Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-11-09

II
were worng, but they We're right and
! Miles did land at Guan.ca.
|. The era of hard work and long teIe-
graphic reports began early in the WIN
| tel. when congress met and when 10
those who knew what was going on
war seemed unavoidable. Day bv day
the situation grew more alarming, and
therefore. more interesting. ana Just
when the issue seemed trembling in the
balance came the discovery of the IA
nous CaneIejas letter written by the
Spanish minister, Senior Dupuy de
Lone This was early in February and
his dramatic departure from the capt.
tai followed Immediately On the
morning that he sailed out of New
York harbor came the news of the
blowing up of the Maine. which made
war certain and from that day on the
Geographic reports from the news cen
ter at Washington increased in volume
and dramatic interest.
An illustration OF the amount of
work performed by the Washington
newspaper men and the unprecedented
mass of news matter telegraphed 10
their various papers before. during and
after the war. is afforded by glance
at the official figures of the telegraph
office that handled the reports of the
New York Sun which has an afternoon
edition and which has collected and
distributed its own news since the
United Press went out of existence in
April. 1897.
The largest days work for this paper
was performed on April i. 1898 when
27.7sS words We're sent out OF the Wash
ington office by telegraph. AS set up
this made something over fifteen col
umns of reading matter. including head
lines. an average of about 1.SO0 Wor Is
a column. in these dispatches was in
Guided the report of the senate COM
mittee on foreign relations in support
of the resolution for armed interfer-
cnce il cuba.
For several weeks previous the daily
telegraphic reports had been very
heavy. beginning on February IS. the
day after the blowing up of the Maine.
when l.. 500 words were telegraphed to
the morning and afternoon editions Of
this paper. The presidents message.
on which was based the resolutions for
armed Intervention. was sent to con-
gress April II. and on that day 5000
words were telegraphed and on the fol
lowing day 23.9O2 words. On the 14th.
= $50 words We're telesraDhed so that
the record of Geographic matter Tor the
four days from April II to Il inclusive
was 101,2 words, which made between
fifty and sixty columns of printed mat
ter sent to one paper from one Office
in four days
After war had been declared the daily
reports were not so heavy but they av-
eraged about 5000 words per dav
down to July /. when the news Of the
fighting of our troops in Cuba began 10
arrive. On the four days from July ,
to July 6. which included the battles of
san Juan and Fl Caney and the de-
struction Of Cervera's feet. $3.50 words
of Geographic matter were sent TO this
paper from Washington. Over 1900
words We're teieGraphed when the peace
protocol was signed on August L, and
almost that many words on each of the
succeeding days. After that Washing
ton came hack to her normal state and
to the men who collected. wrote and
distributed these elaborate news re-
ports. the memory Of those summer
days seems like . dream.
Some noted feats of telegraphiHg
We're performed during the time that
this mass of matter was being sent
broadcast but the record was broken
tke day when the president sent in his
message out Of which grew the dsclara-
ton of war. There was great rivalry
between all the correspondents and the
news associations and every newspaper
stood ready to print ar extra the min
ute the message should be received. 1t
was given out at The White House ut
the moment that the presidents secre-
taIy left there 70 present II to the two
houses Of congress. but it was accepted
in confidence, not to be released until
word should come from the White
House that it had been received by
congress. Owing TO modern telegraph
ic methods il was possible 10 telegraph
the whole message containing many
thousands of words to New York have
it set UP. printed and ready for sale on
the streets Il very few minutes after its
reading had begun in the senate and
house. With regard to this particular
message. the afternoon edition Of the
newspaper already referred to scored a
noted beat" and this is the way ii
was done.
When the MESA sc was handed to The
at the White House he imme-
diately ran with it. full speed. TO the
Western Union telegraph office three
blocks away. where ten operators were
sitting at their keys in readiness. \
like number of operators were waiting
at the other end Of the wire in New
York. When the reporter arrived.
Arcathless. the document was handed
to the chief telegraph operator. who
deity cut it into ten takes and il
four minutes 1t was upstairs being
transmitted. In Il little more than an
hour rom the time it was given out
~ the White House. the newspaper
containing it verbatim was being cold
on the streets Of New York. The en-
tire edition was disposed Of in few
minutes less than q half an hour ana
as the last copy went, the first copy of
the most alert of the rival newspapers
appeared on the street.
OF course the opportunities of the
yellow journalist were great during the
war times and he took advantage of