The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-05

Washington. July 4.-The complete
annihiation of the Spanish squadron at
Santiago and the capture of the Spanish
Admiral Cervera. with ] 300 prisoners;
the demand by Gen. Shafter for the
surrender of Santiago by II o'clock to
morrow under pain of bOmbardment
word from Admiral Dewey that the La
drOne Islands had been captured, that Il
gunboat had surrendered, that Il hundred
or more Spanish officers and men were
taken. and that our first Philippine eX-
pedition had landed-this is in part the
thrilling record of such Fourth of July
as has not been known since the bells
of independence Hall rang out the tid-
ings Of American freedom. 1t was day
when one momentous event followed an
other in constant and rapid succession
each hour bringing forth some new fea
ture more startling than what had gone
before. The climax came at / O'Clock
when amid the widest cheering. which
fairly shook the great war building to
its foundation, SIMPSONS dispatch
announcing his glorious victory and the
entire destruction of the Spanish fleet
was given to the public
The White House was naturally the
activity which marked official Washing
ton 1t was the busiest day the Presi-
dent has had since the war began. Com
ference followed conference with the
heads of the Military and Naval De
partments; high officers of the service
came and went in a constant and steady
stream and as each hour brought its
added lustre to the American arms the
Of off icia IL
dent had not moments respite. Tele-
grams came and went without cessation
and the historic old mansion presented a
scene such as has not been parallelei
since the momentous hours of the Civil
War. The story of. the day is best told
in the series of official dispatches, each
bearing date of July Fourth from Samp
son and Shafter and from Dewey. Stir
ring as they all are that of Sampson was
accorded the honor of chief Importance,
not only for the immediate results Sc
cured, but also from the effects of the
crushing defeat in weakening the de-
fenses of the city of Santiago and deal
ing Spain such Il staggering blow that
she is left practically without a navy.
The admiral's dispatch is as follows:
A PRESENT TO THE NATION.
''plays~yia Hayti. 3:15 II. m, July L.
Siboney. July 3.-To Secretary of Navy
Washington, ID. c.:
"3:15 a. m,-The fleet under my COM
mand offers the nation as Fourth of
July present the destruction of the
to escape at $50 a. m., and at , p. m,
the last, the Cristobal Colon had run
ashore, sixty miles west of Santiago,
and has let down her colorS. The In
fanta Maria Teresa, Oquendo and Viz
caya were forced ashore, burned and
blown up within twenty miles of Santi-
ago; the Furor and Pluton were de-
stroyed within four miles of the port
Loss one killed and two wounded enc
my's loss probably several hundred from
gun fire, explosions and drowning.
About 1900 prisoners including Admiral
Cervera. The man killed was George
III. Ellis, chief ye0man of the Brooklyn.
(Signed "SAMPSON."
Although brief Admiral SIMPSONS
dispatch tells the story of the fearful de-
structiOn. 1t not only disclOses the tre-
mendous prowess of the American fles~t,
but it again displays the strange I'M
munty which the American sailors
seem to have in the midst of death
and carnage. That but one of our sail
ors, Yeoman, on the Brooklyn, should
have been killed in an engagement of
this magnitude. is without parallel in
naval annals, save iDAthat other unparall-
eled record which Hewey made at Ma
Mia. With the Spanish fleet destroyed,
the way is partly cleared for the ad-
vance of the American squadron into the
harbor of Santiago. If Cervera's S armor
ed cruisers could cross the mine field and
clear the Merrimac at the entrance of
the harbor, the American ships can fol
low the same course. There are the in
ner Notifications and island forts still to
be reduced. but they have passed through
Il baptism of fire recently and are little
more than ruins. Thus with Shafter's
guns laundering on Santiago from the
land and Simpsons from the harbor.
the fall of the city is assured beyond
further question. The authorities here,
military and naval, say that Santiago
has already made its best fight, and that
its occupation is only a question of time,