The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-11
TERROR WAS5NoT SUNK.

What tho New Orleans Saw. wns Rail-
rond Train Creeping Along the Beach.
Give tho American Fleet n senr,
Copyright. 1885. by tho Associated Press.)
On Board the Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Dauntless, off SANTIAGO
De CUBA, Sunday, June 5. p. M
(Via Kingston, Jamaica. June 6, 9:55 a.
m.)-Friday night 1t was believed that
"a snightsattack on the gAmerican{sfielt,
by one or both OF the torpedo boat de-
stroyers with the Spanish fleet had
been frustrated by the vigilance OF the
New Orleans, and that the destroyers
had been repulsed and driven back into
the harbor by the hot fire poured into
them by the New Orleans, New York
and Massachusetts. e
1t was this heavy firing which led to
the report, which reached Port Anto-
MO Saturday, that the Spanish Destroy
er Terror had been surrounded and
sunk on Friday night as she was trying
to slip into Santiago harbor.
The latter report Is now known to
have had no foundation; and there is
conflict Of opinion among the officers
Of the fleet as to whether the New Or
leans had In reality met torpedo boat.
When the firing was begun on Friday
night 1t was dnrk and the object at
which the guns on our ships were d.
rected seemed to be moving close in
shore. A railroad line connects San
tiago with Cave Point. at a distance OF
fifteen miles, the site OF Iron mnnufac-
tories. The track rirrs along the wa
ter's edge, and the trains, which. carry
supplies and probably war material, are
only run at night and without lights
1t Is possible that in the darkness q
fast moving train may have been mis-
taken, as one was last week, for n tor
pedo boat. But the discovery by the
Porter OF two torpedoes on Saturday af-s
ternoon floating IN the water two miles
from shore tended to strengthen the
theory Of those who insisted that q tor
pedo attack had been attempted. The
torpedoes were of the Schwartzkopf
pattern, which are not used by our
ships. II they were discharged ut one
Of our vessels by the destroyers, the
SpnnIards must have had q bad case OF
nervous fright, us one had on only q
practice head. blank cartridge
This fact leads TO the belief that the
torpedoes picked up by the Porter were
fired Friday morning at the Merrimac
wher she was discovered entering the
neck Of the harbor, probably by the
cruiser Reina Mercedes, which now lies
dismantled wreck off Smith Cava.
wherc the harbor neck broadens. AZ
ter being fired they may have drifted
out with the tide.
If this theory Is confirmed, the mo-
mentary panic caused by the sudden
appearance OF our sh,l.5 an6 the belief,
which probably prevailed, that the
whole American fleet was attempting
to force an entrance, might account for
n premature discharge OF torpedo be-
fore the war head was affixed.
With deliberate preparations for
torpedo attack 1t would hardly be likely
for any OF the war heads not to be adj
justcd. OF course, IT Is possible there
may have been q torpedo boat attack
on Friday night and that one of the re-
serve torpedoes got adrift, or, II one of
the bonts was sunk. as some hold, the
torpedo may havo got loose from l,s
moorings as the ship plunged and went
down. The torpedoes were evidently
set to float after being discharged.
In our navy an torpcdoes nre set TO
sink after they have run their course.
The Spaniards may have reckoned on
keeping them ailoat in tho hope that
ono of our ships would stumble on II In
the dark and share the fate Of the
Maine. King Yucn. ONE of the Chirese
ships at the battle Of the Y,ilu. Is sup,
posed by some naval experts to have
been sunk by floating torpedo dis
charged earlier In the action by ono OF
her sister ships.
A sharp lookout Is maintained by the
blockadlng squadron in guarding
ngairst night torpedo attacks: and It
hns already led to firing by our ships
upon each other on at lenst two occn-
si0ns. During the last week the bat
ticship Texas fired upon the Marble
hend and the Vixen and both tho latter
vessels had narrow escapes. Only the
flash Of their signal lights. and, on tho
occasion in question, the fortunate bad
aim Of tho gunncrs Of, tho Texas saved
them. fi5 S7E4
Several of the newspaper dispatch
boats have alsO had i'ather stirring ex-.
pcriences OF q sinhlar character. & II
should be said that on bonrl, the New
York md the New Orleans they arc
quito confident torpedo attack was
repulsed on Friday night III