davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald., 1898-12-06

I given a reasonable chance to realize her ex-
| peetatlons OF reform to which she had be-
| come irrevocably committed Within few
weeks previously she had announced COM
plehensivc plans which, it was confidently
asserted, would be etficacious to remedy the
EVIL so deeply affecting our own country, so
injurious TO the true interests of the mother
country, as well as to those of Cuba, and
SO rcpugnant to the universal sentiment of
humanity
The ensuing months brought little sign of
real progress toward the pacifcation OF Gu
ba. The autonomist administration set up
in the capital and some of the PRINCIPAL cit
les appeared not to gain the favor of the in
haoltants, nor to be able to extend their in
iiuence to the large extent of territory held
by the insurgents, while the military arm.
obviously unable to cope with the still active
repeiilon,. continued many of the most oh
Jectionable and offensive policies of the gov.
ernment that had preceded it. No tangible
relief was afforded the vast numbers of nm.
happy reconcentrados, despite the reiterated
professions made in that regard. and tbe
amount appropriated by Spain to that end
Inc proffered expedient of zones of cult.
vatlon proved illusory indeed. No less prac-
tlcai nor more .delusive promises of stccor
hausted and destitute people. strnnsd Io of e ail
that made life and home dear and herd od =, T.
a strange region among unsympathetic sfran. ~
gers hardly less necessitous than themselves
by the end of December the morta;itv
among them had frightfully increased '9sp Cans. ~
servatlve estimates from Spanish sonrces
placed the deaths among these distressed
people at oyer 30 per cent from the time
OF General Weyler's decree of reconcen ira ira.
tilon was, enforced. With the acquiescence
of the Spanish authorities a scheme was
adopted. for relief by charitable contribu-
tiops raised in this country and distributed
under direction OF the Consul General and
the several Consuls, by noble and earnest
individual effort through the organized
agencies of the Red Cross.
Thousands of lives were thus saved. but
many thousand more were inaccessible to
such forms of aid.
The war continued on the old footing
without comprehensive plan, developing
only the same spasmodc encounters, barren
of strategic result. that had marked the
courses of the earlier ten-years' rebellion
as well as the present insurrection from its
start. No alternative save physical ex-
The herald., 1898-12-06
DESTRUCTION OF THE MAINE

DESTRUCTION OF THE MAINE
AT. this juncture, on the 18th of Febr,,.
ary last, occurred the destruction of the
Dattieship Maine, while riehtfully lying in
the harbor OF Havana, on mission of in
ternational courtesy and good will, a cata-
strophe the suspicious nature and horror
Of which stirred the nations heart profound.
ly,, 1t is striking evidence of the poise
and. sturdy good sense distinguishing our
national character that this shocking blow
falling upon generous people, already deep
y touched by preceding events in Cuba,
did not move them to a desperate resolve
to tolerate no longer the existence of con.
dition Of danger and disorder at our doors
that made possible such deed by whomso-
ever wrought. Yet, the instinct of Justice
prevailed, and the nation anXiously awaited
the result of the searching investigation at
once set on foot. The finding of the naval
board of inquiry established that the origin
Of the explosion was external, by sub
marine mine, and only halted through lacl,
Of positive testimony to fix the responsible
ity of its authorship.
All those things carried conviction to
the most thoughtful, even before the find.
ing of the naval court, that crisis in our
affairs with Spain and toward Cuba was at
hand. So strong was the belief, that it
needed but a brief executive suggestion to
Congress for it, to give immediate answer
to the duty OF making instant provision for
the possible and perhaps speedily probable
emergency OF war; and the remarkable, al
most unique, spectacle was presented of a
unanimous vote of both Houses on the 9th
lars, for the national defense and for each
and every purpose connected herewith, to
be expended at the discretion of the Presi-
dent"
The herald., 1898-12-06
WAR WITH SPAIN
A Brief Resume of Its Causes and
Effects

In my last annual message very full consid-
Grafton was given to the question of the
duty OF the government of the United States
toward Spain and the Cuban nsurrection,
as being by far the most important prob
lem with which We were called upon to
deal. The considerations then advanced,
and the exposition of the views therein
expressed, disclosed my sense of the extreme
gravity Of the situation. Setting aside, as
logically unfounded, or practically nadmis-
sible, the recognition of the Cuban insur-
gents as belligerents, the recognition of the
Independence of Cuba, neutral intervention
TO end the war by imposing a ratified COM
promise between the contestants, interven-
tion in favor of one or the other party and
the forcible annexation OF the island / con
cluded it was honestly due to our friendly
relations with Spain that she should be
The herald., 1898-12-06
NOT THE SHADOW OF AN INDICATION
AS to Policy to Be Pursued Regarding the
Philippines
The President Takes Stand in Favor Of the Construction
the Nicaragua Canal and Recommends Financial
Legislation to Protect the Gold Reserve

brief summary
taken in given
briefly related and high tribute kof
Congress asked building up just
nevolent government
Our intercourse with other Spain excepted
has been marked by codty No
of the duty on zante urrants
The people the
America is discussed. - ~
The early construction by the of the
urged in emphatic
President Mckinley question shape as
00vna'e the necessity OF our countrys taking part init
The congratulated
Paris exposition and appropriation
Tariff negotiations progress
Germany progress to induce the swiss and Ger
importation dried
fruits Our favorable relations briefly
through diff
ferngvew the exraditon amcaby
private
property exempt from capture destruction
brief statement made regarding the
The 1t is estimated present
laws there will deficiency year
The invitation of
the powers cordially The United
hostes by sea is
gested.
Turkey pay just claims for
aemni the
aries stationed minister
to press those claims
any the United States notes
are presented for redemption and are redeemed gold
kept gold
tended break the end chan process of draining
gold legislation. Amoney standard
IN harmonious relation the standard
should be
desired '~'-'0''
lin regular army to 100000 approved
The me- nner which secured for the Pacific
The extraordinary growth the
cordially approved
The pension statistics quoted
The necessities of the intelligent
they are being met are referred oin te rms of approval
The herald., 1898-12-06
PRESIDENT M'kIN[EYSMFSSAGE

haustion of either combatants and there
witha! the practical ruin of the island, Law
IN sight, but how far distant no one could
venture to conjecture.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03
Captain Sigsbee Sees Himself In Wax

While the scout ship st. Paul was coaling
at Tompkinsville this week Captain Sigsbee
found time to go to the place of amusement
where the wax figures are exhibited, just
to have look at himself as exhibited there
in wax.
ITS right novel sensation" he re-
marked to friend, this meeting yourself
face to face for the first time. I don't
know that I quite like it. The wargraph
is worse, though. In the moving picture
you see yourself walking toward yourself
until you are quite beside yourself. At first
sight 1t is quite alarming. 1t gave me
cold chill. My own tailor made the coat for
that wax doll, and l rather wanted to see
how the uniforms he made must have been
looking all these years. Either the doll is
better built than I am or else the tailor
knows his business. The coat fits like
glove. 1t would have been a godsend down
in Havana, when I was wearing borrowed
coats after my own were gone. The wax
doll rather had the best of me."-Washing-
ton Dispatch.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03
TO KILL AT ONE BLOW
THE MANY FUNNY SCHEMES OF
AMERICAN INVENTORS
WASHINGTON FULL OF THEM
The Country Seems to Be Overrun With
Inventive Geniuses With Special
Commissions to End the War

WASHINGTON, June 2O-(Special Cor
respondence to The Herald) Out of the
mass of wild, weird and wooly ideas with
which the government officials are being
Inundated from individuals who think they
have been especially ordained to end the
war by inventng some tremendously de-
structive machine that will shatter the
throne of King Aphonso of Spain and rend
his kingdom to pieces there must surely
be something that will do great credit to
the well known inventive genius Of the
Americans. That the people of this coun-
try are in the lead in the matter of inven-
lions is admitted even by our bitterest en-
emies, and when the entire inventive genius
of the country is at work on the one subject
something good must come of it. But pity
the menAyhose business it is to examine the
suggestions of the inventors They are va
ried and wonderful enough to be screamingly
funny to any one who does not have the
work of examining them.
One man sends a carefully thought out
plan for dropping dynamite from the clouds
80 that Havana will be wiped off the map,
and Santiago be numbered among the lost
cities Of the world. 1t may be we'll to men
ton here that at least two-thirds of the
schemes sent in for annihilating the Span
ards are based on the possibility of sending
aloft Internal machines. The particular
scheme referred to provides for the sending
from Key West of an armorcad balloon, in
thS car of which is to be carried a cargo Of
dynamite. The inventor, not being an aero
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

vicinity Of the magnet, heigh! presto! out
fly all the bolts that bind its steel sides to-
gether. and down goes the ship to the bot
tom Of the sea. while the giant magnet
laughs, ha! ha! and coyly hides itself be-
meath the green waves in readiness for the
next victim. So far no one has come for
ward with magnet that is guaranteed to
be strong enough to tempt Admiral Cervera
from Santiago harbor. but this will prob
ably come along in time.
One of the most remarkably funny ideas
Is that of man who says he can equip a
number of Internal machines that will have
all the appearance of fish dsporting in
the waves. These Internal fish he proposes
to start on their wild career into the interior
| of Havana harbor. The starving Spaniards,
he gravely argues, will rush to catch the
fish so providentially supplied and will haul
the Internal machines aboard as fast as
they can catch them. Spanish curiosity
will lead them to investigate the strange
phenomena of metal fish, and the rest Of
the tale will be written on the clouds,
whittier fly the dismembered remains of the
curious ones This idea will probably be
filed for future reference.
A somewhat similar idea to the last is
that of a man who proposes to equip
flock of birds that will fly in the most life
like manner and send them scooting across
Havana. Naturally the Spaniards will,
shoot at them, and down will come rain of
explosives that will bring the Inflated city
crumbing about the ears Of the Dons. This
idea is very fllghty one, but 1t viii re-
ceive attention. with the rest.
OF submarine contrivances there hun
dreds One of them is trap comp sed of
tightly stretched wire rope and q torpedo,
which is released by the pres sure of
vessels bows. When Spanish ship strikes
this wire rope the torpedo is sent hustling
beneath the sea on its death-Gealing bust
ness, and before the Spanerds can say
Santiago lie is past saying anything, un-
less 1t is request drink of ice water and
a fan.
These are only a few taken at random
from the mass of comical proposals for
burying the Spaniards beneath torrent of
Yankee inventions. They are still coming
In. and all over the countr.' men are sitting
with wrinkled brows studying out fresh
problems to settle the fate of the Dons at
! one blow.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03
DEVOTED TO MOTHER
Some Pleasant Gossip About Lieut..
Robson

Lieutenant Hobson's mother is naturally
anxious about her sons welfare as pris-
oner in Spanish hands, but she is far from
despairing of his safe return. Mrs. Hobson
would say only, when questioned on the
subject the other day: HE was such an
obedient boy! I prayed that he should be
honored, and 1 pray now that God will re-
turn him to me-" The hero's father con-
sidered 1t enough to declare: II feel sure
that my son has done his duty" Captain
r F.. Kolb, an old friend of the family, was
more loquacious. II know the young man
very WELL" he is quoted as saying. HE
was very Industrious boy, not caring much
for the sports and pastimes that most boys
are so fond Of but spending nearly all of
his time In study. He was only II years
of age when he left the Southern university
at Greensboro, Ala bama, and he is the only
southern boy since the war who has been
graduated at the head of his classlin An
napois He is now about ten years ahead
of his class so far as promotion is concern
ed not considering the advance which, he is
soon to receive from the government. When
Hobson returned from his course Of study
at the Paris School of Naval architecture
he had achieved such a reputation as a
naval constructor that he was offered $10-
adelphia shipbuilders, to resign from the
navy and accept position with them. This
offer he promptly refused, and kept his po-
sition as an instructor at Annapolis
have never seen man more devoted to his
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

naut, slurs over the difficulty of getting an
armorclad balloon to sail through the air,
and concentrates his entire attention to the
dynamite part of the plan.
Following his example, and allowing. for
the sake of argument, that we have trans
ported our balloon to the exact center of
Havana or Santiago, then we lift a trap door
in the floor of the ironclad car and drop
down our dynamite, taking care to aim it
at stone Notifications or iron work, so that
1t will explode readily. Having blown up
one part of the city we sail leisurely along
to another part and go on blowing up things
until there is nothing left to blow up. Then
we come home and report that Havana is
numbered among the things that were.
Another man goes at some length into the
description of chemical compound that he
declares. when released into the atmosphere
will kill every living thing that comes
within mile of it's frightful odor. He pro-
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

WASHINGTON, June 20-(Speclal Cor
reobehdsuce to The Herald.) Hopeless as
the Swar,is. for Spain, with the United
states NAVY at its present strength. it
will b. farsworse for her when the giant
ships that are now building steam away.
fully equipped. to Join forces with thu
Amerioanfieets. They are beauties. these
new boats Of ours. Everything about
them is Of the best, from the designs,
which are in accordance with the plans
accepted by experts as the most effective
In the world, to the last bolt and rivet
that workmen world-famous for their
skill have welded together in the steel
frames of the sea monsters.
In all, there are building for the United
States navy five battleships, ten torpedo
boats and the submarine torpedo boat
Plunger. The battleships are progressing
favorably towards completion. The Kear-
sarge and Kentucky, at Newport News,
are 50 per cent finished; the Alabama, at
Philadelphia, SO per cent, and the Wis
consin, at San Francisco, 3S per cent. Tho
statement shows that of the torpedo boats
the Rowan and the Mackenzie are nearly
completed. Their respective percentages
Of construction are S91s and SO per cent.
OF the other vessels of this type the per-
centages of work done are SO on the
Dahlgren, so on the Tom Craven, so on
the Farragut, So on the Davis, So on the
Fox, % on the Stringham, on the Colds
borough and 21a on the Bailey. The Plum
ger Is 72 per cent towards completion.
The battleship Illinois, building at New
port News is 46 per cent finished.
The five battleships will comprise in
themselves fleet that any nation would
be proud to own. They are of two types,
the Kearsarge and Kentucky being twins
The new ships differ in design from any
of the battleships at present in commits
sion, such as the Indiana, Massachusetts
and Oregon. Since 1890, when these last
named vessels were built, radical changes
have taken place in the designs of battle
ships, and our new vessels are built on
new lines. The main differences are OBJ
servable most plainly in the Alabama.
They consist Of the raising Of the free
board and the separating by a wider
space Of the batteries of heavy guns from
the smaller rapid-fire guns, change that
has been approved by the designers of
every navy.
A defect that has been noticeable in
the battleship Indiana will be remedied
in the designing of these new vessels
With the belief that it would enable the
gunner to fire ahead or astern at the
same time, eight eight-inch guns were
placed in four turrets around the central
battery of the Indiana. The guns could
not be fired in the manner intended, how
ever, without the men in the fighting
hoods of the thirteen-inch guns being in
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

fourteen flve-inch rapid-fire guns for tha
eight-inch guns Of the older battleships.
The five-inch gun throws a shell Weigh
ing fifty pounds, while the eight-iuuh
gun throws one weighing $50 pounds, but
1t Is considered more effective to pour In
. rapid fire Of smaller shells than slow
one Of heavy proJectilcs.
To guard against torpedo attack the
new battleships will be armed with .
battery of twelve six-pound guns, and
the fighting tops will be fitted with Cat
ling guns to pour in bullet fire on-an
enemy's decks. There will be five torpedo
tubes on each ship. The crews will oon-
sist of forty officers and 4So men.
An innovation on the Alabama 10 the
elliptical turret. In the circular turret
1t was found that there was space
wasted on the sides which could better
be used in the section behind the gun,
and the elliptcal turret was designed
on this account. The Alabama carries
four thirteen-inch guns, this two forward
guns being at the unusual elevation of
261a feet above the water line. This ele-
walton is made possible by the addition
of deck running quarters Of the
ships length, thus increasing the free
board to twenty feet The freeboard of
the Kentucky is only thirteen feet. There
will be fourteen sx-inch guns on the Ala
bama and no eight-inch guns. These
six-inch guns fire a 100-pound shell that
is capable of penetrating fifteen inches Of
iron. The gunners will be protected BY
81 inches of steel These slx-inch bat
teries of the Alabama will be capable Of
firing mass of iron with the enormous
energy of 225,000 foot-tons a minute.
Here are the exact dimensions and
armament of the two classes of battle.
ships building:
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

of China, but also In respect to the devel-
opments of our war with Spain, it is great
point gained for the United States. The
understanding is a benevolent one az re-
CARDS our interest 1t is a good thing for
Japan, which country has aggressive Rus
STA for a neighbor. to have two such pow
ers as the United States and England to
assist in maintaining the balance Of power
in that quarter of the world. 1t is also q
good thing for us, in case we decide to re-
tain the Philippine islands, as a help to
trade with China, to have behind us until
our navy is stronger the ample resources of
England and Japan.-Baltimore Sun.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

poses to shoot into Havana a number of
bombs made up of this material. The in
habitants and the garrison will awake to
find themselves choking, gasping. Whittier
can they flee or fly? Nowhere! For the
frightful, poisonous vapor is everywhere
Slowly and despairingly they succumb to
the unknown terror, and the sun arises over
city of the dead-every son of Spaniard
killed by the genii of the bomb. The ingre-
dents of this engine of destruction are
kept secret, but the inventors plan is gone
into at length. Too much at length for the
peace of mind of the clerks who have to
tabulate these wonderful plans.
The power of magnetism over the bolts
and nails of modern warship seems to have
had special fascination for the inventors.
One man proposes to build giant magnet
that can be anchored under water in the
track of a Spanish ironclad. When the
unsuspecting ship steers it's way into the
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

so far out of the turret that their fire will
not injure the man in the sighting hood
of the thirteen-inch gun.
The new battleships are therefore an
improvement on the old in this particu-
lar: that while the Indiana cannot fire
her guns dead ahead or astern, the new
ships can bring their guns to bear in
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

mother than is young Hobson. His thoughts
seem to be with her always. He has not
visited his home in Greensborough for two
years. He was appointed to Annapolis by
Representative Hilary A. Herbert, after
ward secretary Of the navy. His parents
are both North Carolinians, but they moved
to Greensborough just after the war
New York Times.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03
Almost Talked His Life Awav

The longest speech on record was made
by Mr.. De Cosmos in the legislature of
British Columbia when a measure was
pending to confiscate the lands of settlers.
He was in a hopeless minority and the
enemy expected to rush the bill through
at the end of the session. 1t was 10 o'clock in
the morning; at noon the next day, II no
action were taken the act of confiscation
would fail. De Cosmos arose, spoke for
twenty-siX hours continuously, and then,
with baked lips, blood-shot eyes, and al
most dead with fatigue, he won the victory
that nearly cost him his life.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

danger of death from conclusion, and so
the arrangement of the guns was dis
advantage.
In the new battleships a double deck
idea has been adopted, which will en-
able the guns to be trained either abeam
or directly ahead without the danger re-
ferred to. as the eight-ipch guns protrude
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

any direction, so that the effective power
of the batteries is doubled in a big sea
fight.
1t is not probable that the double deck
plan of arranging guns in turret will
be repeated. So rapidly do designs Of
warships change that already objections
have been found to the double deck plan
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

from the davits, anchors are all in place
ready for instant use, genuine smokestacks
loom aloft. and inside everything is as snug
and comfortable as the tightest craft that
ever sailed through a city street.
The warship trolley car is 81 feet long,
feet wide and 70 feet high. and is capable Of
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

1t is noted that the Philippines were dis
covered in 1921, and formally annexed to
Spain in 1869, nearly $50 years ago. In those
800 years of Spanish rule but sixteen miles
of railway have been built in the entire
archipelago. That is characteristic Of
Spain's way of ruling her provinces.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

carrying a hundred passengers. The cur
is designed to run on electric roads Of
standard guage. The battleship convey
ance is sure to make a hit with patriotic
American excursionists, and to distance
the illuminated trolley car as novel means
of transportation for outing parties.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

Since the war began the Postal Telegraph
messengers In Kansas City have all been
fully rugged out in natty sky-blue uni.
form