The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-05
THE WATCH OFF HAVANA.
SOENEs AND INCIDENTS OF THE
CUBAN BLOCKADE.

oFTsHAvANA, Juno 1.-six miles to the south.
WaRd lies Havana. a masB Of mud red bulldogs,
ctgAr-box colorod. none of them very high,
most of them squatty and dingy. wait till
tho Yankees have had II ten years." some one
oaid, and then II won't lack sky.Bcrapors. .
The first inquiry IL MORO Cashier Just about
the middle OF the stretch Of houses q good.siSed
structure built on q rock and surmountod by a
tower, not q very tall towor. stands In the fore.
ground. Tho red, II not yellow, of the nag float
Ing on 1t 10 easily made Out. through the glass.
But the American Expectation of something
big. something imposing, impressive, crushing,
10 not realized. Thissdingy. dog house on a rock
10 the famous MORO Castle.
Back Of 1t, half hidden by the MORO, are the
Cabana prison and barracks. Tho MORO hill
hides most of Havana hArbor. Not q ship can
be seen In the part of the harbor that shows.
A curve In the land hides the wreck Of the
Maine. The whole water front, Viewed from
sea, recalls old geography cuts labelled. "View
Of Ancient Carthage" or "view of Jerusalem"
Eastward from MORO are four batteries,
two on the hilltops. two new water batteries.
There are few buildings to redeem the bare
ness east Of MORO. The water batteries are
new. The sand looks like cloan BROW sugar.
AS vet the runs have not been mounted, though
ombrASures are cut for them. The hilltop bat
tories to the . east Of MORO are said to be the
STRONGEST about Havana. Both mount diSRp-
pearing guns. 1t Is said that these guns we're
surrounded by railroad iron, inside a casing OF
cement some twenty feet thick. Outside the
cement casing sand has been piled for q dis
tance Of $50 feet. A few ragged breaks in the
line OF hilltops and the presence of the Spanish
flag are the only Indications Of these batteries
aeen from BeRward.
Havana is to the westward Of MORO, across
the harbor at whose mouth the castle stands.
The whole city. resting in the gentle upward
c1rving of the hills from the Gulf. 10 visible
from the blookRding vessels. The view Is dlsap-
pointing-no high buildings, no pretty trees. no
spreading parks. Near the water is q great
barron patch Of yellow earth, for all the world
like the yellow Virginia hills after a rain. On
the chart this stretch along the sea is marked
military baths" On tho land side Of II are
more cigar-box-colored houses. In fact, the
architecture of the whole city suggests cigar
boxes.
The famous Santa Clara battery Is near the
sea at the western end OF the city. Between 1t
and Havana are the Captain.Ge Generals palace,
the Principa barracks, and more cigar-box
houses. Tho Queens battery is near the mill
tary baths. From the sea all the batteries look
email and weak. Perhaps the Americans may
have a better idea of them after the lombard
ment Of Havana.
VI a. WV Aiho NV
comparison in anything American. Not a sail
on the water front, not q fsotory's tall smoke
stack on land. not one huge building can be
seen In the city. Neither smoke, nor life. nor
animation. One can count five Spanish flags
ono on each battery, one on Moro, and one on
the Captain-Gopera!'s palace. Sometimes the
people In the streets can be seen, sometimes the
men throwing up new batteries seem but a fur
long distant, through the long glass; but the city
ifRelf Moro and Tho harhnr are etarnnly ouiet
several times tho force of blockading ships.has
been reduced 80 low that 1t has bean q matter
Of intense establishment to the naval officers of
the blockade that tho Spnniards did not make
any aggressive movement. Especially has this
been true since Sampson and Schleyh have taken
all the available ships to hunt the Spanish fleet.
Imagine this half dozen vessels to DO Span
ish and trying to blockade an American city OF
the size of Detroit" remarked tho Captain OF
one OF our blockading vessels. The blockade
would last about twenty minutes" he con-
tinued.
Nothing but . flag Of truce can tempt the
Spanish ships to leave Havana was the com.
mont of n reporter az the Maple steamed
toward MORO under a white flag to exchange
prisoners the other day. 1t was on the occa'
sion of the exchange of the American newspaper
mon Jones and Thrall for some Spanish officers
tAkon prisoners by tho United States. A Span
ish g%unboat, about the siae of tho Manning
steamed out two or three miles to meet the
Maple. The prisoners were transferred in row
boats. Messrs. Jones and Thrall were sent bach
to Key West on the Woodbury.. The Maple
took station on tho blockade. The Dons, onC
OF them a nephew OF Gen. WOyler, went on the
Spanish gunboRt, which withdrew to tho city
Of the dead. The Runboat has not boon seer
since. Tho blockaders hope to share her value
IN prize money when the city Is taken.
It must not be supposed that tho Spanish
lack Of energy has caused a leSsening Of vigi
lance on the part Of the American ships. Oh
the ships that form q semi-circle around tn,
mouth of Havana hArbor there Is tho most in
oeSsant wstchfulness. Every additional puff
Of smoke by day, every wandering glimmer o
Light by night IL watched by dozens of eyes
Tho moonless nights of the past two week
would have been perfect for the purpose o
blockade running. With lights out. even q BIZ
ship on such nights is at best merely a blacl
spot on a blacker shadow. Our ships show t
each other by signal lanterns the countersign
This 10, Of course. changed every night. Whel
. strange ship or . strange light 10 made out
one of the blockAdlnR feet immediately steam
for IL, keeping her guns trained on the light o
object. When close to, the stranger 10 eithe
hailed through the megGphone or the countorsig
10 flashed. II one of our war vessels. the new
conner makes tho counterslgn. folio wing 1t b.
his number, which idontinaS him To the bloch
ader. II . merchant vessel, the stranger Is vi
uAlly boarded by an armed boats crow fror
the blookader. should there DO any doubt as t
his business.
Tho present blockAdinR force complain this
the prize business 10 played out. Most Of tn
vessels spoken turn out to DO newspaper boat
Occasionally . Norwegian or Swedish sailin
ship, bound from q Gulf port to Europe. is b,
Gained whila the Gulf Stream carries hor clos
10 Havana. Tho Captains OF such vessels Al
usually moro fearful of them Dagoes' than {
anything else, and exhibit their friendship fc
America by proffering to tho boarding ONO,
who examines their papers the usual oourteS
Of the sea, . big drink of Whiskoy.
The ether day a big wR.o steamer amt fl!
ing out OF Havana, smoking like . rolling mil
She kept close TO tho shore, heading westwar,
apparently to remain under cover OF the SAINT