The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-21
OF Sampson and Schiey Preparing the
Way for the Army. ..ss
SMALL VARIATION FROM DAY TO DAY.
Constant Watcuness Against Attacks Torpedo
tho Press Boats Supply Officers and Men on tho Bateshps
With Such Deicaces Onions Tobacco-HowT They Arc
Wagng "Peacoful War"

Correspondence Of tho Associated Press.
ABOARD THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS DISPATCH BOAT DAuNT-
LESS. OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA,
June 1l.-Now that the majority OF
both Rear Admiral sampson's and
Commodore schley's sauadrons are of
the south coast OF Cuba and active op-
erations go far as there Is any activity
IN the war, having been centered here,
the public Is probably watching this
section Of the mop with eager expec-
fancy. As far as one can Judge after
playing pilot fish to the squadron's
shark for two weeks past, the public
may wait some little time longer for
startling news.
There Is small variation from day to
day. Unlimited heat. almost unlimited
rain. constant watchtulness against tor
pedo attacks at night, desultory firing
at the Spanish batteries during the
day, these make up the routine life on
the blockade. There are plenty OF col
liers coming and going In the feet. but
supplies Of other sorts appear to be
very short. Press boats are prohibited
by internatl atlonai law from carrying OIL
cial messages back and forth, on their
frequent trips to Hayti and Jamaica
with news, but there Is nothing to pre-
vent their buying onions. mineral wa
ter and such necessaries for the officers
cooped up on the battleshlps. These
small Offices are gratefully received and
60 far toward making the press boats
tolerated jim the squadron.
But nearly every boat In the press
fleet has been shot at one or more times
at night and one OF them has been hit.
Fortunately there We're no casualties.
The higher naval officials recognize
the great service performed by these
boats in collecting and handling the
news.
a Sample Conversation.
When press boat halls the flagship
for the last news before heading away
for Kingston, Port Antonio or the Mole
st. Nicholas, there is considerable ex-
citement on board the warship.
This is sample conversation yelled
through the megaphone at two hundred
yards:
SAY, old man, don't forget that loaf
sugar for the commodore, and the ju-
nior mess wants to know II you can't
get whole crate of onions. And don't.
don't forget the polly water. And say. I
forgot, we must have some tobacco.
What sort? Oh. anything that will
smoke. Much obliged. Goodbye"
Perhaps the British empire. IL It knew,
might term this giving aid and COM
fort to belligerents," but when the
commodore Is reduced to brown sugar
for his coffee and the junior mess. who
are very amiable young men. express
fears OF scurvy for lack OF onions with
their beefsteak and when everyone Is
short OF tobacco from the fo'castle TO
the wardroom. how can n war corres-
pondcnt refuse these supples-even II
he does get shot at when he runs Into
the. fleet after sundown? 1t violates no
confidence 10 say that the whole fleet Is
getting heartily sick Of the peaceful
war" now being waged In these latl-
tudes.
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 of shore, maxi
Ing the boats smell and feel like Chi
nese laundries, with weak Spanish bat
terics in plain view on shore and grow
ing stronger with each nights surrepti-
tious work. with fleet terribly eager
to fight and an army with transports
chartered only three days distant to
back the fleet. one is inclined here to
side with the fighting contingent. i
However, before this gets into print,
the wisdom OF the Washington author
tiles may have been proven and the
conquest of Cuba may be going for !.
ward as ir-csistlbly ms Fourth Of July
oratIon, but the above is the view "off
Santiago de Cuba"
The understanding now is that thu
Guantanamo bay being the landing
point OF the Hayt!en cable Is to be held
for future and that duty IS now confined
to seven hundred marines on the coast
OF an island where Spain boasts OF 12O.-
900 loyal troops. 10000 OF whom are re-
ported Mt Santiago. only forty miles
away, as already said.
In response to IN inquiry rs to what
he thought OF fever now he was landed,
one marine replied. as he shifted his
quId and his carablne.
"Oh, to h with fever; so they gives
us some fighting" ia
This nlliterative enthusiasm voiced
the general sentiment
.