Evening journal., 1898-08-27
OVATION TO SCHLEY.
Re ,oived With Enthusiasm at
the National Capital.
TALGS WITH PRESIDENT M'KIyLEY.
Work of Porto RIcan Commission Dis
cussed-The Admirals Health Greatly
Improved-Gocs TO Maryland
ON visit Today.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27.-Rear Ad-
miral Winfield S. Schley reached Wash
ington at 4;10 o'clock yesterday after
noon over the Pennsylvania railroad.
He was quickly noticed at most Of the
stations along the line, and throughout
the trip he was greeted with cheering
crowds. When the train pulled into the
depot here, he found a compact mass of
spectators which filled the depot and
overflowed out into the train shed. The
admiral and Mrs. Schley when they ap-
peared We're greeted with cheers and
shouts Of 'Hurrah for Schley!" Every
body Joined in the shouting, and the
depot attaches crowded about the ad-
miral and insisted on a handshake. At
the gates the crowd increased, and amid
deafening cheers the admiral and his
wife, the former with hat off, passed
through two solid lines of people. A
lieutenant and squad Of police with diff
ficulty cleared a passageway to a cab
which was in waiting. Through a mass
of vehicles that had been drawn up by
curious drivers the hanson pulled into
Pennsylvania avenue and proceeded di-
rectly TO the Shoreham hotel There
We're groups of cheerers all the way,
and cavalcade Of cyclists formed a
voluntary escort.
The admiral staid only a few minutes
at the hotel and then drove over to the
navy department, where, without any
preliminaries, he reported to Acting
Secretary Allen. The latter accompa-
MED him over to the White House.
reaching there at 4:50. The president
gave him a most cordial reception. The
president thanked the admiral as he
had Admiral Sampson, for the success
Of that memorable engagement of July
3 and took occasion to say that II was
that battle which brought about the
surrender of Santiago.
The president then entered into n dis
cussion Of the work of the Porto Rican
commission. to which the admiral has
been appointed He went over with
him the general instructions which will
guide the body in arranging for the
evacuation of the Spanish forces from
the island and other work During most
of the conference. which occupied about
an hour, Assistant Secretary OF State
Moore was present. On leaving the pres
ident the admiral drove to his hotel
He said his health had improved great
ly He viii have another conference
with Acting Secretary Of the Navy Al
len today.
MANY OF the friends of the admiral
and Mrs. Schley learned of their pres
snce at the hotel and called during the
evening Although considerably better
ne is not yet well and said last night he
expected to leave here today to visit
relatives in Maryland. which will prob
ably consume several days, after which
ne will go to Connecticut to remain un-
til about time to start for Porto Rico.
Some ship other than the Brooklyn he
said. would be selected for this purpose.
as the flagship was about to undergo
repairs. The admiral during the even
ing talked briefly of some Of the prin-
cipal incidents of the fight which led
to the destruction Of Cerveras squad
ron and some other pertinent matters
of interest at this time, new features
Of which he said were recurring to him
as time passed by.
He said: 1T is my opinion that the
Spanish admiral might have escaped
with possibly one or two of his ships
had he adopted different tactics in COM
ing out of the harbor. Had he diverted
the course Of his ships, sending some to
the east and others to the west, II is
my belief that he might have escaped
with one or possibly two Of the vessels.
Such a course naturally would have
compelled us to separate our fleet, and
some of Cerveras ships might have
oeen able to have reached Havana"