The record-union., 1898-05-02
Famine Approaching Those of All
Other Glasses, However.
Hopes That Our Forces Can Take the City
Before Death Genes TO All Whom
United States Charity
Has Assisted.

patch boat of the Associated Press,
midway between Havana and Key
West Fla) April 2S.-(Copyrighted,
1898 by the Associated Press. News
gathering at sea has its attractions,
but it also has its drawbacks. Incl
dent after incident could be written, de-
scrbing how out of the semi-darkness
rushed long black torpedo-boat, and
the hoarse order to heave to was
followed on the instant by the threat OF
a shot Then there have been times
when all steam was called for because
we were in grave doubt whether an ap-
preaching stranger was American or
Spanish. and in no doubt at all as to
what our fate would be should the un-
known vessel prove to be a Spanish
gunboat for the Spaniards would
rather gather in the Dauntless than
almost any other craft that sails the
seas.
off Matanzas the other night man.
of-wars man assured some Of the crew
Of The Dauntless that two Spanish gum
boats had broken the blockade at Car
denas. and were cruising, hoping to
capture any unprotected craft that
might be flying the United States col
ors. The report was probably false,
but it's effect on the crew was far from
reassuring. and it was a positive COM
fort the next night, off Havana, to be
hailed bv the Indiana ordered to heaVe
to. and boarded by an officer who eyi-
IDENTIFY wanted to be assured of our
identity. The big battleship gave a
sense of absolute security, and now
none of the crew believes any Span
lard brave enough to come within
score of miles Of this and similar in
struments of protection and OF ottense.
At sea and visiting them day after
day, the personality of the Warships
grows on you. and your regard is to-
tally different from that which you feel
toward the same vessels when they are
in q home harbOr or peacefully cruising
up and down friendly coast. If they
seem grimmer they certainly seem
greater for defense, for honor, for sue
cess If any persons have the idea that
the ships of the blockading squadron off
Havana remain punched together oppo-
site MORO and the mouth of the har-
bors they should at once change their
notion Last night the distance be-
tween the Wilmington on the eastern
flank and the Iowa on the western
could not have been less than thirty
miles. Iookouts on the lofty tops with
long telescopes can sweep the coast line
for many miles without letting the
smallest of coasting vessels escape
their observation. and as long as the
bIoclxaGinq vessels are within signaling
distance. one with another, the longer
the blockade line. the more effective 1t
is. Results in the way of captures have
proven the truth of this None the
less true is it. however. that Admiral
Sampson could use to great advantage
a number of small vessels. They would
render the blockade absolute, ana at
the same time relieve the crews of the
bigger ships from constant calls 70
quarters. These calls are harassing,
and as only one out Of ten propaply
amounts to anything, are apt to prove
irritating as well.
Newspaper boats give the feet much
trouble at night. 1t is unintentlonal,
of course. but true for all that. The
war vessels are as dark as pitch at
night. and the correspondents boats
often run directly within the prescribed
limits of approach before they have the
faintest notion of the proximity OF u
cruiser or battleship. The moon. which
is nightly waxing in power, will help
erraat1v in quick identification. but the
1o,,nt1ass recently succeeded in getting
q night order for signals, which VIII De
better still.
Stirling near the Dauntless pilot
to,sa recently. off EI Morro with a
nair of marine glasses that brought
The saffron bastions within half mile
II was impossible TO keep from specu-
1ation on the condition of things With
in that city. where for two months
many of us lived on patience and the
hope of a bombardment when II now
seems is not to occur. We know as
we'll as if we were eye witnesses that
famine is within: that it is not con-
fined to reconcentrados, most OF Whom
must be dead by this time, but en-
braces the lady of quality ana her
liege lord, the professional man ana ms
family. the small storekeeper ana MS
brood the artisan and his helpmate
AS yet the Spanish officer and the
wealthy contractor have food enough
or the wherewithal to buy it.
Beyond question a large majority OF
Havanese would welcome the lombard
ment they daily expect, if assured
that when it was over and the city in
the hands of the United States forces,
food conditions would change and the
awful uncertainty as to what the next
hour might bring forth be resolved into
certainty in the crucible Of action.
When night came we could see the
reflection in the city of lights in parque
central and parade. We knew as we'll
as if we were at the Ingleterra Hotel