The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-07

secure further information from official
sources and perhaps dismayed by the
number and impesuousity of the news
paper contingent, the officials OF the
Navigation bureau, where cipher des-
patches are transcribed and translated,
promptly closed and locked their doors
against invasion.
One of the officers of the bureau has
been on duty every moment of the twenty
ing to receive cablegrams of Importance.
A similar state of affairs has prevailed
at the State Department where one of the
assistant secretaries and the chief clerk
have divided up the watches of the nights
sleeping on temporary cots set up in the
ante room
The State Department has the honor OF
receiving the first news. 1t came in the
shape of cablegram of three words from
U. S. Consul Wildman at Hong Kong, and
was as follows: Hong Kong, McCulloch,
Wildman.'
That is the usual form in which naval
movements are reported by cable. This
despatch was received by Third Assistant
Secretary Cridler, who was turned out OF
his cot by a messenger boy at 4:4o
o'clock this morning. The naval officials
were promptly notified and awaited with
interest the despatch which was expected
to surely follow from Commodore Dewey.
About half past nine, Manager Marcan
Of the Western Union Telegraph Company
appeared at the department bringing with
him sheet comprising four lines of the
mysterious jargon which makes up the
naval cipher. He handed this directly to
Secretary Long, who gazed at it for
moment and turned it over to Lieutenant
Whittlesey, one of the cipher experts OF
the Navigation Bureau, for translation
into English. Then the Secretary made
pretense of sitting down at his desk
to transact other business, but it was
plain to be seen that in spirit he had
Joined the anxious throng of newspaper
men and officials who thronged the recep-
ton room and the corridors waiting for
the news.
The naval cipher is one of the most
complex in the world. Three messages
come in words of strange formation
taken from all languages. These words
are turned by the translating clerks into
groups Of figures and these in turn are
resolved into their equivalent words In
English All this takes time.
Meanwhile, Secretary Alger, hearing OF
the receipt of news had come over from
the War Department to see his colleague,
but he also was obliged to wait patiently
for the translation. Senator Hoar, a
member of the Foreign Relations Conn
mfttee, also joined Secretary Long and
waited upon the cable experts.
About 10 O'Clock prominent officer
gave the newspaper men short abstract
of the cablegram as far as received. This
only whetted the interest of the crowd
in waiting. When an hour later
Secretary Long appeared with a
copy of the translated cipher in
his hand, there was great
rush towards him, but the Secretary good
naturedly made allowance for the excite
ment of the crowd and smilingly read
from the corner of the room into which
he had been forced, the following cable
gram
MANILA, May 1, 1885," Squadron ar
rived at Manila at daybreak this morn
ing. Immediately engaged the enemy and
destroyed the following Spanish vessels
! Reina Christina.
Castillo.
Don Antonio de Ullca.
Isla de Luzon.
Isla de Cuba.
General Leno.
Marques de Duero.
Correo.
Velasco.
Isla de Mindanao, a transport, and
water battery at Cavite
The squadron is uninjured and only a
few men are slightly wounded. Only
means of telegraphing is to American
Consul at Hong kong ! shall eommuni-
cate with him.
DEWEY"
1t was Immediately noticed that the
cablegram as officially promulgated did
not entirely agree with the brief sum-
mary of it's points which had been pre-
viously given out, and the immediate pre-
sumption was that in the short time ac-
corded for consideration. the officials had
concluded that it was public policy to ex-
purgate the despatch. Thus, as made
public. it contained no reference to the
cutting of the cable by Admiral Dewey,
to the fact that he had lacked men to
take possession of the place and finally
| that he had the entire bay of Manila at
his mercy.
1t was also noticed that the despatch
bore the date of May /. The Mcculloch