The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-11

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correspondence OF tho Associated Press.
KEY WEST, Fla, March San ut
mosphcrc OF war han taken firm grip
on this little sun-kisscd island All day
Ions; a rcstlcsa throns yeers from the
main streets TO the waterfront to see
II the big white warshIps are still lying
peacefully at anchor in tho harbor.
When they End that the fleet has not
been ordered % Cuba or elsewhere these
restless hcinsa pass OH their way. Others
lake their places. Alright swarthy .cl-
Garinakers, tired with their incessant
rolling through the day, throw then.-
selves lazily on, logs that lie on piers.
They look out at the ships and talk
among themselves in thnt soft Spanish
tongue Of the times when they hope
those black guns VIII bclcii forth their
leaden vIsitations upon tho enemies OF
Cuba. Key West Is essentially Cuban
IN It's sympathies and greatly so In Its
population. These groups on the docks
are merely types OF other groups that
nightly gather on street corners, In
cafes and throughout the struggling
city. all eagerly debating when war
Will be declared.
As The sun goes down and the cigar
maker takes a last look at the sllsten-
Ing sides OF the stately ships. reflected In
the dark blue water by the suns setting
rays. the man o'-wars' launches begin
10 fit Inerrlly 10 and fro. Their whis-
a. oh i.lg
ashore, hearing this warning to get
aboard, come running down the quays
and tumble Into their tiny craft. II
there is no officer with them you can Of
ten hear the sailors singing "chanteys'
until the ,winklinS lights offthe launch
ore lost In the glare of electric illumin-
alton that shinimers round the ship to
which the men belong.
Naval or newspaper" Is the query
that always follows an introduction
nowadays, What with SO many war"
correspondents and naval officers in
town Il is often hard for thetstray tour
list or commercial man TO find n bed.
One can hardly walk a block without
meeting either n ,bluejacket. marine or
officer. The piazza of the hotel where
Admiral Sicard makes his headquarters
simply bristles with dark blue uniforms
and white caps from early morning till
late III night.
Al Iii Brisa, the great pleasure resort
OF Key West. where dances are held
twice N week in a hall that looks direct
~ out on the gulf and Its keys, and
where. wheE the music ceases. you can
hear the waves ripping up against the
Brlsa's wooden piles-there Is always a
gallant galaxy from the senior arm OF
the service. Here dark-eyed senoritas
and genuine R:nerican girls. trip gally
over the polished floor with Swapping
young cadets or lieutenants who wear
the much-coveted naval" beard. The
army barracks also furnishes Its con-
tlnGent OF officers. II war were to be
declared suddenly or II the fleet were
unexpectedly ordered away on one OF
the Brisa dance nights. there would en-
Sue scene very similar to that which
made the bali on the eve Of the battle
Of Waterloo so memorable. ~
With this Influx OF naval and newspa-
per element Cayo Hueso. as Key West Is
called by most Of the residents, Is rea/-
Ing harvest OF shelels as well a/of
excitement.
When the boats from Havana come In
about hale the population Is on hand to
meet them. A sea of black and white
faces is upturned to the passengers at
The deck rail. What news?" is shout
ed In Spanish and English from score
OF threats. "All Is quiet" is the re-
Spouse which has always come up to the
time OF writing. The sea OF faces melts
away and people so to their homes.
muttering: by the next boat we shall
hear OF the riot" But the riot In Ha-
rana has not come, and the little COL
ored bootblacks are still shining naval
shoes with peaceful laZiness that be-
lies the fierce war talk with which they
reSale their customers.
Since the days when northern soldiers
built road and fort here, and then
waited patiently for the engagement
which never came. the people OF Key
West have hud no opportunity to real
ize how essential thelr island Is to the
commencement or continued existence
OF var. The martial conditions which
now prevail would excite many larger
city into n state OF fer7nent, and It IL
kate 10 say that even Il the internation-
al difficulty dies a-borningsit will be
months before Cayo Hueso resumes Its
normal peacetulness.