The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 25, 1898, Page 1

The Call — VOLUME LXXXIIL—NO. 176. SAN FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1898. PRICE FIVE CENTS. IN HOURLY EXPECTATION OF A GREAT BATTLE Every Energy Send Assistance to Ad- mirgl Call Office, Riggs House, Washington, May 24. This has been a day of ex- citing rumors. Sensational reports of a battle in the Windward Passage in which Admiral Sampson is said to have sunk the entire Spanish squadron have reached Wash- ington from Madrid, from Lon- don and from Port au Prince by the way of New York, but up to a late hour to-night no | official confirmation of the engagement could be secured‘ in any quarter, and Secretary | Long, when seen just before midnight, reiterated the state- | Being Bent {0 Dewey. so many vessels nor were they capable of such high speed as the squadrons of Sampson and Schley. The American commanders have the additional advantage of cable communication, which enables the Board of Strategy to advise the senior admiral almost daily of the latest re- ports concerning the where- abouts of the enemy. While it is conceded that the supe- | rior speed of Cervera's squadron would | enable him to run from the American | vessels, the impression is gaining | strength that he does not intend to | leave the Caribbean Sea, and hence | that sooner or later he will fall into | | Sampson’s hands. | The problem of securing coal is be- lieved to be dailv growing more critical | with the Spanish admiral, for, owing ment made in official bulletin posted just before the Navy | Department closed to the ef- ect that no information had beenreceived indicating “that | an action had occurred in the | Windward Passage.” i Early in the day the de- | partments were inclined to}‘ treat the reports of an engage- ment quite seriously. espe- | cially when the State Dzpart- | ment received a cablegram | from the Consul-General at London describing the press reports current there. It was| argued that this dispatch in- | dicated that the news from the West Indies was given general credence in London. Later, the officials of the] Bureau of Navigation held a conference with the local telegraph managers, after which it was stated that news | of an engagement in or near the Windward Passage would be much more likely to reach the United States direct from | Mole St. Nicholas, Hayti, than by the more circuitous route via Europe. It was pointed out that it would not be more than a three or four hours’ run from the scene of the battle to Mole St. Nicholas and that either the press dispatch boats or one of Captain Samp- son’s swift vessels, detailed for the purpose, would promptly convey to the near- est cable station the first news, either of a victory or a defeat. From this time forth until definite news is re- ceived the administra- tion will be in almost momentary expectation of a reportof a decisive | battle,the issueof which is not doubted in official circles here. The American navy now has upward of sixty ships in the Caribbean Sea,and while, as has been pointed out, Lord Nelson spent three months in chasing the enemy about the to the closing of foreign ports, he is now dependent upon colliers. Under the laws of nations he cannot for a pe- | riod of three months again secure even ‘ the smallest quantity of coal at a port | at which any of his ships have taken | on fuel since the beginning of hostili- ‘ Pending news of Sampson's opera- | tions the invasion of Cuba will be post- poned, although it does not follow that it will be put off until the Spanish fleet | has been destroyed. General Miles, who will have the active direction of the landing of troops in Cuba and the military operations in the island, made | a brief, emphatic statement to-day of | his position with a view to setting at | rest the rumors current to the effect that he was personally opposed to the | campaign. “With regard to the invasion of Cuba,” he said, “I have nothing to say, except that the United States will in due time bring Cuba under its control by judicious methods and without use- less waste of life. The United States is too great, too strong and too powerful | to commit any foolish act In (‘onnec-l launches were kept busy. Budd and his staff vis THE TROOP SHIP CITY OF PEKING WAS THE CENTER OF ATTRACTION. All kinds of craft were pressed into service to carry people out to the big steamer yesterday. The stern wheeler Sunol made hourly trips throughout the day, and steam and gasoline A fleet of Whitehail boats 'was pressed into service and everybody who could went out to wave a last good-by to the boys in blue. ted the vessel 8n the State tug Governor Markham, and his was the only party allowed aboard the troopship. Everybody else was kept at thronged the bulwarks and the rigging was black with the crowd that had made a pyramid as high as the crosstrees in order to get a last look at their friends. staff were leaving the Peking theboys in blue manned the rigging and gave him three hearty cheers. Then they cheered the Governor's staff, California, and lastly their sweethearts and wives. OREGON Infantry Inspiring Scenes Presidio to HERE was another scene of pa- | triotism and grandeur in San Francisco yesterday, another outpouring of the people that| showed how the hearts of thou- | sands throb in unison when multitudes march to the inspiring music of war to | fight for their country. The occasion of the display of pa- | triotism yesterday was the departure of fourteen hundred more soldiers from | the Presidio to the wharves to embark | for the Manila campaign. They com- | prised five companies of the Fourteentn ! United States Infantry, as well as the | Second Regiment of Oregon Volunteers | and a detachment of heavy artillery. As the California volunteers enthussd the multitude and moved them to con- | | tinual cheering, so the departure of | | their neighbors from Oregon was the | signal for an outpouring of citizens who | | waved them hearty farewells all the | way from their camps to the water's | edge. FEarly in the day every avail-| |able view-point was occupied by sight- | | seers. Men and boys climbed high on | | telegraph poles, women sat in doorways | and windows, while cheers and tender geod-bys characterized the day. | The Oregon soldiers were a fine-look- | ing body of men, broad-shouldered and | | During the afternoon Governor a distance, so the soldiers When the Governor and his tlon with the proposed invasion. As for myself I have only to say that no officer is fit to command troops who | from any motive whatever would need- lessly risk the life of a single soldier, either from disease or the bullets of the enemy. I have never sacrificed the lives of men under my command, and I do not propose to subject them to any unnecessary risks in the present cam- paign.” Of hardly less interest to-day than the probable operations of Sampson’s fleet was the redoubled viror exhibited by the War Department in hastening preparations for the Philippine expedi- tion. The dispatch received from Ad- city of food at Manila and the threatened outbreak of the Spanish soldiers emphasized the importance of reinforcing the American commander’s handful of marines at the earliest pos- sible date. The administration has had no relia- ble_information regarding the future mo@ements of the Cadiz fleet, but there have been development. within the past forty-eight hours which seem to point to the concentration of Spain’s ener- gles in an effort to retake the Philip- pine Islands rather than to preserve Cuba to the Spanish crown. The out- come of the war with the United States can hardly be in doubt in Madrid, and 2 = miral Dewey dated Cavite, May 20, via | the loss of Cuba must have been Mediter: ranean,he had nelther_ | Hongkong, May 24, describing the lcar-,[:eckoned upon. Experienced diplomats | demnity might be demanded of Spain..| here, who are watching the proceedings with close attention, believe that Spain hopes to recover the Philippine Islands in order that they may not be in the actual possession of the United States when peace is declared, as in that event it is feared this Government would de- cide to hold them permanently. Rumors have been current that the President has decided on the perma- nent retention of the Philippines, but careful inquiry fails to develop any basis for these reports further than the serhi-official statements made from time to time by members of the Cabinet to the effect that this Government would undoubtedl- hold the islands as a guar- antee of the payment of what war in- The instructions delivered to General Merritt outlining his course upon his 'arrival at Marila are of the mo=t radi- cal character. He will proclaim mar- tial law throughout the territory of the Philippine Islands, the civil govern- ment of the Spanish authorities will be completely superseded and Governor Augusti will become virtually a pris- oner of war. Under the joint supervision of Gen- eral Merritt and Admiral Dewey the captured Spanish fortifications will be placed in the best defensive condition, and should the Cadiz fleet attempt to retake the islands it will meet with a far different fate from Admiral Dewey’s Saontinued oa Fourth Page . | large chested sons of pionears. They | are brave and brawny enough to fight | their way in any land where the cause of America needs defenders. The re- eille sounded while the morning was | vet young, and before the gray of| | twilight became the purple of sunrise. | Without delay the soldiers arose and | prepared to break camp. Haversacks | | and blankets were put together and it was but a short time before the body of trcops was ready to march tv the point of embarkation as their Cali%ornia comrades had done the day before. All along the line of march there was such enthusiasm as moved the vast throngs to cheer with unabated vigor. When the procession had gon2 as for as Second street there was a chorus of steam whistles that almost drownel the trampling of soldiers and the music of bands, though the inspiration of fife and drum kept time along the weary march. “Hurrah for the Oregon boys!"” was | wherever they go. TROOPS CHEERED Volunteers and Soldiers of the Fourteenth U. S. Saluted. as the Column for Manila Moved From the the Docks. the cry heard everywhere, and none were more enthusiastic in their cheers than Californians, who forgot State lines and remembered that the coun- try was one. There was a certain pride, however, that those who march- ed were sons of the golden West. It was another example of human nature rising in its sympathy and ma- Jesty to cheer men who go forth to fight for their country’s flag, “to fight for liberty, to fight for us.” It was another example of the readiness of American manhood to heed its coun- try’s call in the hour of its peril. One feature in the departure of the Ore- gon troops was absent in all pil- grimage of yesterday—the many adieus of close friends and relatives. Those tender farewells had been said in Ore- gon and the greetings of yesterday were chiefly those shared by all citizens for men who offer up their lives for a worthy cause. So the forenoon wore away amid the cheers of thousands and the enthusi- asm of brave men in battle array. And at the wharves theggreat crowd velled itself hoarse as the soldiers arrived. The final hurrah when the last blue coat had come upon the scene was such as the soldiers will remember And when the day had died there were many pleasant memories recalled by the departing sol- diers, who felt that their cause was the people’s and that their victories would be heralded as the nation’s in years to come. R SN OREGON’S SOLDIERS FOLD THEIR JENTS. Troops From the Webfoot State Strike Camp and March to the Waliting Transports. To the strains of the ‘“Red, White and Blue” the regulars of the Four- teenth United States Infantry marched away from the Presidio Reservation at 6:30 o’clock yesterday morning. They were followed an hour later by the de- tachments from Batteries A and D of the heavy artillery, under command of Captain Geary, which took the Union- street car line at the Presidio to the ferry. The Second Oregon Regiment was delayed some time by a flag pre- sentation and did not leave the feser- vation for over an hour after the Four- teenth. It was exactly 4 o’clock when the clear, mellow note of the trumpet awoke the men of both camps, while the artillerymen who were quartered in the barracks at the post were tumbled from their beds at the same time by the roll of the drum. Scarcely was there light enough to see the sol- diers at work in their camps when they were first roused, and in the dim and uncertain shadow of the fading night they looked like phantoms as they moved here and there getting every- thing In readiness to leave. In the camp of the regulars there was no con- fusion. Every man knew what he had to do and how and when to do it, and the soldiers moved like a well oiled piece of machinery. Silently the white tents were thrown and folded, the com- pany property piled in orderly heaps at the ends of each street, the haver- sacks and heavy marching order equip- ments arranged and every detail at- tended to with faultless system. The Fourteenth was ready and prepared to march before the Oregonians had got their first tent down. At 6:10 o’clock the first call was sounded, and ten minutes later the hoarse voices of the sergeants gave the cammands to fall in, and the deter- mined looking fighting machines stepped silently into line and answered “Here” in no uncertain tone when their names were called. The company was inspected, and the automatic opening and _closing of the chambers of their deadly Krag-Jorgensen rifles was om- inously suggestive of the fatality of war. Lieutenant Krauthoff acted as adjutant, and the five companies were formed in front of Major Robe’s head- quarters and turned over to Captain Murphy. That white-haired veteran with the eye of a martinet scanned the motion- less lines of blue, then, drawing his sword, he gave the command right shoulder arms, and then fours right, forward march, and the battalion swung into column, and the band at.its head making martial music they tramped away, while the soldiers of the Sixth Battalion and the Seventh Infan- try lined the sides of their camps and cheered the Fourteenth to the echo. The march along Lombard was une- ventful save for the salutes blown by the whistles of the different factories, but at Van Ness there occurred a laughable incident. Several platoons of police were there by order of Chief Lees to escort the Oregon regiment and they mistook the Fourteenth for them. The lieutenant in charge of them wanted Captain Murphy to wait five minutes until the Chief should arrive, but' the old campaigner had orders to be at his ship at a certain time and he was go- ing to get there, so he told the lieuten- ant he could not. The police officer wanted to argue about it, but the sharp, quick command from Captain Murphy of forward, march, cut short his protests and the platoons had to step lively to get out of the way of the soldiers. After they had marched sev- eral blocks they discovered that they were not escorting the right regiment and they had to fall out of line and march back to Lombard street. The departure of the Oregon regi- ment was marked by the. presentation of a stand of colors given to it by the ladies of Oregon. The flags were pre= S