davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-28
WAR EWSAUTOCRAI
THE KEY WEST CENSOR AND HIS
ABSOLUTE SWAY.

. ne. p
Wy =
Hampers the Efforts OF Enterprisins
Newspaper Correspondents Not to BE
Foo,ad ~ cinber p;spatches.
Tho censor is an unfamiliar institution
to Americans, but the censor is very
much in evidence today. With the coun-
try swarming with Spanish spies the gov
ernment officials nave found tllt the
Spaniards were altogether too well inform
ed as to the movements of or fleet, and
they ave taken steps to putn stop to it.
OF course Uncle Sam would be willing to
have every loyal citizen know just where
our battleships have sailed and what they
are going to do II there were some way OF
combining such news to the said loyal citi-
zen, but unfortunately tho reading OF
newspapers Is not restricted to patriots, so
the only thing left to do is to see that the
newspapers do not get hold OF news which
ought to DO Kept secret; the censor
ship.
At first only n censor was. detailed,
and he was put IN charge OF the cable
which connects Key West with the MAIN
n NOW, however, censors ave peen
placed at tampa q other points not on
~ over cable lines, put ever telegraph
lines as wen,
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-28
FIGHTER AND STRATEGlsT.
Such Is tho Man Who Our
Army Of Invasion.

M
such Is tho Man Who Commands Our
Army OF Invasion.
An officer Of established ability and
proved valor is Major General William \.
Shafter, who is in command Of the army
of invasion IN Cuba. He is a fighter and
q s~tra5egist. lie has commanded a regi-
ment in q carefully planned battle, he
has hunted Indians with a little squad OF
picked men.
General Shafter was born in Galesburg,
Mich, SO years age. He was tho son Of a
Kalamazoo county pioneer farmer. dis
young manhood was spent on tho farm,
and it was not until after passing his ma
iority that he embellished his common
school education at. the Prairie seminary
in the winter of 1859.
1t is an interesting fact that his tutor in
this his only higher education was a
Young pedagogue fresh from the western
reserve of Ohio who bore the since vol
known name of julius Caesar Burrows.
From the time of their young manhood
Senator Burrows and General Shafter
have been warm friends. The senator
urged his assignment TO active command
in Cuba with great enrpestness. PUT
Shaftcr in the islan<l,n said tho senator to
General Alger, "and / will guarantee that
no will speedily clean out Cuba from end
to end"
The services of General Shafter in the
volunteer army during the war and in the
regular army sincethe conclusion afford
sufficient warrant for tho confidence now
bestowed on him by tho president and tho
wal department.. No officer in the regular
service has Lad longer pr more distin-
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-28
The .King Of the eypsies..

Interest in gypsies is not what it was,
and one learns almost with surprise that
Lady Victoria Herbert, Lord Carnarvon's
sister, restored the tomb of Richard STAN
ley, the king Of the gypsies," which has
stood in Highclere ~churchyard since 1922.
In the past generations gypsies were a far
more familiar topic, and h mysteries of
their origin and language were regarded
with much interest. That eccentric ZEN
MUS Borrow devoted great attention to
them, and in the drawing room ditties Of
n youth the gypsy was often celebrated
We recall a few lines more or less accu-
rately;
HCome, fly with me nowl" 49,
"Can / trust to thy vow?"
sob, yes, come awayl"
"Wilt thou never betray?'
aOh, never by me shall thy trust be betrayed.
| will never betray thee, my own gypsy
maid"
The odd thing is to find the king, who
died at %, not only buried in the church,
yard, but commemorate in IN epitaph.
The Dutch call the gypsies Heiden because,
IS Brewer says, 'sthey are heathens."
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-28

1877, Oct. l0-Turkish gunboat Sunn
sunk at tho Russian attack on Sulinu By
| striking an electro contaot mine placed by
the Russiaqs about -thrce-quarters OF q
mfle above tho Turkish dofenscs. Fifteen
officers and men killed. and wounded.
1877, May 6-Turkish monitor Duba
Saifo sunk by a Russian torpedo boat at
Machines, in the Danube.
1866, Sept. 2-Paraguayans completely
destroyed the Brazilian ironclad war
steamer Rio Janeiroat .Cnrrupaity, Para
quay, by Il stationary torpedo.
1865, May 12-united States transport
r. b.. Hamilton destroyed by submarine
mine In Mobile bay.
1865, April 14-Unitcd States gunboat
Sciota destroyed by submarine boat in
Mobile bay.
1865, April 13-United States gunboat
Ida destroyed by submarine mine in
Blakely river.
1865, April limited States gunboat
Rudolph destroyed by submarine mine in
Blakely river.
1865, March 29-Unitod States monitor
Usage destroyed by a drifting torpedo in
Blakcly river.
1865, March 2S-United States monitor
Milwaukee destroyed by o submarine mine
in Blakely river.
1865, March 12-United States gunboat
Althca destroyed by submarine mine in
Blakcly river.
1865, March 4-Unitcd States transports
Thornc destroyed by submarine mine in
Cape Fear river.
1865, March limited States steamer
Harvest Moon destroyed ncar Georgetown.
1865, Jan. 15-Unitcd States monitor
Patapsco completely destroyed by q barrel
torpedo in the attack nsCharleston, sink
ing in d few minutes Sixty-two men and
officers were drowned
1864. Dec. 9EUnited States steamers
! Otscgo aud Bazeby destroyed in the Roa-
nokc river.
1864, Dec. s-United States gunboat
Narcissus destroyed by a submarine mine
in Mobile bay.
1864, Noy. e7-United States transport
Greyhound destroyed by a coal torpedo
In the James river.
1864, Oct. 27-Only Union torpedo sue
cess of the civil war, Cushing's destruc-
ton Of the ram Automatic near Plymouth,
N. c., with the Wood & Ley. disconnect-
ing spar torpedo.
1864, Aug. 5-Unitcd States monitor
Tecumseh sunk in Mobile bay, the ship
disappearing ulllUSU MISUNDERSTANDING. IA0
captain and 70 Of the crew were lost.
1864, June 19-United States transport
Alice Wood destroyed by submarine mine
in ST. Johns river.
1864, May 9-Unitcd States transport
H. A. Wood destroyed by submarine mine
In St. John S river.
1864, May 6-United States gunboat
Commodore Jones destroyed in James riv-
sr by an electric torpedo
1864, April 15-United States armored
ship Eastport sunk in Red river by O sub
marine mino.
1864, April United States transport
Maple Leaf sunk by floating torpedo in
St. Johns river, Florida.
1864, Feb. 17-United States frigate
Housatonic sunk at Charleston. A sub
marine boat was used, and she ran into
the hole made by her torpedo, going down
with the ship.
1868, July 22-United States ironclad
gunboat Baron DeKalb sunk in Is min
utes By submarine mine in Yazoo river.
1862, Dec. 12-United States ironclad
Cairo sunk in 10 minutes by stationary
torpedoes in Yazoo river. First vessel de-
stroyod by torpedoes in the civil war or
any other war.
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-28

h14
side. The palms spread their great branches
above the building and form a perfect arch
over the red tiled roof. Great clusters of
cocoanuts are suspended from the green
arch.
1t is only a few yards from the door of
the cable Office to the government dock.
In fact, it, is only a few yards from any
point on the island to the water, and when
the tide is at the Highest point the sea sets
back through most of the streets and leaves
a white fringe of salt along the cutters
when the tide goes out and the salt soaked
! earth dries.
Up through the narrow streets which
lead from the cable office to the wharf
some very interesting and exciting races
have taken place during the past few
weeks. When the newspaper dispatch
boats come in from the gull, they always
land as near to the cable office as possible,
and when correspondents land at the same
time the race for the cable office is more
interesting thar any steeplechase chat was
ever run.
Some Of them after a long cruise go
staggering and reeling IN their sea legs
/ like drunken men.
If it be late t night, five seconds gained
in the race from the dock to the cable of
fee may mean an exclusive story for one
of the great dailies in the north.
Cable transmission is necessarily slower
than sending over land wires, n h cor
respondent who files 5000 words at mid
night is pretty sure that no other paper
will be able to get anything for its morn
ing edition from Key West that night.
But after the copy has been filed the
correspondents trouble is not at an md.
Every word of it must be read and passed
upon by the censor. No matter how much
time, hardship or expense it has required
to get the story, if in the Judgment Of the
censor it ought not to be printed it cannot
be sent. If it gives any information as to
the mo sements of the feet or the army it
cannot go.
There are something like $50 newspaper
correspondents in Key West, and while
most of them appreciate the wisdom of the
government censorship Of new matter
some of them nave grown impatient in
their eagorness to tell the interesting sto-
fies that are to be told and have tried all
manner Of ingenious schemes for getting
matter past the censor. Usually, however,
all plans have been detected, and the APP
parently innocent or stupid dispatch has
been returned to the writer with NO
written in red mi across it.
The most crying period for the CORE
spondents was on the day the fleet started
on it's cruise eastward. Every correspond
emit In Key West knew that the great bat
tleships were stcaming away from before
Havana in quest of big Spanish gifne.
Every newspaper man vas eager to send
the story, but not q line, not a word,
/ -. - - 1906
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-28
ALL WIRES RUN TO It.
The White House War Room
a Storm Center Of
News.
PRESIDENT The FOCUS
How He Can Direct the Army
and Navy--Connected With
All the World.

The most interesting spot in the United
States just now is tho White House war
room. 1t is the storm enter of war news.
Into it comes information frors every part
Of the world concerning the doings OF our
fighting men on land and sea.
This war room is q new feature of tho
executive mansion. 1t has been recently
fitted up for the purpose. Telegraph and
telephone wires by the dozens have been
brought in. operators nave been established
Mt tables and war maps hung on the walls.
The room was formerly the office of tho
PRESIDENT private secretary, but although
Mr.. Porter stiii occupies it he has lots OF
company.
When President Mckinley steps into
this room, he is as much at tho ront as IL
he had the giftsof o~lnniprcscnce and could
be with tho array of Cuban invasion, with
Dewey at Manila and with each Of the
squadrons on the high sc rs at u and tho
same time In the war room he can put
his hand on the throttle Of the complicat-
ed engine of war and control its move
ments.
Whenever a prize is captured, IN enemy
sighted, a port honabarded or a battle
fought, the news is clicked into this long,
BARROW room, and from there it filters out
10 the outside world as soon as discretion
allows.
1t is in the warroom that the war orders
are given. Complete electrical connec-
lions such as have never before been en-
ployed by the chief executive of any nation
in time of war have been established, and
where the wires annot run other means
of communication patch the gaps. For
instance, the president after consultation
with his cabinet and the naval board OF
strategy decides to send important orders
to a fleet admiral. The man he wishes to
reach is far out at sea. But this Is no
obstacle. The order is put into tho naval
cipher, telcgraphed to half dozen seacoast
points, and there displayed by semaphores
and signal lights. Pretty soon a scout
ship, miles out at sea, discovers the signal,
She runs in near enough to read it, signi-
fes that she understands and then stealns
OF to deliver the message to the admiral.
The aycrayo war correspondent would
give his head for the privilege of collect
ing news in this room, but both the pry-
ing reporter and the inquisitiye citizen are
barred out Of this corner OF the White
House. The war room is connected with
the presidents private office and with the
cabinet room 1t is in the southeast cor
ner OF the White House with windows
overlooking the White Lot and the Poto-
MAE
The entire wall of the room opposite the
eastern exposure windows is covered with
maps which show every detail OF the pres
emit and prospective scenes of military and
naval operations. Chief Of these is q map
of the world, taking In the West Indies
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-28
BABY OF THE NAVY.
Ensign Gherardi, Son of tho Admiral, the
Youngest Commander.

Youngest Commander.
A son Of Admiral Ghcrardi has tho dis
tinction OF being the youngest commander
in the United States navy. He has as yet
attained only the rank of ensign, but on
tho tiny quarter deck of tho picket boat
Sioux his sway is absolute. Ensign Wal
ter R. Ghcrardi is only ~ and he has been
out of Annapolis but u year or SO. He is
seeing active duty, however, for h Sioux
has been scouting off the marlboro of Havana
night and day for several weeks.
Ensign Ghcrardi is a ~strapping, broad
shouldered, fair haired young fellow a lit
tie more than 8 feet tall, who weighs 100
pounds-a magnificent specimen of the
young blood in Uncle Sans navy. AS in
body, SO in endowments, for he is coura-
geous, tender, enthusiastically patriotic,
devoted to duty and in all of the require
meats OF his calling has the breadth and
large proportions necessary for the greatest
success.
Young Gherardi was born at Honolulu
in August, 1875, his father, Admiral
Gherardi, then captain, being stationed
there and in command of the Pensacola.
He strongly resembles the admiral in APP
pearance. Walter passed much of his carly
boyhood in Paris, but gained his complete
education in Brooklyn
In September, 1891. he received his APP
pointment as a naval cadet, at Annapolis,
and made a creditable record there, exhib-
ting great provvcss in athletics and being
a favorite in the academy society.
His first service was on tho Amphitrite,
from June to September, 1896. He was
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-28

CORNER OF Il WHITE HOUSE WAX KUHN.
[Cliief Executive Clerk Montgomery at his
desk
and reaching across to Cape Verde and to
Spain, and thence to the Asiatic countries,
including the two great oceans, the cable
routes and by whom owned and the tracks
of full powered steamers
On the different maps the positions OF
the fleets of the United States and Spain
are carefully marked by pin hags-red
flags represent ag the Spanish ships and
white flags the ships of the United States.
Betwee the advices which come to him
BY wire and the outline of the situation
which these maps N flags disclose the
president can follow pretty closely the de-
velop1ncnt of affairs.
To the left of the entrance door is a large
bookcase and adjoining that is a private
telephone booth, shutting off the noise OF
the room for the special benefit of Secre-
tary Porter, and in front Of that is the
private secretary desk. 1t is in nowise
like the desk Of a busy newspaper man. A
Glance shows it to be the desk OF an or
derby official.
But the most formidable piece of furnl-
ture in the room is the operating desk OF
the chief executive clerk, Benjamin f.
Montgomery, who for 81 years has been
an essential part of the White House estab-
1ishInent. MIR. Montgo1nery's war room
desk appears to a civilian as complicated
as the table Of logarithms does to a new
~schoolboy. On one side OF it there is o
movable boardof Geographic instruments,
including keys, relays, saunders and
switch. This board is subject to iHnncdi-
ate connection with t~elegraphic instru-
ments around the world just in front OF
il there is a typewriter all ready to catch
the messages that come from b keys On
the left of the desk is a long distance tcie-
phone ready to connect with every other
long distance telephone in the United
States. In the center is q g-raPhophone,
into which Mr.. Montgomery talks mes
sages when there isconvcnient nc operator
to take them and no stenographer to whom
they can be dictated
Adjoining the desk on the left is a series
of private telephones. Underneath are
SIGNAL bells connected with the desk of ev:-
ery ernplcyee in the building. Besides
there arc. drawers, pigeonholess letter files
and what not Of a regulation Office desk
Ii this room there are 25 telegraph
wires. is special telephone wires, the
vires Of tho Railway Exchange, and the
long distance telephone system connecting
with New York, Chicago and every other
place having a long distance telephone.
Exclusive direct wires connect with the
senate and With all the cabinet oraces-
rhe telegraph operators work IN relays 50
that at no hour of the night or day IS the
room empty
s1eh are some Of the arrangements BY
which thccornmandcr in chief Of the army
md navy IS kept in touch with fleets
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-28

then transferred to the Maine, where he
attracted particular attention and won his
first laurels by volunteering to take charge
of q lifcboat and attempt in the teeth Of a
heavy gale to rescue several came who
had been swept overheard. He bravely en-
tered upon the undertaking and accom-
plished his p~erilous mission.
A year ago he was on the Texas, and last
summer made another daring rescue. He
leaped overheard and rescued q drowning
sailor, for which heroic act a silver medal
was awarded him by the Massachusetts
Humane society.
On July j, 1897, he was commissioned
ensign, and from August to April, 1898,
served on the Nashville. His present COM
mand was given to him on April 8 last
in recognition Of his bravery, excellent sea
manship and enthusiasm for his work, all
Of which will serve him well as soon as he
is called upon for great deeds, as they now
serve him In the more quiet though very
Important duties as commander of q picket
boat inftime Of active hostilities.
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-28

Mines auG cOunberm1neS mako q new
world Of warfares No ooncr did the plac-
ing of mines become a science than human.
ingenuity evolved schemes to destroy the
! lestroyers. Countermining consists in
the destruction of an enemy's mine field
| By laying across that field other mines,
which, by intentional explosion, destroy
the mines planted by the foe. New and
strange boats crawl about tho bottom of
Athc sea and ghcstly battles between divers
c~ontcnding over mines are among the
probabilities Of the Immediate, future
The Argonaut is tho name Of o new sub
! marine bout intended to destroy mines.
Mr.. Lake, the inventor of the unique
| craft, says.
II dc not claim any of the destructive
| work within tao bounds of a torpedo boat
in connection with the Argonaut, because
she was not built with that object in
view. The Argonaut could not discharge
a torpedo, nor could shc even carry one. I
notice that l have beer quoted as claim
ing for my invention all the merits Of the
submarine war craft that cost possibly
three times rs much. Such is not the case.
[ merely csn show that the Argonaut is
capable Of doing work entirely unique and
which is not covered by any other vessel
afoat.
Now, we will suppose that I am order
cd to rid the harbor of all the mines which
may or ma not be under its waters. To
begin, the boat is quietly launched and l
carry with me five men. I la an en-
gineer and four divers. The tanks fill
and down we go. Ma tanning a speed of
about two miles an hour, the Argonaut
passes slowly into tho proposed protected
region at q depth below the surface which
will prevent observation by the enemy no
matter how closely they may scrutinize the
water.
I'm the lookout house the man at the
wheel will have turned on the 1000 cam
die power searchlight, which has sufficient
penetration to illuminate the water for at
least 80 feet ahead and under peculiar
conditions even much farther. As soon
rs o mine is sighted we will locate its CON
Meeting wire with the land battery which
fires it. This is of coursc on the supposi-
ton that it is not O contact mine, n to
be exploded simply by running into it, but
Of the kind which destroyed the Maine
and the kind almost invariably in use for
harbor defense. It would not be necessary
for a diver to leave the boat to cut the
wire. We would stop the engines and bring
the Argonaut to o standstill ~immediately
orcr the cable. Then the air pressure
would be raised to a point slightly exceed
ing that of tho surrounding water
"Of course a slightly anxious moment
invariably cnsues when the bottom trap
door is opened, but there would be no
cause for alarm. The door would swing
up, and with q pair of ships made for the
purpose the fatal wire would be cut before
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-28
This is done by an arrangement of the mr.
inc pins on ~sDrinrS.

This is lone by an arrangement OF the mr.
ing pins on. springs.
Another typesof mine is that known as
the observation mine, in which the firing
mechanism and mine proper are in sep
arate cases. Whenever the firing pins are
driven in, the signal circuit is closed AID
a bell rung at the shore station. Under
meath each bell is q key for closing the hr-
ing circuit. The observer standing at a
keyboard on seeing q certain bell ring
knows that the buoy above tho CORE
| spending mine has been struck, and i'm
mediately he touches the proper Key, thus
closing the firing circuit L causing the
mine to explode. 1t is not necessary IN
using this type of minc for the observer to
see the enemy ut all The mining case
mate ma be in a bank on shore, where it
would not be possible, in fact, for the OBJ
server to see the enemy. He simply watches
the keyboard and waits for asignal. From
five to seven mines usually constitute o
group, and groups are placed in two or
! more lines, as o rule, SO that when q ship
passes between the groups on ono limo it
must certainly pass over the mines la the
next lines. All mines are located so that
the explosion of n group will not affect
the adjoining group.
! Submarine mines are loaded with such
high explosives as gun cotton, dynamite or
| explosive gelatin, all of which are supe-
rior to g~cnpowder in that they are not
affected by moisture. A mine may have
a hole in it and the explosive become wet;
still it is not rendered useless, as ordinary
gunpowder would be. The enormous
pressure necessary to blow a hole through
q formidable war vessel has been estimated
to range from 5000 to $4,000 pounds q
square inch. In case a hole sufficient In
size iSnot blown in the ship to cause her
to founder the shock would be SO great as
to throw all delicate machinery out Of ac-
ton, SO that she would become a ready
target for the guns on shore. There is an
other danger to a ship from the submarine
mine, and that is the possibility OF setting
| off tho high explosives on the vessel by
the submarine shock.
The Union gunboat Commodore Jones,
b42 tons and six guns, which was blown
! up in the James river in 1854, furnished
perhaps the most fearful spectacle of the
power Of the torpedo. Lieutenant Com
mander Barnes has given this account of
the explosion: Suddenly and without
any apparent cause she appeared to be
fitted bodily, her wheels rapidly revolving
in midair. Persons declared they could
see the green sedge of the banks beneath
her keel. Then through her shot to a
great height an immense fountain of
/ foaming water, followed by a denser col
umn thick with mud. She absolutely
crumbled to pieccs-dissolved, as it were,
in midair, envelopcd by falling spray,
mud, water and sand"
The torpedo which destroyed the Union
A-s HSs1xvax1rn II, 1Sf2 nypInddd y1oQr
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-28

boys in brown arc landed On Cuban soil
they will begin to consume hard tack by the
ton. Most of it will be made in Atlanta,
but at least one big contract, 61o, 900
pounds, has been let in st. Louis. The
baker in that city has already begun to
turn out hard tack. 1t is of the regulation
size and thickness, but On one side bears
in large letters the familiar battlecry,
aRemember the Maine.'' Samples of these
tough crackers will be eagerly sought for
as souvenirs.