, 1901-10-29
A NEWSPAPER FLEET.
PECULIAR FEATURE OF THE
SPANiSH-AMERiCAN WAR.

First Fleet of N-w.-Grath-rinv Vessel.
Ever Assembled DimruIty %" Estar.
Iishing IL Cnsst-Iin- Patrol Plans
Adopted by Press Representatives.
Within "A few days after the iestruc-
ton OF the Maine. correspondents from
all parts of the country were rushed
TO the scene of The disaster. The news
reading public demanded every posi-
bic item OF Information regarding the
afair, the grave import of which was
Immediately appreciated. But the
Spanish officials soon Instituted "A cen
sorship 50 rigorous hat very little in
formation percOlated through the cable
from Havana. To rope with the situa-
ton the New York Journal devised the
plan OF having its dispatches sent by
boat from the Cuban coast to Key
West. where they were put upon the
wires and sent direct to the newspaper
Offices. The other papers were not slow
to adopt this plan. and soon a large
fleet of tugs. yachts. n small steam
ers were plying between the island
and United States territory. This was
the beginning OF the first fleet OF news
gathering vessels ever assembled. At
the height OF the a the New York
journal had a fleet OF eight sea going
craft in commission. and the cost alone
OF maintaining these vessels amounted
to more than 81. 800 per day. The other
New York apers had fleets approach
ing this in size. and the number of
craft engaged in the work Of news-
gathering at one time amounted to
nearly one hundred. The work OF fol
lowing the movements OF the squad
rons under command OF acting Rear
Admiral Sampson and Commodore
Schley. and OF attempting to locate the
whereabouts of the feet sent across
the Atlantic by the Spanish govern
ment. afforded plenty OF occupation for
all these press boat and for the scores
Of correspondents that they carried.
Manifestly the only way to be absolute
ly certain of obtaining all the news
was to keep track not only OF the large
fleets. but also OF the detached vessels
which we're sent along the coast for
patrol duty, and the newspaper boats
had to MAKE daily trips to Key West
in order to put their dispatches upon
great as that OF Cuba 1.-THE island 10
over one hundred miles long,. and to
know every event of Importance taking
place within its limits, was an 4
tremely dificult matter. The plan
adopted by most OF the press represen
tatives was to follow up the fleet. keep
ing the flagship in sight until a bonn
bardment or some other event Of news
Importance took place; then to make .
dash back to Key West, put the dis
patches on the wire. and, returning
pick up the fleet as soon as possible.
This method involved glorious oppor-
tunities for beats" Not only this.
but there we're often exciting races be-
tween the boats to get the wire at Key
West. The cables leaving from that
port were always overcrowded during
the progress OF the war. There was q
great amour Of government matter to
be transmitted, and government dis
patches invariably took precedence Of
all others With the correspondents it
was first come, first served and the
man who got in late. no matter how
important his dispatch, was not likely
to have it printed in his paper the next
day. There were occasions when rival
tugs came racing into Key West with
their steam gauges registering 4 dan
gerous pressure, and some Of the cor
respondents serving as stokers and
feeding portions OF the woodwork OF
the vessel into the furnaces. There
were some exciting episodes among the
experiences Of the men who carried
dispatches. On some Of the boats
In barrels was considered q neces-
sary part OF the vessels outfit, and.
danger point or no danger point. 1t
was poured freely yer the coal burned
In the furnaces, the correspondents
preferring to take the chances of
blowing their boats up rather than risk
being beaten" by some rival news
gatherer. The boats were most OF then
small, although Mr.. w. r. Hearst.
finding hat he could not get good
on two occasions chartered verit-
able ocean steamships and used them
as dispatch boats for the New York
Journal. OF course these ships had
little to lear from the weather in the
Gulf OF Mexico, but the smaller craft
frequently encountered real danger in
crossing from points Of action to far
distant cable stations. Many Of the
tugs we're without decent sleeping ac-
commodations and the ~hardships Of the
men who manned them
were severe. Nor did the weather pre-
sent the only dangers which the dis
patch boats encountered. | know OF
one case-that OF the New York Sun
tug boat Simpson. at Guantanamo
when the boat went inc the harbor for
news, and came u with anywhere
from twenty to thirty holes made by
Spanish bullets in hor upper works.
Pearson's Magazine.