Evening star., 1898-05-07


more official dispatches which are to follow
the original In fact it was known that the
department at 10 o'clock was still receiving
sheets of the cipher code from the telegraph
company while the cipher experts were
still at work behind the heavy closed doors
of the navigation bureau.
Second Dispatch.
Shortly before noon Secretary Long left
the Navy Department for the White House
and an official announcement was made
that second dispatch from Commodore
Dewey had been received. The Secretary
carried this with him to the White House.
and pending the conference with the Presi-
dent there was intense eagerness among
the waiting crowd at the Navy Department
to learn the contents of the second dis
patch. Senators who saw the President Sc
cured brief intimation that Dewey's VIC
tory was overwhelming, and that he had a
large number of Spanish prisoners in his
possession.
AT 1890 Secretary Long came from the
Presidents private room, carrying the copy
of the second message from Dewey, but. in
order to give equal facilities to the great
crowd of people waiting to gain informa-
ton, he held it until he reached the Navy
Department. Then his secretary, Mr. Fin
ney, brought the message to the large re-
ception room. where a hundred or more
anxious newspaper correspondents and
curious observers took the dispatch as Mr.
Finney read it. 1t was dated Cavite, MAY
4, and told Of the capture of the naval
station there
Mr.. Finney. who read the dispatch to the
press, said that Secretary Long had sent
dispatch to Commodore Dewey a short
time before, notifying him that the Presi-
dent had appointed him acting admiral.
Hanna Led the Cheering.
AS the last word of the dispatch was ut
tered, several of the onlookers, including
Senator Hanna, called for three cheers for
Dewey. They were given with WILL and
the usual official serenity of the Navy De-
partment was for the moment broken by q
round of cheers that fairly shook the build
ing. Senator Tillman, who was present and
Joined heartily in the cheering left the
building arm and arm with Senator Hanna
Dewey's Wonderful Work
The officials of the Navy Department, as
we'll as all the army officers, VINO were on
duty at the department were simply
amazed at the extent of the mortality in
fiicted upon the Spanish by Admiral Dewey
Qor from the moment when Secretary Long
sent his dispatch of congratulation the
commodore became an admiraD. Officers
scratched their heads in vain to think of
any genuine hostile engagement between
armed forces that had been so -o;le-sided in
its results as the battle Of Manila, and the
subsequent engagements. Never before,
save where some terrible accident such as
the blowing up of ship. had occurred
was there any record of sucn result. The
opinion was expressed by strategists that
with superb judgment Dewey absolutely
smothered the fire of the Spanish batteries
and ships under the weight Of his metal
before they had opportunity to make any
response with effect.
AS for the forts, it is likely that ne took
up his position at distance that placed his
ships beyond the range of the old-fash-
ioned ordnance that formed nine-tenths or
more CT the defensive power of the works
ard shelled them into silence, succeeding in
escaping hits meantime from the few pieces
of modern ordnance that could be trained
upon him. OF course. this is speculative,
but it represents the views of come of the
ablest strategists in the Navy Department
Occupation of Cavite.
1t is noted That Admiral Dewey speaks of
the Spanish sick and wounded in hospital
within our lines There can be but one
Interpretation placed upon this, namely,
that the admiral has occupied Cavite, a
considerable town about seven miles toward
the mouth of the bay from Manila. He has
thus, supposing he goes no further, secured
naval base for the American fleet which
will serve through the remainder of the
war at least. Cavite, it is said, outside of
the fortilic atoms, possessed already very
many of the essentials of a naval station,
among them, it is said, a. marine railway
up to 1000 tons displacement, which would
be of great service in the repairing and
cleaning of the smaller vessels Of the Amer-
ican fleet.
An imp ortant feature of Admiral Dewey's
cablegram is the statement that he de-
s;royed the Notifications at the bay ell
trance. This refers to the strong forts at
Corri2idor Island. lying in the entrance to
the bay and on the point on either side,
and insures the admiral against airy inter-
rurt rtion in the line of communications with
the outside world.
To Reinforce Dewey.
AS soon the news in the cat,legrams
had been fairly absorbed by the officials
they turned their attention to the future
1t was already in contemplation t. send
some troops to relieve the squadron of the
necessity of occupying Manila ana the
forts. If Admiral Dewey sho,ia1 call for
them. Although he made M, s5s.h request