New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-05
THE VICTORY COMPLETE.
WASHINGTON REJOICES OVER
THE NEVIS FROM SANTIAGO.
SIMPSONS FLEET CUTS OFF ESCAPE
BY SEA, AND SHAFTER HENS IN
TIE ENEMY on LAND
lBy TELEGRAPH 40 THE rRlBrNr. !

when the news Of Vickshurgs fall and Lees
defeat at Gettysburg flashed through the States
still in the Union. has this country seen an an
niversary Of National independence so jubiant
or so marked by patriotic exaltation as that OF
to-day. made notable by Admiral SIMPSONS
sweeping naval victory on Sunday off Santiago.
There had been for reasons Of sentiment
whose force is patent enough TO every American.
a keen desire on the part Of those charged with
the conduct OF naval and military operations
against Santiago that that stronghold should
fall In time TO add another glory to those cele-
brated the Nations approaching birthday:
but surely no observer familiar with the diff
cutics 10 be encountered and overcome by the
forces closing in upon the ancient Cuban capital
could have been prepared for the dramatic and
startling culmiratior OF the slcge-the total de-
struc;ion Of Admiral Cerve.a's neet-which has
mad, the city Of Santiago to-day virtual
conquest Curousiy enough. the decisive blow
which made surrender inevitable under cond-
tions so gratify.g 10 popular sentiment Eel! TO
tha. hra-cn Of tire service the Navy 10 which.
after much celberatior had been assigned a
merely auxiliary par, ir the final reduction Of
the Spanish stronghold Having hemmed the
so-cal!ei Cape Verd squadron in Santiago Bay.
and having bornharded without wholly silencing
the harbor batteries the West Indian fee: had
apparently been reiegated 10 the simple role OF
closing eTectually to Admira. C"rvera an exit
from the trap in which h held last. while
10 the Army was sej the task ot assailing the
city from tho lard side and compelling It's garri
son to capituiate The sudden ard unexpected.
because almost hopeless effor: OF the spansH
commands r to escape into tho open sea gave TO
the blockadine fleet the opportunity FOR whic..
Il had long been p!u!ng-tha, Of repeating on
an equal. II not greater scal'. tAc signal
achievement with wnich Adm!ra. Dewey startled
the world two month"; ago at Manila
TWO GREAT NAvAl VICTORIES.
Comparisons between the victory by
Adrira! Dewey % Cavi,e and that achieved
by Admiral Sampson Yesterday or sand-
ago would serve a, his tina no importaa;
purpose Each has shed ar additional lus,re
on a service whose record has been one ot ur-
broken efficiency ani exceptional personal hero
ism. and each rivals the other not only In the
amazing thorouehness with which success was
achieved. but also In the extraordinary i'm
munity from injury which the victor. both al
Manila and al Santiago. enjoyed. Losses such
as those suffered by Admiral Dewey and Ad
iniral Sampson seem almost incr .dible when
set beside the almost total destruction inf!cted
on the enemy: for both at Manila and at Santiago
the list OF Spanish dead up into the kun-
dreds. while in both engagements together the
American loss in Killed has proved to be only
a single man. Superior strength skin and con-
nGrnce account. o, course for much OF the
disparity In losses. but surely these two naval
battles VIII 80 on record among the most
phenomenaliy successful Of ancient or modern
times.
FULL DETAILS STILL LACKING.
Full details Of Sundays ngh. outside the har-
Dor have not been received here but enough
Information has come from Admrai Sampson
10 show that the Spanish feet was forced by the
DESPERATE std'c or the b'Sltbeu III .dNl4hEp ~
make a forlorn-hope attempt to reach the open
sea Realizing that the surrender Of the city
was imminent Admiral Cervera had 10 choose
between scut,ng or blowing up his 5hiro Ia
:he inner bay or subJectiCg them to the su-
perior fire of the American men-of-war patrong
outside. Like a gallant sailor he chose the lat
ter alternative and. though he los; his whole
squadron in the effort 10 run the blockade II
seems clear that he made a spirited light for
life. and thai his flagship. he Cristohal Colon
was not captured until something Ike Sky
miles west OF the barber entrance. That Ger
vera vas driven 20 make his desperate sortie
hy the success of Genera! Skaters operations
OF Friday and Saturday implicates the land
forces more or IL, IS directly in the trag!ca Gil
max which marked the virtua! fall OF the city;
co that in distributing credit for the successive
blows which made its capture timely Offering
20 patriotic sentiment the Army should receive
due RECOGNITION for it's gallant achievements ard
willing sacrifices But 1t remains obvious that
Admiral Ce-vera's decision really reversed the
norts intended 10 be played in the fall OF the
ci,v by the two services. and that the Navy's
good fortune allowed it al the last to annihiIate
The only effective force through which fhe ce-
,erce from the water side could be maintained
bv the hard-pressed garrison
With Admiral Cervera prisoner ana MS
whole SQUADRON destroyed and captured SAN
t,ago is of course no longer tenabe In military
sense. and its surrender is supposed now TO be
or,v q question of hours. General Shafter, hav-
ing demanded the capituiatlon yes'e'uaS vi
main Of bombardment. agreed, on the petition OF
tbe foreign consuls. to grant truce OF twenty
four hours during which non-combatants-es-
cLlIdrnn=-cnlIld be got out