon there were
more or less excited brushes with one
or the other of the newspaper boats.
At 1890 ID. m. the order was given to
slow down. the Dauntless then being to
the eastward and abeam of the flag
ship New York and ahead of the long
line of newspaper tugs and yachts. The
Dauntless left Key West one hour and
twenty minutes behind the other boats,
but in four hours and a half she was at
the head of the procession and Colonel
Floyd, who knows the boat better than
any living person. remarked: She
can't beat II knots at her best, but IL
is funny how many Is and 11-knot clip
pers she leaves astern."
With the flagship New York, after the
hills had been sighted and she had
started off at a 20-knot clip to capture
the Spanish steamer Pedro. the Dsunt-
less veered and followed and was in at
the death. Those on the Dauntless saw
the first hostile shot fired. and as the
flagship swung around for her chase
after what proved to be a German trad
ing steamer. they gave the New York
the first cheer. But all these things
were seen by a lot Of correspondents.
wet from head to feet with spray by the
barrel full thrown constantly higher
than the pilot house. while to move
about one required the use Of legs.
hands and feet. but the game was
worth the candle. This IL war. or a
very fair imitation of 1t. while the ex-
pectancy of greater things added to the
attractiveness Of the situation. After a
night OF rolling on the rough. heavy
sea. to get under way in the morning.
the better TO see the Iowa and the In
diana in fighting trim start seaward
and better still 10 follow the New York
as she raced eastward to intercept
what proved to be the Italian man-of-
war, Viovanni Basana, from which
vessel Rear Admiral Sampson received
his FIRST -admiral's salute from a
foreign warship. came the stirring in
cident Of the Mathilde. followed by the
determination to return to Key West
with dispatches
The associated press dispatch boat
Dauntless was asked through the meg
aphone to tow the Spanish prize to Key
West. IL was a fitting end to the day.
1t was an example Of the grim irony
Of fate wh.Sn gave to the famous ex-
filibuster the first opportunity to tow a