Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-26
ECHOES OF THE WAR.

Letters from correspondents at the ma
tional capital indicate pretty clearly that
the project to raise s250,O00 to purchase a
house for Admiral Dewey has not taken
the public by storm. While the press Of
the country has given it strong endorse
ment, the wherewith does not roll in as
generously as the promoters hoped. The
fact that the movement originated in New
York may have much to do with the lack
of pocket enthusiasm. New York is no
torlously lavish with its mouth and cor
respondingly penurious Of purse. In 1885
tbe city pledged itself to erect Immediately
a suitable tomb for the remains of General
Grant Yet 1t required over ten years to
procure the means to erect the present
memorial at Riverside and to accomplish
that the city was drummed from the Bat
terry to Harlem and virtually shamed into
fulfilling its pledges How much New York
has already contributed to the Dewey
fund is not known. The city has decided
to expend S150,OOO Of public money to re-
ceive the admiral but has not appropriated
1 cent for the house fund Meanwhile the
project halts painfully. The Chicago Post
correspondent says something heroic will
have to be done to gather together $780,
600 by the time the admiral reaches
home"
American soldiers and sailors in the
Philippines ought to get together and
agree on the effect of the tropical climate
on northern people. Major Charles A.
Howard of the South Dakota volunteers
writes that 1.-The climate is delightful, and
when proper sanitary conditions are es-
tablished and enforced such plaques as
smallpox would, l think, disappear.
of them dealing anywhere else. Men are
out fighting today who were shot clear
through the lungs on February s." Sur
geon j. z. Page of the flagship Olympia
tells a different story. He has just reached
Washington. Speaking of the health of
Admiral Dewey, he says it was not the
great responsibility of his position that
affected his health. but "the terrific and
long sustained heat and enervatng eli
mate. 1t takes all the life out of strong
man, kills his energy and ambition. In
that way Dewey suffered like all the rest
of u.s." Surgeon Page appears to have the
best OF the argument. AS to the healthful-
ness of the climate, the records do not
agree with Major Howard. Since August
6, 1898, siXty-three soldiers died of wounds
and S13 from disease.
Inc ARRIVAL or the Relna Mercedes at New
port News adds another floating Spanish
trophy to Uncle Sans collection. There are
two others now undergoing repairs at Ports
mouth navy yard, and Deweys fleet has
half a dozen ships saved from the Spanish
ruins in the Philippines. The Mercedes es
capped the fate of Cervera's fleet by remain
ing in the Santiago harbor on July g. On
the following day it assayed to do what the
Merrimac and Hobson failed to do-block
the channel entrance. But tornado of shot
from the Massachusetts, sent it on the rocks,
from which it was foated recently. The
Reina Mercedes is a steel cruiser of 5000
tons, about like our Boston and Atlanta,
being about 279 feet long and 421a broad. 1t
could carry 500 or 900 tons of coal, and was
said to be good once for seventeen and half
knots. Its battery included six 6.2-inch and
two 27-inch Hontoras, with thirteen smaller
guns and five torpedo tubes OF course its
machinery is still in poor condition, after
stay at the bottom Of Santiago harbor, but,
when repaired, it should be a serviceable
craft