The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-08
JOY N washington
No Such Excitement Since
the Days of the Rebellion.
NOR NO SUCH BATTLE
In All History, in Disparity of
Losses
NOR NO SUCH BATTLE

Washington, May L. Aday of excite
rnent such as today. has not been seer
in Washington since the days when re-
ports came in Of great victories during the
civil war.
Official and unofficial Washington was
in a ferment, and few Of the employees in
any Of the departments could maintain
their composure sufficiently to go on with
their routine work They were in an ex-
plosve state, and at the great state, war
and navy department building the least
sign Of dispatches or the gathering OF a
crowd of reporters was sufficient to cause
them to drop their work and swarm In
the corridors clamoring for news
The excitement was contagious. and SEN
ators and representatives mixed into the
crowds that gathered around the navy
headquarters and gazed wistfully at the
mahogany doors Of the navigation bureau.
Behind which the cipher experts. under
lock and key, were slowly deciphering the
words that conveyed Dewey's glorious
messages to the American people.
Senator Hanna aroused the crowd at one
time by leading with Hip. hip. hurrah."
for Dewey, and later a roar of stentorian
cheers from Theodore Roosevelt's room
gathered everybody in the building to the
east in time to witneHs the departure of
the eastern contingent of the mounted
rifemen. Mr.. Roosevelt had said goodby
TO the boys before they started at 1910
o'clock this afternoon for San Antonio.
and the cheering was the means by which
they took their leave. Mr.. Roosevelt him
self will follow Monday or Tuesday.
At the embassies and legations Com
modore Dewey's reports were read with
great interest, and served to renew the
high tributes of the foreign authorities to
the gallant American commodore.
The remarkable disparity between the
casualties on the American and Spanish
ships. as shown by the Dewey reports. was
a source Of special comment, and the
military attache Of one Of the embassies
said such disparity was without parallel
in history. How the Spaniards could have
lost $50 killed and $50 wounded, while the
American loss was confined to a few men
slightly injured, is regarded by the for
eign Observers as clearly disclosing the
utter worthIesssness of Spanish arms.
The ambassador of one Of the great pow
ers said it showed that the guns of the
Spanish forts, as well as those on their
ships, were worthless, otherwise they
would have inflicted at Leaf some NOR
tally upon the American sailors
ct recalls Soiferino." said he AT that
time France and Austria were at war, but
the range of the French guns was longer
than that of the Austrians. That brought
them together on uneqNl terms, arg the
simple difference in the length of the
range of the French guns determined the
outcome of battle. So it was with Dew
ey. He not only had the guns, but they
had the modern strength and destructive
ness. while the Spanish guns were anti
quated, and guns only in name. 1t serves |
TO show that In the warfare of today a |
nation must have weapons Of the most
modern pattern, else 1t is at terrible dis |
advantage. and its men are practically al /
the mercy of an enemy having all the |
Ia test appliances of destructive warfare |
1t is the lesson OF Solferino over again, /
and this time Spain learns it."
It was thought the British embassy
would receive advices. but none came
The French. German and other foreign |
establishments were also lacking in direct |
advices.
In all foreign quarters much concern
was shown as TO the effect of these re-
ports upon the temper Of the people of
Madrid It was believed 1t would add fuel
to the fame already existing there a OIL
that little more was needed to overthrow
the government.
Up to a late hour the government was
in possession of no further dispatches
than were made public earlier in the day.
A. the state department Assistant Secre-
taries Moore and Cridler divided the night
al their desks awaiting developments. The
president spent the evening very quietly
with Mrs. Mckinley. General Hastings.
his old war colonel. and Colonel Herrfck
Of Ohio. General Miles was with him
for a little while. Secretary Long retired
early. leaving a statement that nothing
had transpired since the close of the de-
partment.