New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-08
fNv rrIrGRAPu 70 Tie THlBrNE.

Washington. May The climax to the IN
tense state Of nervous anxiety which has per
vaded the entire country. with washington
the storm centre, came at daybreaK III
three-word cable dispatch TO the state Depart
ment. and the National capital more accus-
toned perhaps than any other city IN tue
Union 20 incidents Il tremendous excitement
thrilled throughout to-day with an excitement
it had not known since the morning President
Garfield shot.
Hong Kong McCuoch. Wildman'
This brief dispatch from the American Consul
a, Hong Kong reused officials from their sleep
and within few hours after It's receipt AZ
the State Department mad thrown the Whoic
city into state ~ excitement that can scarce
Is he appreciated.
For six days official news from Commodore
Dcvcv that had not suffered Madrid emascula-
-ior had been moncntarily expected. and ofi-
cials had been straininG every resource or 'he
Government 20 provide prompt response to
any demand that his message might show 10
be necessary. cable dispatches had been sent
30 Consul whitman and American agents every
where to rush forWrd the first obtaihaDie IN
formation regarding affairs al Manila. and nj
the State and Navy Departments. where oihciai
reports Were to be first expected. high officers
four hours in order that there might be no
delay in action after important dispatches ar
rived In the Bureau OF Navigation, where
all naval cipher disptches are translated, cots
had been placed and line officers were con'in-
uouslv et their posts At tho state Department
a similar state Of affairs prevailed the chlet
clerk and one or moro u the Assistant Secre-
tartes dividing the watches Of the night ana
sleeplng IN an anieroon. where they might be
readily called ny the regular watchman OF the
building.
ARRIVAL or The MCULLOCH LEARNED.
7. was r,st { 80 o'clock this morning when
Third Assistant Secretary Crdle-. who had last
nights tour II duty. was turned out o' his tenn
norarv cot ~ a messenger boy with the laconic
5ievatch given above He appreciated IN an
instant that II was the official announcement
q IN. arrival ~ tho McCulloch at Hong Kong
and that an Official report would 10 low directly.
He hurried through the corridor 10 IN" navy
Department and Informed the officers on "a'ch
there Han an hour later messengers h"u III
formed the Secretary ~ the Navy ana most "'
the prominent naval oHicers IN the city 'ha'
Dewey was a, last about 70 be heard from
The announcement was also teiephon"d - the
President and before O'Clock It had run IKE
w,ldfre through the town. creating the most
intense and excited curiosity.
When the Department building op"h'o ''
business AT 9 O'Clock. n great crown ~ newspaper
,o,, had already gathered AZ the Navy and War
dnpartruents - scatter the expected news "i
cae, through the country Hal' an hour passed
,,i,hou, result Secretaries Long and AIger the
latter much more nervous and anxious than MS
ro,ol colcague sat together ~ the Navy De
,,art~r.n, and went over IA" tentative pans
,hoy had arranged t. carry out H. As'te
waters under certain contingencies That might
a, an, ,,ofu.u, become definitely known
About 20 O'Clock Mr Marcan manager ~
~. Western Union Telegraph Company. ap-
pear.d A. the Department. bringing WIN A''"
sheet comprising four lines = The mysterious
targon which makes ny the naval cipher. H'
handed this directly - Secretary L'nB WHO
gazoI AZ - for "A moment and turned u over
to Lieutenant Whittiescy. on" of the c.'her 'N-
p,-rs u the Naylgadon Bureau. 'or iran'ia'''"
Then he Secretary made pr"t"i.c" 81 Suing
down At hi. desk to transac' other pHs'h'S'' ""'
E, ,,os plain &, bee seen that IN spirit he had
toin.d tho anxious throng - newspaper men
ard officials who ihronR"d the Tec"p'"h-'"''"
and the corridors waiting for the news
The naval cipher is one u the most complex
g., ~. world The messages come in words of
strange formation. taken from all languages
These words ere turned 10y the translating CLERKS
into groups OF figures. and these In turn are re-
eclvod into their equivalent words in EnGIish.
All this takes tiin"
MR. noosrvrr.Ts ANNOUNCEMENT.
Senators. Representatives and Government o'-
ncIals from all ihc departments added TO the
throua I'm Secretary Longs r"cepton-room' uh-
iii that apartment and All the corridors leading
to n were urc1miortably crowded win ah
cagcrly speculative ana intensely pa'r"u'
.r,,d No les4 than nfty newspaper men stood
inst outside the Secretary's inner oiiic"' "her''
according 10 that officials assurance. he IN
tended 10 make the first announcement. Just
after 10 O'Clock Assistant Secretary Roosevelt
,vho had been I'm the Bureau ~ Navigation
vatch,ng the Iaborious decpherlng OF the dis
catches cam. hurredly to the newspaper group
with the announcement that he had perhaps the
lac, and host good news to give them before he
onished his connection with he Department, ana
stortod for the West. He said
Dewey has DESTROYED or captured in all six
cr,,ic.rs four gun1oats and an armed transport
Tho cruisers were the Rona Cristina. the as
,illa the Don Antonio de Illoa. the Don Juhn
do Austria and the N"lasco. tn gunhpatS were
tho FL Cauo the General Lfza ana the Marques
del pucro ana the armed TRANSPORT ih." Wv
Mindanao Dewey has silenc'I me ' nh' LIZ ,,Ia
and is i'm compete possession. lie cut 'he came
himself So American vessel VAS Injured none
~ nur mon were killed and only few were
bnrt III. struck the Spanish suddenly, ana +"
smoihcrcd their hre ihat they were u''""'1 -
damage orr feet.
This nrst statement Of authentic news was f"I-
,ovod by an linpctuous rush Of newspaper men
for the doors and FOR a ttle while telephones
were at an abnormal premium. while messenger
hoys rode furiousy away through the rain on
,hc,r BICYCLES 70 the telegraph Offices carrying
dispatchcs to hundreds OF papers.
pEWEY'S FIRST MESSAGE READ.
Secretary Longs rcception-room WAS IN
,unilu as the news was excitedly discussed by
those who waited for the verbatim account In
no.-.-..s own v.nrda Of bis mcmOrable Achlcvc-