The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-08

as tOilOWS.
''Cavite, May Al have taken possession
of the naval station at Cayite, Philippine
Islands, and destroyed its fortifications.
Have destroyed fortihcations at bay
entrance, parolling the garrison.
Il control the bay completely and can
take the city at any time.
Squadron in excellent health and spirits
''Fhe Spanish loss not fully known, but
very heavy, $50 killed, including captain of
Reina Christina.
II am assisting in protecting the Span
ish sick and wounded
Two hundred and fifty sick and wound
ed in the hospital within our lines.
Much excitement at Manila"
"Will protect foreign residents.
Dewey"
A close study of Admiral Dewey's two
cablegrams during the day only increased
the wonder felt early in the day by the
naval experts at the extraordinary results
achieved by the admiral without injury
The reports that came before the cutting
of the cable were of a character to indi-
cate that Dewey was going to make quick
and thorough work 1Df the seizure of Ma
Mia, but 1t was feared that in so fierce
an engagement against a Spanish fleet
combined with shore defenses, the Ameri-
can feet must surely have sustained a
good deal of damage, loss of life and other
injuries.
Yet in the destruction of the entire
Spanish fleet and the silencing Of their
forts not an American was lost and not
an American ship was injured.
There are all sorts of theories among the
officials to account for this, but in the alb
sence of facts 1t is hard to form a rea-
sonable hypothesis. Probably the true
explanation will not be forthcoming until
mail advices are at hand, but the Spanish
naval prestige has received a shock from
the battle of Manila from which it can
not recover in many years. Admiral
Dewey cut the cable himself, and though
he offers no explanation for so doing, it
is believed that his purpose was not only
to prevent the Spanish governor general
from communicating with his own gov
ernment, but also to prevent the foreign
consuls at Manila from interfering with
his plans by cabling protests to their gov
ernments.
He made it impossible for them to sum-
mon any war vessels to enforce the protest
they were expected to make against the
siege of Manila.
A closer examination of the two cable
grams shows that in the news as original
ly given out the names of two Spanish
vessels had been omitted from the list of
those destroyed. They were the Don Juan
QS AuStTla ana the Isle dc l1uDOn.
The Austria was a 1,130-ton vessels, IA
knots, carrying 4.7-inch guns and also ma
chine guns.
The Luzon was a 1,0OO-ton gunboat, sim
ilarly armed.
That makes eleven Spanish ships de-
stroyed by Dewey in the short space of
two hours. -
As he left the navy department this aft
ernoon, Secretary Long said in answer to
a question that he had nothing further to
communicate to the public. He had given
already all the news that the McCuiloch
had brought, save trihing detail not of
general interest and of Importance only to
| the department.
The receipts of advices at the state de-
partment, however, from commercial
sources indicate that further news may be
coming by commercial steamers
If Congress does not prematurely act,
as 1t did in the casetof Worden when he
| achieved his famous victory over the
| Merrimac, Acting Admiral Dewey will be-
| come an actual admiral in a few days. The
law of July Is, 1882 provides that naval
| officers who, upon the recommendation Of
the President, receive the thanks of Con-
gress may be advanced with one grade.
/ The President will do this in Dewey's
case, which will put $1,000 additional in his
pocket and jump him over three commo-
sdores as well as over Acting Admiral
! Sampson.
The navy department to-day bought an
other boat, the big steam yacht Dorothy
now at Cramps yard at Philadelphia and
built for Mexican. She will be sent to
| join Admiral SIMPSONS squadron, or to
Havana on blockade duty.
At the embassies and legations, Commo-
dore Deweys reports were read with
great interest and served to renew the
high tributs of the foreign authorities to
the gallant American commander.
The remarkable disparity between the
casualties on the American and Spanish
ships, as shown by the Dewey reports,
was a source of special comment, and the
military attache of one of the embassies
said such a disparity probably was with
out parallel in history.
How the Spaniards could have lost $50
killed and $50 wounded, while the Ameri-
can loss was confined to a few men slight
ly injured is regarded by the foreign OBJ
servers as clearly disclosing the utter
worthlessness of Spanish arms.
The ambassador of one of the great Pow
ers said it showed that the guns of the
Spanish forts as well as those on their
ships were worthless, otherwise they
would have inflicted at least some mortal
ity upon the American sailors.
''It recalls Solferino," said he. "At that
time France and Austria were at war, but
the range of the French guns was longer
than that of the Austrians. That brought
them together on unequal terms and the
simple difference in the length of range of
the French guns determined the outcome
of that battle. So it was with Dewey. He
not only had the guns, but they had the
modern strength and destructiveness, while
the Spanish guns evidently were antiquat-
ed and guns only in name.
'It serves to show that in the warfare
Of to-day a nation must have weapons of
the most modern pattern, else 1t is at
terrible disadvantage, and its men are left
practically at the mercy of an enemy hav-
ing all the latest appliances of destructive
warfare II is the lesson Of Solferino over
again, and this time Spain learns it,"
1t was thought that the British embassy
would receive direct advices, but none
came. The French. German and other for
eign embassies we're also lacking in direct
advces.
In all foreign quarters much concern was
shown as to the effect of these reports
upon the temper of the people of Madrid
Il was believed It would add fuel to the
fame already existing there, and that lit
tie more was needed 10 overthrow the gov