The Saint Paul globe., 1898-05-05
DEWEY'S NEWS DELAYED
NO OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE
VICTORY AT MANILA
RumOr of the Arrival of a Dispatch
Boat at Mrs Bay, but 1t IL Not
Confirmed and Not Very Gener-
ally Credited in Omcial Circles
a Story Is Eagerly Awaited by
Omcials.

WASHINGTON, May A sensation
was caused throughout the city by the
news that came this morning Of the
arrival of vessel supposed to be the
dispatch boat McCulloch at Mrs Bay,
forty miles from Hong Kong, the cable
terminus
The officials Immediately fell into an
air of expectancy, waiting for some
word from Admiral Dewey that would
not only confirm officially the stirring
news of the battle of Manila, as report
ed by the press, but telling what had
happened since the cable was inter
rupted.
Up to the close Of office hours no
word had come from Hong Kong and
the officials who believed that the Nc
Culloch was really in Mrs Bay were
put to devising ingenious explanations
of the delay. These touched upon the
twelve hours difference In time, the
distance from Mrs Bay 10 Hong Kong.
which had to be overcome by the mes :
senger, and the slowness of cable COM
mundcation, owing to the number of
relays on the enormously long circuit
AA0AAA AAOii6 IAo116 W GNdW I OTk.
Some Of the other naval officers,
however, who steadfastly contended
that Admiral Dewey would not have
sent away his dispatch boat Until he
had completed his dispatch and receiv-
ed the surrender of Manila, pointed out
that II they were right in that assump-
tton 1t would not be possible for the
McCulloch to reach Hong Kong before
tomorrow evening =
Great interest is felt in the reported
return of the Spanish Cape Verde fleet
to Caddz, but, while admitting the Dos
sibil1ty of the fast vessels Of the Span
tsh flying squadron making the passage
In the five days that the vessels have
been out from st. Vincent, the naval
officers were disposed to regard with
great suspicion news of this kind eman-
at1ng from Portugal, because of the
recognized sympathy Of the Portuguese
with the Spanish side. It would be
worth a good deal to the Spanish ad-
maral commanding the flying squadron,
suppostng he were on his way across
the Atlantic, to throw us off our guard
by having us believe that he had re-
turned to Spain.
Ammunition for Dewey.
The navy department has now secur-
ed two vessels, the Australia and the
City of Pekin in San Francisco, which
will be loaded with coal and supplies
and rushed Off, to join Dewey's fleet.
Whether or not they will carry troops
will be determined positively when the
commodore is heard from upon this
matter
The navy department is hurTying to-
gether an exceptionally large stock Of
ammunition to go forward by the City
of Pekin to recruit the ammunition OF
Commodore Dewey's feet. The, first
shipment Of projectiles left New York
yesterday and additional shipments will
be made until the full quota of powder
and shot will be in San Francisco
within the next ten days. There will
be a total OF more than 10000 projectiles
of various cahbres and weights. For
the four. big eight-inch guns Of the
Olympia there will be 500 eight-inch
steel armor piercing projectiles, weigh
Ing about 900 pounds each. For the
six-inch guns Of the Olympia, Baltimore
and Boston and other ships there will
be 1000 steel projectiles. The shipment