The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-05

annihilation of the Spanish squadron
at Santiago and the capture of the
Spanish admiral. Cervera, with 1900
prisoners: the demand by General
Shafter for the surrender of Santiago
by IL o'clock tomorrow noon on pain
OF bombardment: word from Admiral
Dewey that the Ladrone islands had
had surrendered. that a hundred or
more Spanish officers were taken and
that our first Philippine expedition had
landed-this is in part the thrilling rec
ord OF such a Fourth of July as has
not been known since the bells of In
dependence hall rang out the tidings of
American freedom. IL was a day when
one momentous event followed another
in constant and rapid succession. each
hour bringing forth some new feature
more startling than what had gone be-
fore.
The climax came at 1 o'clock when.
amid the widest cheering, which fair
ly shook the great war. state and navy
building to it's foundations. Admiral
SIMPSONS dispatch announcing his glo-
rious victory and the entire destruction
of the Spanish fleet was given to the
public.
The white house was the focal point
of the enthusiasm of stirring activity
which marked official Washington. 1t
was the busiest day the president has
had since the war began. Conference
followed conference with the heads of
the military departments. high officers
in the service came and went in a con-
stant. steady stream. and as each hour
brought its added luster to the Ameri-
can arms. the crowds of officials in
creased. The president had not a mo-
ment's respite. kilograms came and
went without cessation. and the his
toric old mansion presented scene
such as has not been paralleled since
the momentous hours of the civil
war.
The story of the day is best told in
the series of official dispatches. each
bearing date of July 4. from Sampson.
from Shafter and from Dewey. Stir
ring as they all are, that of Sampson
was accorded the honor of chief i'm
portance. not only for the immediate
results secured. but also from the ef-
fects of this crushing defeat in weak
ening the defenses of the city of San
tiago and in dealing Spain such a
staggering blow that she is left prac-
tically without a navy. The admirars
dispatch is as follows:
siboney, July 3.-sThe feet under INV
command offers rs a Fourth of July pres
ent the destruction of the whole of Ger
vera's fleet; not one escaped. II attempted
to escape at 9,3O this morning; at Q
o'clock the last ship. Christob bal Colon
had run ashore six miles west of Santiago
and hauled down her colors; the Maria
Theresa. Oquendo and vizcaya were forced
ashore, burned and blown up within go
miles Of Santiago; the Furor and Pluton
were destroyed within four miles of the
forts. Loss on our side, one killed and
two wounded; enemy's loss probably sew
eral hundred from gun firing. explosions
and drowning. Took about I, 800 prison.
ers, including Admiral Cervera. The one
man killed was George II. Ellis, chief
yeoman of the Brooklyn"
Although brief. Admiral Simpsons
dispatch tells the story OF fearful de-
1t not only discloses the
tremendous progress OF the American
fleet. but 1t again displayed the immua-
ity which the American sailor seems TO
have in the midst of death and
That but one OF our sailors.
a yeoman on the Brooklyn, should
have been killed in an engagement of
this magnitude is without a parallel in
naval annals, save in that OF the un-
paralleled record which Dewey made
at Manila. With the Spanish fleet de-
stroyed the way is partly cleared for
the advance of the American squadron
into the harbor OF Santiago. II Ger |
vera's armored cruisers could cross the |
our ships can follow the same |
course. Then are the inner fortifica-
tions and island fortifications TO be re-
duced. but they have passed through a |
baptism OF fire recently and are little
more than ruins. Thus. with Skaters /
guns laundering on Santiago from