The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-07-05
A GLORIOUS FOURTH
Made More Glorious by the Victo-
ries Of Our Warriors.
GENERAL SKATERS LTIMATUM

GENERAL SKATERS ULTIMATUM
Unless santiago Has Surrendered bv
Noon Today the city Is Being Bonn
barded by our Siege Guus-Time Ex-
tended at Request of Foreign Con-uIs
Washington, July 5.-The complete
humiliation of the Spanish squadron at
Santiago and the capturesOr the Span
ish Admiral Cervera, with 1900 prison
ers; the demand by General Shafter for
the surrender of Santiago by noon to-
day on pain of bombardment; word
from Admiral Dewey that the Ladrone
islands had been captured, that a Span
ish gunboat had surrendered, that a
hundred or more Spanish officers and
men were taken, and that our Philip
pine expedition had ~landed-this is in
part the thrilling record of such a
Fourth of July as has not been known
since the bells of independence Hall
rang out the tidings of American free
dom.
1t was a day when one momentous
event followed another I'm constant and
rapid succession. each hour bringing
forth some new feature more startling
than what had gone before. The eli
max came at 1 o'clock, when, amid the
widest cheering, which fairly shook
the great war. state and navy build
ing to its foundation, Admiral Samp-
sons dispatch announcing his glorious
victory and the entire destruction of
the Spanish fleet, was made public.
The story of the day is best told in
the series of official dispatches, each
hearing date of July 4, from Sampson,
from Shafter and from Dewey. Ad-
miral SIMPSONS dispatch, dated Sibo-
ney, July 9. was as follows:
The fleet under my command offers
the nation as a Fourth of July present
the destruction of the whole Of Ger
vera's fleet. Not one escaped. It at
tempted to escape at $3.50 a. m. and at
2 D.. m. the last. the Cristobal Colon,
had run ashore go miles west Of San
tiago, and has let down her colOrs.
The Infanta Maria Teresa, Oquendo
and Vizcaya were forced ashore, burn
ed and blown up within 90 miles Of
Santiago, the Furor and Pluton being
destroyed within four miles of the port.
Our loss was one killed and two wound
ed. Enemy's loss probably several
hundred from gun fire, explosions and
drowning. About 1900 prisoners, includ-
ing Admiral Cervera. The man killed
was George H. Ellis, chief yeoman of
the Brooklyn"
General Skaters strong position was
shown in a series of dispatches. Most
convincing of all as to his feeling Of
confidence and strength was hat dis
patch given out late in the day in
which General Shafter gives the text
Of his demand for the surrender of the
city on pain of Commandment.
Skaters first dispatch demanding
surrender named noon Of July 4 as the
hour. To this Jose Toral, the Spanish
commander answered, declaring that
the city would not surrender. Later
the British, Portuguese and Chinese
consuls went to Shafter's lines and de-
clared that Is, 900 to 10000 people,
many of them old, were anxious to
leave the city. The consuls urged that
the hour for beginning the lombard
ment be extended until 10 o'clock to-
day. In view of this request General
Shafter extended the hour until today
noon.
General Skaters other dispatches
breathe the same air of confidence and
determination as shown in his demand
on the Spanish commander. The first
one made public during the day stated
that his lines completely surrounded
the town from the bay on the north to
San Juan river on the south, leaving
the city thus enveloped by a stretch
Of water on one side and a stretch
of frowning American guns on the
other. In another dispatch General
Shafter epitomized the strength Of his
position by saying: Il feel that I am
master of the situation, n can hold
the enemy for any length Of time"
In any event, Il o'clock today marks
the limit of Skaters concession, and If
Santiago has not c]apitulated at that
hour the great siege guns now brought
to the from and in position, backed by
the batteries of lighter field pieces, will
begin their work of destruction.
The pressing needs of reinforcing
Shafter is nc longer felt, now that the
Spanish fleet is out of the way. A con-
siderable number Of men, however, are
already on the way, and others will
follow.
The changed naval situation will
bring no abatement in the activity OF
the authorities here in carrying the
war directly home to Spain. There is
renewed determination to get Commo-
dOre Watson's eastern squadron away
at the earliest moment, for the double
purpose of striking a blow at the
coast towns of Spain and Of pursuing
Admiral Camara's fleet.
1t has been acting Admiral Sampson
for some time, but it will be Admiral
Sampson in fact as well as in name is
the prevailing feeling in naval circles
as a result of the victory reported by
the American admiral. By a singular
coincidence his rank was advanced yes
terday to that of commodore, owing to
the retirement of Admiral Kirkland.
The release of Hobson and the other
heroes Of the Mcrrimac incident is
likely to be another result of the events
t~ranspirinE yesterday. 1t may now
come about either by the surrender OF
the city, which would include the sur
render of Hobsou and other American
prisoners i'm the city, or else by the ex-
change of Hohson for Admiral Ger
vera or some other high ranking naval
official. Until yesterday the POSSIBLE
ity Of exchanging HObsOn We're slight,
as this government had no Spanish
prisoners of high rank to offer in his
place. Now, however, they have one
of the foremost admiTals of Spain. and
among the 1900 other naval prisoners
there are many officers of DISTINGUISHED