Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-10
the Oregon's big guns was twice heard
to the eastward.

to the eastward
Cease firing was then sounded.
The searchlights failed to reveal the
presence of the enemy and nothing but
the bare coast could be SEEN
After careful search the New York
steamed back to her station and the
men went back to their hammocks.
There had been no firing from the
forts and accounts differ as to whether
the torpedo boat did or did not fire, at
any rate no damage was done.
Captain Folger reported that he had
sighted a small steamer, perhaps a gum
boat that she had failed to answer the
private signal and that he had fired on
her. He believed she had escaped
along the beach or had been destroyed,
he could not tell which.
That ended the night attack and the
first experience here with torpedo boats
in naval warfare
1t was not until the Porter found the
torpedoes that the danger of last nights
affair was fully realized.
The Porter was steaming two miles
from shore and we'll to the eastward
of MORO Castle when
TWO TORPEDOES WE'RE SEEN
floating on the water. Ensign ellis
jumped overload and swan around
10 rip fn no
war nose, but the torpedo itself turned
too easily in the water. He returned
to the Porter and Commander Fremont
finally got one of the torpedoes safely
on board. The other sunk as she was
getting it in.
Commander Fremont then brought
the torpedo alongside the New York.
1t was a 14-inch Whitehead of modern
make and worth about So, 500. 1t was
in perfect condition and had any of our
ships struck it while it foated it would
have exploded and perhaps sunk the
ship Therefore the find was not only
valuable but most fortunate.
A curious fact is that the torpedo
which sunk had an exercise head on
and had no war nose and would not
have exploded This either means that
the Spaniards are terribly ignorant or
careless about torpedoes.
Precautions against night torpedo
attack have been a distinguished feat
ure of
ADMIRAL SIMPSONS POLICY
ever since the commencement of the
war, and last night proved the efficacy
of the arrangements. Everything NOV
ed as smoothly as if in the case Of
day engagement. In spite of the diff
Guilty experienced in seeing the enemy
had a torpedo boat ventured anywhere
near the effective range of fire. it
would undoubtedly have been shot to
pieces.
1t is possible that there were two
torpedo boats out last night. although
only one is believed to have approached
anywhere near our ships.
The ability Of Spanish torpedo boat
destroyer to get out from the harbor is
not regarded as a sign that the Merri-
mac does not block the channel leading
into it. Torpedo boat destroyers draw
so little water and have so little beam
that it was scarcely expected the sink
ing of the Merrimac would prevent
them from coming out.
1t is pretty certain, however. that big
ships could not follow suit nven If
they wished to, which is unlikely.
Two curious pictures Of war were
presented yesterday. In the afternoon
the Spanish chief of staff was sitting
amicably in Admiral SIMPSONS cabin
and saying
OVER A GLASS OF WINE.
you know there is nothing personal IL
this" and a few hours later his torpedo
boat apparently comes out and tries to
blow the admiral and his ship out of
the water