The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-08
WHAT'S the Matter With u. S.?

patches for the government from Com
modore Dewey The publication of the
newspaper dispatches telling OF the terrible
mortality among the Spanllrls aud the
escape of the American forces. men aud
ships, from serious injury. added to the
excitement aud it, was with intense salts
faction the long expected news was re-
ceived. There was an instant rush OF news
paper men to the navy department 20 Sc
cure further Information from official
sources and perhaps dlsmayed by the mum
Der AMI impetuosity of the newspaper con
tingent. the officials of the navigation
bureau where cipher dispatches are trans
cribed and translated promptly closed and
locked their doors against invasion. one OF
tho Officers Of tho bureau had been on
| duty every moment OF the twenty four
hours for several weeks past waiting 10
receive cahlograms of Importance \ sim
liar state OF affairs prevailed at the state
department where ono Of the assistant
secretaries and tho chief clerk have d.
yided mp the watches of the nights. sleep
Ing on temporary cots set up in the ante
room The state department has the honor
Of receiving the first news, It came In
the shape of cablcgram OF three words
from United States Consul Wildman at
Hong Kong, and was as follows
"Uong konI, McCuiioch. Wildn,an."
That Is the usual form In which naval
movements are reported by cable. This dis
patch was received by Third Assistant
Secretary Cridler, who was turned out of
his cot by a messenger boy at $40 o'clock
this morning The naval officers we're
promptly notified and awaited with inter
est the dispatch which was expected to
follow from Commodore Dewey
About half past . Managor Marcan of the
Western Union Telegraph company ap-
pearcd at the department bringing with
him a sheet comprising four lines OF the
mysterious jargon which makes UP the
naval cipher, lie handed this directly to
Secretary Long who gazcd at It for q
moment, and then turned It over to Lieu
tenant Whlttlesy, one of The cipher OK
~ nf ka 4t,n
lation into English Thon the sccrctar,
made pretense OF sitting down at HI,
desk to transact other business, but It wa,
plain that in spirit he had joined III,
anxious throng of newspaper men ant
4 officials who throngei the reception roen
and the corridors waiting for the news
y The naval cipher Is one of the most com.
plex In the world, The messages come II
= words OF strange formation, taken from al
= languages. These words are turned nv tn,
= translnting clerks into groups OF ngureI
and these In turn are resolved into theli
equivalent words In English, All this take!
, time.
= Meanwhile Secretary Aiser hearing o
e the receipt OF news. had coma. over from
the war department TO sec his colleague
but he was also Obliged to wait PATENT,
Cor the translation
4 Senator Hoar member OF the forelgl
: relations committee, also Joined See reta-,
Long and waited on the cable experts
About 10 O'Clock prominent officer gay,
tho newspaper men short abstrac, OF tn
cablesram so Tar as received. THIS on
whetted the interest OF the crowd in wait,
ing Half an hour later Secretary long up.
oeared with copy of the translated cipher
I'm his hand. There was great rush toward
him, but the secretary good naturally ma /.
allowance for the excitement o, the crowd