The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-05
nj REyorc1ve.
Tho News from Sampson, shafter and Dewey
Aroused the EnthusIasm of the People
and Brought Comfort and JOY to the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Conference Held.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Conference Held.
WASHINGTON. July 4.-There never was such
a Fourth OF July in Washington as this has
been. Even the members Of the Oldest lnhab-
itants' Association admit this. It is true that
there was q military parade and a formal ga
lutte and s~peechmakinR and all that sort OF
thing Just fifty years ago to-day, when the cor
nerstone Of the Washington Monument was
laid, and that the enthusiasm through
out the city was more pronounced on
that memorable Fourth, thirty-lve years
back. when the reports confirming the
umors OF great Federal victories at Gettys-
burg and vicksburR began to come In. but 1t Is
safe TO say that while the people OF this city.
from President Mckinley down. took the
glorious news of American triumphs over the
Spanish arms In q quieter way, they were not
the less joyful and chock full OF patriotism.
The old colonial mansion where the President
makes his residence. and the massive granite
building over the way, in which the State,
War. and Navy departments are located, were
the centres Of excitement and enthusiasm from
early morning until late at night.
The period OF greatest enthusiasm in the ex-
ecutive buildings and throughout the town
was after It became known that not one Of
Cervera's ak vessels had escaped destruction
by the vigilant ships Of Admiral SIMPSONS
AhSh ONOlg w bOhhAb NhiilAo
crackers and fred them in the streets. in the
parks. In front of the White House. and even
in the corridors OF public buildings. The
great cheer that went up from those
who were fortunate enough to first
read the bulletin posted in the Navy
Department that Sampson had repeated
Dewey's exploit at Manila brought to the
narrow corridor outside Secretary Longs Office
a crowd OF excited, delighted p~eople-army on
GERS, navy officers. clerks. messengers. watch
men and others who happened to be in the
building. When they. too. had been made ac-
quainted with the contents Of Simpsons mes
sage there were more and louder cheers. and
the yells that sounded through the gloomy
halls brought back memories OF that day Just
before the war with Spain began when Gen.
FitzhuGh Lee arrived in Washington. fresh
from Havana, to report to the Secretary of
State.
At the White House there was less v~ocifera-
ton but quite as much ~elation. and the Presi-
dent and his two war Secretaries appeared to
be not the less delighted, although they took
the news in a quieter manner than their
subordinates. Official Washington Is joyful to-
unofficial Washington is getting rid Of
its pent-up patriotism in the usual Fourth
OF July way. To Skater and Sampson
have gone messages Of congratulations.
and Dewey has not been forgotten in the distri-
button Of honors. Most OF the news which
caused the Government SO much qualification
was known last night. but the reports that came
then were meagre aud lacking in details. Be
fore the day was over everybody knew that the
United States had entered on u policy of terri
torlal expansion by Selling the Ladrone ISL
ands. over which the Stars and Stripes now
wave; that the first military expedition
to Manila, about which there had been much
u~neasiness, had arrived safely at the Philippines
that Dewey had aiken another Spanish
gunboat, that Sampson had annihilated the
OF the Spanish navy and held Admiral
Cervera as a prisoner, and that old Bull"
recovered from his depression over
the situation at Santiago. would renew the
assault on that town ut noon tomorrow.
The State. War and Navy departments build
ing was not the pleasantest place in Washing
ton to-day. Comparatively few Of the Office
rooms we're occupied. and with closed doors
everywhere. windows down. and q few electric
lights burning the corridors were gloomy and
stuffy. Outside the heat was intense. within
the atmospheric depression was augmented by
the absence of ventilation that on Office days
is obtained largely from the drafts that come
in at the open windows and percolate through
latticed doors into Railways. The heat inside
was something awful, except in the occupied
rooms. In this moisture-charRed hard breath-
ing atmosphere people forgot there was SUM-
shine and good air without. in their eager
ness to SEQ and hear all that was to be seen
and heard at first hand about the Amer
lean successes. Secretary Long and the
officers of the Bureau OF Navigation were at
their desks nearly all day. None OF the impor-
tant officials Of the War Department was alb
sent. Secretary Alger. Assistant Secretary
Meiklejohn, Major-Gen. Miles. the Adjutant-
General. the Quartermaster- General. the
Commissary-General. the Chief Of Ordnance
and other officers whose bureaus are kept very
busy in these times were all hard at work.
The good news from Dewey came first. He
told of the arrival at Manila OF the military ex-
pedition from San Francisco. the seizure OF tho
Ladrones. and the surrender Of another Span
ish Gunboat. Then the rest OF the days de-
velopments came in rapid succession. Shafter
sent word that a truce had been declared until
the old men. the women and children. and for
cign residents had been removed from San
tiago in anticipation of his threatened lombard
ment. SampsoA told of the destruction Of Ger
vera's ships. Then Shafter ~telegraphed the
good news that Pando had not been able to
affect u junction with the Spanish forces In
Santiago. And so the reports cam In, one
after another, in pretty rapid succession. and
Such DIOuBhI SOulOEL anu Joy. WHICH was All
the greater on account Of the depression that
prevailed for a time yesterday after Skaters
despatch that he could not take Santiago with
his present force had been received.
Secretary Long was at the White House when
the telegram to him from Admiral Sampson
announcing the annihilation Of the Span
ish feet was delivered at the Navy De-
partment. A war conference was being
held in the Presidents Office. at which
there were present the President. Secre-
tary Long. Secretary Alger. and the three
members Of the Naval Wa Board. Rear Admi-
raj NJ. Sicard. Capt. A. s.. Crownlnshield and
Capt. A. L. Mahan. Lieut.. H. H.. Whittelsey.
one OF the officers Of the Bureau OF Navigation,
received the message. 1t was in plain English.
Admiral Sampson did not take time to have 1t
put into cipher. 1t was evident that he wanted
the news Of his victory to be known to
the Administration without any delay. Lieut..
Whittelsey read the message quickly and then
sent it over to the White House to Secretary
Long. OF course the President and the group
OF officials with him were enthusiastic over the
fidit,na TINT not pna az fha Gpanfub ,o,aol, h.l