Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-07-20
300 HEN the sun sank his red and
WNW perspiring face under the cooling
0N waters of the Caribbean on the


WAW perspring face under the cooling
dG waters of the Caribbean on the
night of July q 1898 the blockading fleet
off Santiago drew silently inshore to take
up another night of vigil lest Cervera
should slip by under cover Of darkness
and undo the work of the past forty days
Scarcely had the hiss which marked the
extinction of the orb of day smitten on
the ears OF the men Of the fleet when the
searchlights took up the labor where the
sun had left off and sent long tongues OF
fame into the crooked mouth of the har-
Dor, sweeping to right and left, west and
east over the grim fortresses which mask
ed the entrance, peering in to where the
Reina Mercedes was floating a watch
dog against any attempt to break inside.
When the same sun after one more
course from east to west again took his
mighty bath over toward Panama, the
blockading fleet was somewhat scattered
although within signal call. Part of the
vessels were along the coast line picking
up the sailors of Spain and helping to
save the survivors Of the wrecks made
such by themselves. The long vigil was
over. nothing remained of sufficient inn
portance to worry gallant "Dick" Vain
wright with his little converted yacht.
The fleet of the gray-haired admiral was
in smoldering ruins along that coast line,
while he himself a prisoner was sitting
In the cabin of the flagship dressed in
garments lent to him by her officers.
Independence Day, 1898, had received
new significance, for it had become the
day of one more stupendous naval accom-
plishment under the flag Of the Union.
Not even the brilliant battle Of Admiral
Dewey in the .harbor of Manila exceeded
the wonderful fight made by Schley on
that Sunday morning. SPANS sea power
was mere "Reminiscences when the sun
rose over Moro and Socapa on July 4
But one American had lost his life in the
fierce fight extending from early in the
morning until an hour and hair after
the time for midday mess call. Hun,
dreds of Spaniards had made their last
fight on earth, four magnificent cruisers
excelling in power-on paper-the one ar
mored cruiser which did such fearful ex-
ecution, were blackened hulks lying
ashore on the coast, two torpedo destroy
ers were under the sea, sent there by a
fierce little yacht inferior in armament to
them, and the survivors Of all their crews
were prisoners aboard the vessels of their
conquerors.
A Severe Vigil.
For forty days Schley had kept guard
there. For thirty days the blockade had
been maintained under the one genera
order issued by Sampson to all the flee,
on June 2 For thirty days the same six.
mile circle had bound in the entrance tc
Santiago and made it impossible for any
thing, even whaleboat, to emerge night
or day without a challenge to be turned
into destruction unless the challenge were
needed. 1t had been a nerve-racking
soul-wearying strain on officers and men
by day standing off under steam in a wide
circle of six miles from the prows of the
big battleships in the center to the same
distance off the harbor entrance, but close
inshore, where the little gunboats picket
ed, by night closing in to half distance
with formation unbroken excepting tha
a battleship should close in on the en-
trance and blaze it with its searchlight.
until relieved, while another huge hull
attended to open fire on anything emerg
ing, such had been the monotonous order
of the watch.
Patiently and faithfully, punctual t
the second on changing station, the watcl
naQ Dce0 kept. llu1e ulteT time the vet
eran Of CASTLE had sought for a break IL
that deadly guard and had retired int,
the inner Businesses of the crooked harbo
In despair. IF the enemy attempts to es
cape close in on him, engage and endea
vor to destroy him or drive him ashore.
So read the general order issued by Samp
I, son ON June 2, which was never changed
until II had been carried into full effect
So with the fall of night just montl
later the big ships moved slowly aud sui
lenly nearer the point of possible attack
When the first gray streak of dawn re
vealed the point where water and shor
separate the Massachusetts, then OF
guard with her searchlight attended b.
the Indiana, turned her PROV to the cas-
and steamed away to Guantanamo. Sh
left her station to coal, for her bunker
were getting too low in supplies to per
init her to follow out orders IL the emer
gepcy arose Taylor, with the Indiana
relieved her, for no second ship was need
ed then. Back into the circle, with tn
Gloucester lowering on her port bow, tn
big battleship moved. With the increas
of light once more the long semi-circl
was taken up and the grim watch wen
on.
But the uneasy sea kept the big ship
drifting to the east as they rose and fel
Over nearest the shore in the port d
vision the little Vixen held her place
Next should have been the Marb,eheat
but she was detached that day. The
came the Brooklyn, flagship of the secon
squadron = the Texas, the Iowa, the Ore
gon, the New York, flagship OF the chic
in command; the Gloucester close inshor
and east Of her the Indiana. The pos
ton at daybreak was such that the poi
side was somewhat uncovered. 1t Is b
lieved that this unusual condition was m
ticed by the Spanish commander and ths
herein he saw his only chance Of escal
ing with one or more Of his vessels.