The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-28
AN EASY TASK.
BIockaders Thinks Havana Can BE
Taken without Much Trouble.

~ d. n.-Ihe ua5SAlp New \ Ork spent
last night patrolllng the coast from a point
west of Havana to within ten miles of Ma
tanzas on the east. The general belief is
that the cream of the prizes has been taken,
and that not many more Spanish merchant
vessels will venture into these waters. The
| Associated Press dispatch boat Dauntless
| left the fleet to return to Key West on her
| third round trip since last Friday at 1890
| o'clock this morning, in the teeth of a
| twenty-five knot gale from west of north.
| The correspondent had an interview with
Rear Admiral Sampson in the admiral's
cabin on the flagship yesterday morning.
| The admiral insisted that nothing he said
should be published, except in so far as he
expressed satisfaction with the conduct of
the blockade. lie does not wear the insig
MIA of rear adniral-probably because he
| has had no time TO secure them since noti-
| fled of his promotion, but blue flag with
| twin white stars. one above the other on
the masthead of the flagship. gives all the
Of course the absorbing topic, from adj
| mral to coal passer, is when do we take
Havana? One could not help thinking yes
| terday when lying near shore, how easy it
would be to land troops at a particular
| point or at hundreds of others on the coast
| The toy forts on the hills would not fright
en- battalion of school cadets and the
water is deep enough to allow the war ships
| to cover landing from close in.
On her present trip to Key West the
| Dauntless, at the request of Captain Chad
! wick of the New York, brought in young
| Aranguren, brother of the nsurgent Brig.
| Gen. Nestor Aranguren, who was killed by
the Spanish colonel, Benedicto, in revenge
| for his having shot Lieutenant Colonel Ruiz
| of the Spanish army, Young Aranguren
| has been on the flagship, where 1T was
| thought at first he might be- of some espe-
| cial use owing to his local knowledge of
certain parts OF the coast, but the lad has
| not been well, ans 1t was thought better
! to send him home
| 1t is almost ludicrous to see the transition
| In the case of Spaniards taken prisoner on
| the captured merchantmen from a state of
vociferous grief and fear to one of the most
| complete politeness when they find that
| there is no intention to maltreat them.
WITHOUT INCIDENT.
| The correspondent of the Associated Press
| on board the flag ship New York, writing
| at o'clock this morning, says: The block
| ade continues without incident. No casual
| ties have been reported to the flagship. Last
| night was uneventful. This morning the
] torpedo boat Dupont arrived from Matan-
zas reporting that there had been no mr.
| ing there and that the blockade was eff
fectively established. No prizes have been
| secured by the Matanzas squadron. News
| has been received that La Lucha last night
| asserted that two coasting steamers had
sneaked into Havana harbor on Saturday,
| but it should be remembered that at that
| time the blockade was only i'll its initial
! stages. To-day the squadron is equipped
| with a force of small boats which, under
| cover of darkness can get close in shore,
| where they are likely to prevent blockade
running by little craft hugging the coast.
The amount of provisions carried by the
| two coasting steamers into Havana last
| Saturday must have been so small as to be
! practically of no effect. The incident cam
not be taken as in any way a criterion
| of the blockade's effectiveness or as af-
| fecting in the slightest the chances of our
| success.
Havana even now feels the pinch of the
| blockade. When Spanish need of food be-
| comes imperative, then If there is money
| enough in the city to make 1t worth while,
| there are likely to be many attempts made
| at blockade running, but Rear Admiral
Sampson says they will be unsuccessful
| Then will come the inevitable, and Havana
| will be forced to surrender and beg for food
| The appearance of tho Spanish fleet and an
| attempt to raise the blockade are con-
| tingencies that must be considered. This
! phase of the question, however, is one of
| conjecture No one knows whether the
| SpanshS feet is in condition for fight or
| whether it would be willing to take such a
risk for the sake of relieving Havana.
| Even should an engagement between the
| two fleets occur there is no reason to be-
| lieve that it would amelorate the plight of
| the city.
Information regarding the movement of
| the insurgents is meager, but it is known
| that as many as can are leaving Havana.
| The insurgent army is believed to be active
| and is trusted to shut off all communication
| between north and south Cuba though
| communication between Havana and Bata-
| bano still appears to exist. Much has been
/ written regarding a concerted movement
! by the Insurgents and Spaniards alike AS
| soon as the former carry their campaign
into the far north Of the island they are
| confronted with starvation. A large COM
| pact army cannot live without regular sup
| plies, while guerrilla warfare can be car
RED on in a country that is almost barren
| Therefore il is believed that insurgents will
| adhere to their guerrilla tactics and not
| transfer their forces In any large numbers
| 10 a territory where starvation will soon
| hold sway The problem of provisioning
and coaling the blaclSading fleet has 80 far
proved an easy one to solve. Speculation
| as to the movements of the army and the
| length of time it viii take to mobilize it is
rife The time also, when the two arms of
the service will be sble to cooperate is
eagerly awaited, all the more so as a pacific
blockade is tedious at the best.
Writing at 10 a. m, the correspondent
says: The last twenty-four hours have
been the most uneventful passed on the flag
ship since the blockade commenced. This
morning has been barren of events. Lieut.
Commander Kimball, who came on the
torpedo boas Dupont from Matanzas and
boarded the flagship before proceeding 10
Key West, said things there were as dull
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