The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-15
laying FOR GERVERA
Ensign Barnes Writes of the
Search For Him.
JUST ABOUT TEN MINUTES
Was the Limit Granted Had
the Fleets Met.
JUST ABOUT TEN MINUTES

Guthrie, 0. T, June H.-(Special)-En
sign Bart Barnes, who Is stationed with
the blockading feet in Cuban waters
writes the following gossipy letter to no:
mother. Mrs. Governor Barnes. concern
ing the movements of the feet:
Near Nicholas Channel, May %, 1885,
My Dear Mother-Just as we left Ha-
vana the other day for this cruise in
quest Of the Cape Verde squadron the tug
Tecumseh followed US some little dts
lance with our mail. Now we wanted our
mail badly; we had to ask the flagship s
permission TO stop and take 1t and it was
refused We spent three days in Nicholas
channel waiting for the Spanish squad
ron with a feet that could have signally
defeated them In ten minutes fighting.
Here was our formation and strength
New York admiral Sampson). armored
cruiser; Indiana, first class battleship;
torpedo boat Ericsson. torpedo boat Rod
gers; Puritan, monitor; Miantonomah.
monitor; Wilmington, gunboat, Machias,
gunboat; Vicksburg. gunboat; Newport,
gUnboat.
All these 70 the left
To the right: Montgomery, flagship,
with Commander Watson; Ned Orleans
formerly ASmazonas), Detroit, Cincinnati,
MayfioWfler converted yacht, Wasp.
We hoped the Spanish fleet would come
right down between these lines and we
had a little song after the tune Of Mr.
Johnson, Turn Me Loose" that runs thus:
Mr.. Spaniard, won't you please
Come right down between all these, etc"
They would not last a minute. The gun
boats at the end of the column were 10
keep the Spaniards from running after
they had passed the heavy armored ships
"a difficult and dangerous feat-when the
heavy ships would turn and come after
them. The Vesuvius found US yesterday
morning but left last night. 1t is just Pc
ported that she is in sight flying the dis
patch flag. We think now we are on our
way back to Havana or Key West. We
hope Commodore Schley has the Cape
Verde squadron bottled up at Santiago
de Cuba, as the entrance to that port is
extremely narrow and we can keep them
until they starve or run out of coal, or
come out and fight a superior force. It
Is my opinion that should we destroy or
capture these four vessels, the flower of
the Spanish navy. the war would soon
end. We have only IS tons Of coal now.
so hope TO get into Key West in about ten
days. We may have 20 coal from one of
our golfers out at sea. We are all nearly
wor nout with the past three weeks hard
watches. We received some ice yeste--
day which seemed simply delicious.
May Give received a signal from the
New York last night that the Cape Verde
squadron was still in Santiago and that
Commodore Schley had not yet arrived
there. Also that the Oregon had arrived
at Key West. She is the sister ship Of
the Indiana and Massachusetts. The
weather IS fearfully warm and I am
considerably under the weather This IS
our twenty-fourth day out Of port and
life on shipboard gets very monotonous
lzard's ship, the Machias, IS Just 400 yards
from Us, and 7 see him through the
glass occasionally and when I have the
fridge and am in charge Of the ship I
speed her up to the Machias and hold a
conversation with him in our wigwag
rode Of signals. Dear old Walter lizard
Is my special lie TO the service now. As
soon as the severe effects of the blow of
2agley's death wear off l will write Mrs.
fagley and must have a late photograph
T him. I have received the Raleigh pa
rers giving an account of his funeral.
Bnd save 1t that you may see how belov-
he was by every one.
1 suppose we will have to wait about
here Till we are sure Schley has the
squadron bottled up in Santiago. or it
comes up here. I favor going closer to it.
May 50.-Our last mail came last Satl1r-
day; brought me eleven letters which
enjoyed fully. This is our twenty-seventh
day from port and life on board has be-
come exceedingly dreary and monotonous.
and hot-so much so that We are getting
Indifferent as to how long it will last.
We have only sixty tons Of coal. which
viii permit Of our remaining only about
week with the squadron at our rate of
expenditure unless the commodore has us