The Portland daily press., 1898-05-02
NEWS GATHERING AT SEA.
Experiences On Board the Associated
Press Boat Dauntless.


but it also has its drawbacks Incident
after incident could be written describing
now out of the semi-darkness rushed q
long black torpedo boat and the hoarse
order to heave to was followed on the in.
stant by the threat of shot. Then there
have been times when all steam has been
called 1or because we were in grave doubt
Whether an approaching stranger was
american or Spanish, and no sdoubt at
all as to what our fate would be should
the unknown vessel prove to be Spanish
gunboat, for the Spaniards would rather
gather in the Dauntless than almost any
| other craft that sails these seas.
Off Mata MAS the other night man n-of-
warsman assured some of the crow of tho
Dauntless that two Spanish gunboats had
| escaped the blockade at Cardenas and
| were cruising outside seeking to capture
| any unarmed craft carrying the United
States colors. Probably the yarn was false
| assuring and it was positive comfort
| the next night off Havana to be hailed by
| the Indiana, ordered to heave to and
| boarded by an officer who evidently
wanted to be we'll assured of our identity.
The big battleship gave sense of abso-
lutte security, aud now none of the crew
| believes any Spaniard brave enough to
similar instruments Of protection an d of
offence
At sea, and visiting them day after day,
the personality of the warships grow on
you and your regard is totally different
from that which you feel toward the same
vessels when they are in home horbor or
peacefully cruising up and down friend
~ coast. II they seem grimer they GER
tainly seem greater for defence, for honor,
for SUCCESS
If any persons have the idea that the
ships OF the brocking squadron off Ha-
vana remain punched together opposite
MORO and the harbor's mouth they
should at once change their notion. Jast
nighj the distance between the Whining
ton on the eastern flank and the Iowa on
the western could not have been less than
30 miles. Lookouts in the lofty tops,
with long telescopic glasses, can sweep
the coast line for many miles without
letting the smallest of coasting vessels
escape their observation, and as long as
the biockading squadron are within
signalling distance with one another. the
longer the.a sblockadingss line. the /. more
effective it Ia. Results in the way of
captures have proven this. None the less
true is 1t, however, that Rear Admiral
Sampson can use to great advantage a
number of small vessels. They would
render the blockade absolute and at the
oouuo oiIuo fS1ioto tuo CroWs ol UIe Digger
ships from constant call to quarters
These calls are harrassing and as only
one out of ten probably amounts to any
thing, are apt to prove Irritating as well.
Newspaper boats give the feet much
trouble at night. 1t is un1ntent1onal, of
course, but none the less true for all that
All the war vessels are as dark as pitch
at night and the correspondents boats
| often run directly within the prescribed
limits Of approach before they have the
faintest notion of the proximity of a
cruiser or battleship. The moon, which
| is nightly waxing in power, will help
greatly in quick Identification but the
Dauntless recently succeeded in getting a
| night order for signals which will be
better still.
Sitting near the Dauntless pilot house
recently off Ell MORO, with.a pair of
marine glasses that brought the saffron
bastions within half mile, it was i'm
possible to keep from speculating on the
condition of things in that city, where for
two months many of us lived on patience
and the hope of bombardmsnt, which it
now seams is not to occur. We know as
well as If we we're eye witnesses that
famine was within sight, that it was not
confined to reooncentrados, most of whom
must he dead by this time, but embraces
tho lady of quality and her liege lord, the
professional man and his family, the
saaii soorehSepGr anu MS prood, the
artisan and his helpnate. Probably, as
yet, the Spanish officer and the wealthy
contractor have food enough, or the
wherewithal to buy it, even with beef
81. so a pound. (the last quotation reach
ing us). Beyond question large MAORI.
ty of the Havanas would welcome the
bombardment they daily expect. if as
sured that when it was over and the CITY
in the hands of the United States forces
food conditions would change and the
| awful uncertainty as to what the next
hour might bring forth be resolved into
certainty in the cruc ible of action.
When night came we could see the re-
Il sction in the city of the lights in Parque
Central and Prado. We know as we'll as
| II we we're at the Inglaterra hotel that
along the broader streets the yoluntarios
Gere marching and counter marching,
their officers switching the little light
canes they are SO fond of and their
buglers in vain trying to keep time to
their own music. We hoped some Of
these volunteers were hungry since they
certainly deserve to be. They are SO blood
thirsty with the helpless and SO coyardIy
when met by an armed foe.
Was the band playing on the stand
around the statue of the Great Isabelle?
Probably not. Even these mercl1rinI
psople could scarcely be in musical
mood when short walk to the shore
would show them the huge "Pillars of
fire by night made by the. searchlights
OF the blockaders. OF course the PRINCIPAL
6 ,fes were crowded. Officers and the
better class of civilians were surely con-
greaated there in great numbers drinking
their light wines or a small glass of
absinthe-they are not given to drunken
ness-and talking 150 to the dozen while
hands and arms waived wildly and
shoulders were in perpetual motion.
A recent letter to the writer smuggled
out by friend in Havana said, "Ths big
hotel Ipgaterra had two guests, Mr.. Col
Ian, British consul, and a Madrid
gam nbler, but the patronage of the cafe
was on the increase. These people are
gregarious and must talk or exploden
TRANSPORT SHIP BOUGHT.
Philadelphia. Pa. May Lit was an.