Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 September 1899 — DEWEY IN NEW YORK [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DEWEY IN NEW YORK

Cruiser Olympia Arrives Two Days Ahead of Time. BIG WELCOME BEGINS. News of Unexpected Arrival Causes Fever of Excitement. Calculators Thought the Hero Was 600 Miles Away When He Was Within Gunshot of His Native Land—Admiral and All on Board Reported Well—Signal Men Are Kept Busy Answering the t-alutes of Welcome.

Admiral Dewey Tuesday morning treated the nation to another surprise. With the United States cruiser Oiymp:a,

flagship of the fleet that won the victory of Manila bay, he quietly sailed into New York bay at 7 o’clock in the morning, nearly sixty hours ahead of time.> The famous cruiser was first sighted off' the coast shortly before 6 o’clock. At 7:04 she passed in at Sandy Hook, and half au hour later she anchored in the lower bay. While Admi ra 1 Dewey and the Olympia were reported by "expert" calculators to be about tiOO miles off New York City they were almost within gunshot. It rus the a d n» i r a l's failure to touch at Bermuda that left everybody in doubt as to his course and his whereabouts. His early arrival is taken

as further proof of the “Dewey way” to be on time. Ail the morning, as the cruiser lay at anchor, her signalman was kept busy dipping the ensign in answer to the wel-' come of passing vessels. An orderly came ashore from the Olympia soon after she had anchored, with dispatches and messages from the admiral and officers. New Yorkers Tuesday knew how Admiral Montejo and his sailors must have felt that May morning, more than a year ago, when Dewey appeared in Manila bay, days ahead of the time the Spaniards had bargained for. The reception

committee had asked the admiral to reach New York by Thursday. Sept. 28. He replied that he would be there by that time, and the people, knowing he would keep his word, expected that he would hover off the coast aud then come in and drop anchor at the stated time. His arrival, therefore, was a shock. But the people got over it quickly aud went to work with renewed vigor to prepare for the reception to the nation’s hero. It was eleven minutes to 0 Tuesday morning when the sleepy marine observers at Sandy Hook saw a trim-looking American man-of-war looming up in the mist off the lightship, seven .miles off shore. They keep tab on all of Uncle Sam’s ships and knew that no cruiser was due at New York that day. Mean-, time the ship drew nearer, and soon her signals, denoting that she was the Olympia, were disceriblc. >The news was quickly flashed to the city and then transmitted all over the country. By 7 o'clock the famous sea fighter had drawn close to shore and a few minutes later she crossed the bar. She proceeded about a mile and a half up the bay, inside the Hook. Wednesday morning Admiral Dewey and his men were early astir on the Olympia. At an early hour a number of tugs and chartered boats filled with patriotic Americans hovered about the Olympia ready to cheer aud wave flags at the slightest provocation. It was 9 o’clock when the Olympia’s anchor was stripped, and five minutes later the graceful warship was under way. Her progress up the bay was one continuous ovation. Whistles were blown and flags dipped by passing craft ns the Olympia moved up the bay and through the narrows. To the shores of Staten Island and Long Island people flocked in hundreds to get a view of the Olympia, and, if possible, a fleeting glimpse of her commander. When the Olympia took her stntion at the head of the fleet at Tonipkinsvllle bedlam broke loose. The entire fleet tired an admiral’s salute of seventeen guns, and for twenty miliutes the air was tilled with smoke and thunder. The jackies on the ships of Sampson, whi<;b had annihilated Cerrera's squadron at Santiago, crowded to the rails, and for some minutes cheered the sailors of the Olympia, Who had helped to sink Montejo’s fleet in Manila bay. The Olympia tars responded in kind. It was the greeting of the navy to the nary.

"WELCOME, ADMIRAL!"

THE CRUISER OLYMPIA, ADMIRAL DEWEY’S FLAGSHIP.