The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-01-03
FLAG FALLS
Up Goes the Starry Banner
Over Havana.
SCENE AT THE PALACE
CASTELLANOS' SHORT SAD
SPEECH OF FAREWELL.
GENERAL BROOKs'S CABINET GATHERS
Monday Found Cubans in Joyful Mood, Thei'
Anger Having Been Shortliyed. Amer
leans Now Conducting All
Public Business.

Public Business.
Havana, Jan. 1.-The sovereignty of
Cuba passed from Spain to the United
States at noon today, when the Spaniards
evacuated, Havana.
The form of the transfer was simple,
consisting only of an exchange OF
speeches in the salon of the palace here,
the hauling down of the Spanish flag and
the raising in its stead of the United
States flag on the palace and other pub
lie places. Salutes were fired from heavy
guns of the forts and warships.
The raising of the Stars and Stripes
was greeted with cheers by people who
covered the roofs of the buildings around
the palace and the plaza. No crowd was
permitted to gather in the streets in the
vicinity of the palace.
General Clous, master of ceremonies
for the day, issued instructions to the
officers who were to take charge Of tht
government departments at noon. These
officers were
Colonel Dudley, assigned to the de-
partment of justice
Major l.. w. V. Kennon. department
of commerce and agriculture.
Col. 7. Z. Bliss, treasury department
Capt. Frank b. Hanna, department
of public instruction.
Colonel Dunswoody, public works de
partment.
Each of these officers were instructed
as follows: ''On the firing of the last
gun at noon you are to go TO the place
assigned you and demand, possession OF
the office in the name Of the United
States"
These officers gathered under the ar
cade of the palace. Each had one o
the Cuban interpreters, a group of whom
stood by clad in dark clothes and wear
ing silk hats.
AT lilo a. m. Generals Wade and But
Ter, one of the American evacuation com
mission, arrived from Vedado on horse
back, accompanied by their staffs. They
We're met by Gen. Clous and Maj. T.
Bentley Mott of General Ludlow'S staff.
About the same moment Lucien j. Je
rome, British vice-consul, arrived. He
was warmly greeted by the American
officers.
General Brooke, military governor Of
Cuba, and General Ludlow, military gov
ernor of the city of Havana, accompanied
by their staffs, arrived at 11:30 o'clock in
carriages.
In the first carriage were General
Brooke and Gen. Adna II. Chaffee, his
chief of staff. Each of the other car
riages contained a Cuban officer with
Americans as companions. The Gu
bans were Generals Laeret, Mario Memo
ooI Jpic fin
Jose Miguel Gomez. Nodarte, Rafael de
Cardenas, Agramonte and Vidal and
Colonel Vallente.
LEE, BROOKE AND CHAFFEE.
General Lee and his staff joined Gen
eral Brooke at II 40 o'clock. The latter
then crossed the street to the palace,
General Lee on one side of him and
General Cnaffee on the other. followed
by the other American generals and the
Cuban officers.
As soon as all the guests were within
the palace, the Spanish troops formed in
columns of four and marched around the
right side of the plaza to their steamer
for embarkation. while the band of the
Second Illinois Volunteers played the
Spanish Royal March.
On entering the palace the American
generals went to the salon facing the
plaza, which is on the second floor.
The Americans grouped themselves
near large mirror between the two
central windows. The Spanish staff
was on the right. while on the left were
the Americans, the Cubans and the cor
respondents.
Suddenly Captain-General Castellanos
entered the salon, without ceremony.
from the left and greeted General
Brooke and others.
British Vice Consul Jerome introduced
the Spanish leader to General Mayia
Rodriguez. Shaking both hands of the
Cuban officer, in the usual Spanish
fashion. General Castellanos said:
'We have been enemies, but | respect
YOU for your correct attitudes and opin-
ions. l have pleasure in shaking your
hands"
General Rodriguez replied: Il thank
you, General / feel sorry for the Span
ish army, which has defended the ban
ner it was sworn to defend. l also have
pleasure in shaking your hands.
At the last stroke of II the boom of
the gun brought all eyes to the point in
the room where stood the captain-gene
raj. who was talking with an American
officer.
Everybody knew that the American
flag was being raised on the staff on
the roof of the palace by Major Butler,
son of General Butler, and that the
Stars and Stripes were going mp on
all the other official buildings in Ha-
vana.
After brief silence the band on the
plaza began to play "The Star Spangled
Banner" while the guns of the fleet and