The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1898-06-24

In the absence OF news OF 'ukAk'-
Aents with tho Spanish squadron. pub
lie attention has been largely occupied
with stories o. the blockade established
on Cuba. Tho dispatches have told Of
the capture Of blockade runners OF the
excitement attending the chase and the
methods employed. Of the character and
value 81 the prizes. OF the sleoplcas
vigilance observed on the blockadIng
ships. OF the all but lmposaihlllty Of o.
cape OF incoming or outgoing veHEcln
engaged In the service Of the enemy
The creation OF blockade 20 an In
itiai measure IN naval warfare. Il was
che frst undertaken by the sdmlnistra-
tion In 1861. and by President Mckin-
ley In the present war. The conditions
a. they existed then. and now. are to-
tally different There IA an lmpassable
wall along the Cuban waters main
tanned by a SUFFICIENT force Of cruisers
and various craft. fully equipped for
any emergency. hut IN 1861 the fed
eral government entered upon the task
OF capturing or blockadlng the South
Atlantic coast. with four small yea8ela
carrying In ell twenty-five guns. This
was what Il had NJ ~ immediate dis.
posal IN home ports A. barrier 10
commerce alonE 5000 miles Of coast
In the Gulf OF Mexico wsre eight more
ships. In the Mediterranean three.
seven we're on the coast OF Africa. two
on that of Brazil three Ia the East In
dies, ana olght In the Pasihc scattered
far and wide These had 20 h. collect
I'd to satisfy England and France that
a posfcct blociiade could be ostahlirhcd
according to the rule affecting II In the
declaration OF Paris They we're Of the
opinion that II was impossible. yet. IN
less than a year. the governments OF |
the world Acknowledged that Il was |
the great feat OF the war England r..
gardcd this country or the North. NJ |
least with feelings somewhat different
90 those that move n now on account
OF ia Industrial interest IN the cotton
raised exclusively In the South nut all
ia skin and capital could not keep this
blockade open. though they dld at
times succeed In getting vessels into
southern ports 10 supply the confeder-
ate armies with the means Of carrying
on the war. Many English vessels were
captured; the coasts OF the South were
atrewn with tho wrecka OF English |
clipper steamers which we're chased on
shore In calm and IN storm by officers
who seldom slept, who scanned the
horizon night and day for the sight OF
an incoming blockade runner. An cf-
fective blockade with such an made
ouhte force AZ that AZ the beginning OF
the war was Unprecedented. even Ia the |
operations Of the foremost naval pow
era Of the world. II looked like an at
tempt 10 revive the cabinet hlockados |
Of half a century before. when Eng
land aud France laid an embargo upon |
each others coasts and captured al |
vessels at sea whose destination was
within the prescribed limits; when
Spain intcrdicted commerce with the
northern colonies In South America.
and az n matter OF form. kept a brig
cruising In the Caribbean sea. Although
the United states was not a party TO
the declaration Of Paris. II was pre-
pared 20 stand by ~ provisions. Il IN
dorulood ia responsibilities. aud pre-
pared TO meet thcm. II ala meet them;
the result opened tho eyes OF foreign
governments, and drew them with a
kcener, ateadler gnEe on American
warfare; In recent operations against
the Spanish II has opened them again
and the end IL not yet
Unsuccessful nuse..
As liability for breach OF blockade
begins with the mere act Of sailing for
the hloekadod port the distance Of this
port from the point o. departure be-
oomea an important consideration 10
the blockade runner. The longer the
distance to be travorned the greater tho
risk some method OF breaking the yoy-
age must be devised, 80 that as much
OF Il as possible may be technically IN
nooenL The principal trade OF the
South, during tho war. was with Eng
land. and Il became an object TO eyade
liability during the long transatlantic
passage For this purpose all the avail
able neutral ports In the neishborhood
OF the coast were made entrepots for
covering the illegal trafflc
There were four principal points
which served as Intermediates for the
neutral trade with the South. Bermuda.
Nassau, Havana, and Matamoras. OF
these, Nassau was the most prominent.
Situated on tho island OF New Proyl-
dence In the bahamas. It was only
about $50 miles IN a straight line from
the coast OF Florida, Florida, however.
was not the objective point OF the lead
Ing blockade runners. The chief seats
OF commerce on the eastern coast were
Savannah, Charleaton and Whining
Ton. The run 20 these points from Mas
sau was from 500 to 600 miles. or three
days. allowing for the usual delays OF
the passage. For such trips. small
quantities OF coal were needed which
save great room for the storage OF car
60.
When the advantage Of neutral des-
tinailon was fully Understood. Il be-
came the practice for all the blockade
runners TO clear for one OF the other Of
these points. and upon their arrival TO
Al. a.