Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-21
PEACEFUL WAR.
How the Men the Fleet and Dispatch
Boats Feel and Act-Stratcgy Board Not
Praised by the Fighting Contingent.


Boats Feel and Act-Strategy Board Not
Praised by the Fighting Contingent.
Aboard the Associated Press Dispatch
Boat Dauntless, off Santiago De Cuba
June 11.-Now that the majority OF
both Rear Admiral Sampson S and Com
modore Schley's sQuadrons are arc OIL
the south coast of Cuba and active OPP
erations SO far as there is any activity
in the war, having been centered here
the public is probably watching this
section of the map with eager expect
ancy. As far as one can judge after
playing pilot fish to the squadron
shark for two weeks past, the pubic
may wait some little time longer Tor
startling news.
There is small variation from day 70
day. Unlimited heat, almost unlimited
rain, constant watchfulness against tor
pedo attacks at night, desultory flrlng
at the Spanish batteries during the day,
these make UP the routine life on the
blockade. There are plenty OF golfers
coming and going in the fleet, but sup
plies of other sorts appear TO be very
short. Press boats are prohibited by
international law from carrying Official
messages back and forth, on their re
auent trips to Hayti and Jamaica Win
news, but there is nothing TO prevent
their buying onions, mineral water anu
such necessaries for the officers coopeu
I'D on the battleships. 1ncse snall
offices are gladly received ana 20 lal
toward making the press boats tolerated
in the squadron.
But nearly every boat in the press
heet has been shot at one or more
time at night and one OF them mas
been hit. ,o,
ties.
The higher naval officials recognize
the great service performed by these
heats in collecting and handling the
news. at,; IL
When a press boat halls the flagship
FOR the last news before heading away
for Kingston, Port Antonio or the MoIe
St Nicholas. there is considerable q
citement on board the warshlp
This is a sample conversation yeiieu
throngh the megaphone at 200 YARDS:
"Sav, old man, don't forget that loal
suoar for the commodore, and the Jun
ior mess wants to know II you can :
eet a whole crate OF onions. Anu
don't forget the polly water. Ana say
FORGOT we must have some tobacco.
What sort? Oh, anything that VIII
smoke. Much obliged. Good-Dye:
Perhaps the British empire II ne
knew. might term this giving alu a4o
comfort to belligerents, put "neH ln0
commodore is reduced to brown susdl
for his coffee, and the junior mess VINO
are very amiable young men, express
fears of scurvy for lack OF onions Win
their beefsteak, and when every one
is short of tobacco from the 10 castie
IN the ward ROOM how can a war cor
RESPONDENT refuse these supplles-eVen
if he does get shot at when he runs
into the fleet after shutdown.
It violates no confidence to say that
the whole fleet is getting heartily SICK
Of the peaceful war now beng
waged in these ATTITUDES. Possibly the
fleet as whole is wrong and the
strategy board right. We blame
everything here on the strategy board,
but with brutally hot weather and
warm, sickly rains off shore, making
the boats smell and feel like Chinese
laundries. with weak Spanish batter
les IN pIdlu NleW Ol SAioiC oAAN' SiD''t
ing stronger with each nights surrep-
titious work, with feet terribly eager
to fight and an army OF transports
charted only three days distant to
back the fleet, one is inclined here to
side with the fighting contingent.
However, before this gets into print,
the wisdom of the Washington au-
thorities may have been proven and
the conquest of Cuba may be going
forward as irresistably as a Fourth of
July grafton, but the above is the view
"off Santiago de Cuba
The understanding now is that the
Guantanamo bay being the landing
point of the Haytlen cable is to be held
for the future, and that duty is now
confined to seven hundred marines on
the coast of an island where Spain
boasts of 100000 loyal troops, 10000
Of whom are reported at Santiago, only
forty miles away as already said.
In response to an inquiry as to what
he thought Of fever now he was land
ed, one marine replied, as he shifted
his quid and his carbine:
"Oh to hell with fever; SO they give
us some fighting
This alliterative enthusiasm voiced
the general sentiment.