The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-30

by the British ship Adula, stopped outside
or the Cienfuegos blockade by order Of
Commodore Schley. Lieut.. Edward Simp-
son, of the flagship Brooklyn, was sent on
board her ana received valuable informal
ton. Captain Walker said he was bound
for Cienfuegos with an order of Consul
Hoffen, of the United States ship Niagara,
lying in the hospital there with broken
leg, and such neutralS and other Americans
as he could find there. He had visited this
same port some ten days ago and had taken
327 passengers, of whom only four were citi-
Zens of the United states He was in
Santiago de Cuba on May IL last on his way
to Jamaica, and while in port there the bat
teries opened fire on two American war
ships lying off the harbor The firing began
at IL O'clock and lasted until 100 p. m The
ships probably were the Harvard and the
cruiser Minneapolis though he was not GER
tain. At midnight next day he saw the
lights of seven ships about seventy miles
south of Santiago de Cuba and he believed
they were the Spanish fleet, for the next
day when he arrived at Kingston cable
announced the arrival of the fleet there
He saw nothing of the American ships. He
had been told later that the Spanish ships
only stayed there for day and then left.
Perhaps the most important information
received by the Adulas captain was that
given by pilots at Cienfuegos and Santiago,
which, of course may not be entirely re-
liable. He said that twenty-Seven electric
mines had been laid in Cienfuegos harbor,
but that they did not work well, and that
the electrical connections were broken and
the mines were fixed so as to explode by
contact. He did not know. the position of
the mines When he was in the harbor a
week ago there was one torpedo boat that
had been somewhat damaged in an encoun-
ter with the Eagle OF the United States
about this size. The harbor of Santiago had
about twenty-one electric mines in 1t, and
the place from which they were worked was
a low matched house on the west side of
the entrance three hundred yards inside
There were no contact mines there that he
knew Of
The Adula was allowed to go inside, and,
running up to the entrance to Cienfue3os,
signaed for guide. One Of the little gun
boats ran out, taking care to keep in the
lee of the neutral vessels, and in few min
utes, after parley, guarded her in.
The statements OF those on board the Brit
ish ship led Commodore Schley to take
different view of the matter, and, instead
of running right on to Santiago, he con-
cluded to remain at Cienfuegos and investi-
gate the harbor believing that if not al
ready hidden there the Spanish ships would
come along the coast: The harbor is very
reached by two sharp turns, thence mar
row passage, only wide enough for a single
every hour 10 hear from the Minneapolis or
the Harvard, and in the meantime thought
it wise to wait. 1t was thought that per-
haps the Spaniards might not let the Adula
come out, which would indicate the pres
ence of the enemy The Hawk was sent to
Key West with dispatches and mail.
were routed out of their quarters in hurry,
the officer on the deck having announced
mat smoke or three steamers on the hOrl-
ION to the southwest was visible. The alac-
rity and enthusiasm with which the men
got to the guns was remarkable. When the
three ships were seen "hulls up on the
horizon they proved to- be the United States
cruiser Marblehead and the two converted
yachts Eagle and Vixen. The Marbehead
brought out mail and kilograms. Com
mander McCala told Commodore Schley
that the shore signals which the fleet saw
Monday were the insurgents, who had
agreed with him before he left the locality
to communicate.
At this writing Commodore Schley be-
lieves the Spanish fleet to be in the vicinity
of Cienfuegos and an attempt to force an
entrance into the harbor may be made to-
right. Commodore Schley's belief of the
locality of the fleet is that there being
railway connected with Havana from there.
and none from Santiago, that the fleet came
here as soon as they found that the block
AIDE had been raised by the United States
fleet prior to the arrival of the flying squad
ron.
The squadron is now a heavy and formid-
able one A large amount of ammunition
was transferred to the Marblehead this
morning, and there will be attempt to
land it.