EVENTS OF 1898. 



243 



navy. New York : National Guard and Naval Re- 

 serves ordered to be ready. 



27. Spain : The elections for the Cortes result in 

 favor of Sagasta. China : The Russian and Chi- 

 nese representatives sign the agreement relating to 

 Port Arthur, Tai-Lien-Wan and the railway con- 

 cession. 



28. Commodore Schley takes command of the 

 flying squadron at Hampton Roads. Testimony 

 in the Maine case made public. Germany : Lieut. 

 Niblack, U. S. N., purchases a nearly completed 

 cruiser at Kiel. Spain purchases British yacht 

 Giralda. Ireland : Firearms seized by police as a 

 precautionary measure. 



29. Correspondence continues between Washing- 

 ton and Madrid looking to amicable settlement ; 

 but the war party in Congress takes aggressive ac- 

 tion. Capt. Sigsbee, of the Maine, reaches Wash- 

 ington. 



30. War vessels of the United States stripped of 

 all superfluous woodwork. 



"1. Cuba: Capt.-Gen. Blanco puts a stop to re- 

 centration in several provinces. 



April 1. Spain replies to President McKinley's 

 ultimatum. Naval reserves of the Atlantic States 

 asked to be ready for service. Spanish torpedo 

 fleet reaches the Cape Verde Islands and their bat- 

 tle ships leave Havana. 



2. Orders sent to Havana to suspend wrecking 

 operations on the Maine. 



3. Paris : The Court of Cassation annuls the sen- 

 tence of Emile Zola. 



5. Washington : The Navy Department purchases 

 several large ocean steamers for auxiliary cruisers. 

 Great Britain declines to join the powers in pro- 

 posing mediation between the United States and 

 Spain. Rome : The Pope proposes conditions for 

 armistice. 



6. Cuba : General exodus of Americans. Madrid : 

 Departure of some of the United States legation. 



7. Washington : Ambassadors of Great Britain, 

 France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Russia call 

 upon the President and present a joint note urging 

 peace. Madrid : A Cabinet meeting favors war. 

 China: Rioters sack the American mission inChung- 

 King-Kinsu and kill residents. 



8. Washington : Army officers on special service 

 ordered to rejoin their commands. Egypt: Der- 

 vishes defeated in a considerable engagement near 

 Atbara by the Anglo-Egyptian forces under Gen. 

 Kitchener. China: The Government removes re- 

 strictions on the use of steam on lakes and rivers. 



9. United States steamships Massachusetts and 

 Texas join the flying squadron. Madrid : It is 

 decided to grant an armistice to the free Cuban in- 

 surgents, probably by the advice of foreign ambas- 

 sadors ; Cubans decline armistice. 



10. Washington : The Spanish minister delivers 

 at the State Department the announcement of an 

 armistice by the Regent's orders. Spain : Senato- 

 rial elections result in favor of the Government. 

 Washington : The President asks Congress for 

 power to put an end to the Cuban war. Madrid : 

 Popular disapproval of Cuban armistice, street 

 riots. 



12. Washington: Arrival of Consul-General Lee 

 from Cuba, his journey a popular ovation. Hong- 

 Kong : Street fight between British and American 

 sailors on one side, and Russian, German, and 

 French sailors on the other. The Anglo-Americans 

 win. Hampton. Va. : Flying squadron goes to sea 

 for practice cruise. 



18. Washington : Both Houses of Congress pass 

 resolutions granting full authority to the President. 

 New York : Atlantic liners St. Louis and St. Paul 

 taken by the Government to serve as auxiliary 

 cruisers." 



14. Massachusetts: The Governor signs a bill 

 substituting electricity for hanging in capital cases. 

 Spain : The Cortes summoned to meet. A strong 

 Spanish squadron declared in readiness for sea. 



16. Washington: Congress passes a resolution 

 recognizing Cuban independence. 



17. Spain : A mob attacks the American consu- 

 late at Malaga. 



18. Spain appeals to the powers against American 

 misrepresentations and calumnies. Anti-American 

 riots continue; at Malaga and elsewhere. Venezuela '.- 

 Ex-President Crespo killed in action by the insur- 

 gents. 



20. Washington : The Government sends an ulti- 

 matum to Spain, demanding the surrender of Cuba 

 by noon of April 23. The Spanish minister de- 

 mands his passports. 



21. Washington : War declared against Spain by 

 the United States, beginning at 12 o'clock, noon 

 (see Aug. 12). Charles Emory Smith appointed 

 Postmaster-General. 



22. Havana blockaded by United States squad- 

 ron. Two Spanish merchant vessels, the Pedro 

 and the Buena Ventura, captured as prizes by the 

 United States cruisers Nashville and New York. 



23. The President calls for 125,000 volunteers. 



24. Spain declares war. 



25. Washington : Resignation of John Sherman, 

 Secretary of State. 



26. Cuba: Lieut. Andrew Rowan, U. S. A., 

 lands with Cubans for co-operation with American 

 troops. Washington : President gives notice to 

 Spanish vessels in American ports to leave by 

 May 21. West Point : The first class is graduated 

 ahead of time, and ordered to duty with the army. 



27. Action between United States ships New 

 York, Cincinnati, and Puritan, and Spanish forts at 

 Matanzas, Cuba. 



29. Florida: Troops begin to concentrate at 

 Tampa. The Cape Verde Island fleet, under Ad- 

 miral Cervera, sails westward. 



30. United States steamships Oregon and Mari- 

 etta reach Rio, Brazil. New York : Arrival of the 

 United States auxiliary cruiser Paris. Congress 

 authorizes a bond issue of $500,000,000. It is taken 

 up at once and largely oversubscribed. The 

 United States auxiliary cruiser New York engages 

 Spanish forts at Port Cabanas. 



May 1. Philippine Islands: A United States 

 squadron, under Commodore Dewey, destroys the 

 Spanish fleet of Admiral Montojo in the harbor of 

 Manila. Spanish loss,'about 600 killed Or wound- 

 ed ; American loss, 7 wounded, none killed. 



2. Commodore Dewey's fleet engages the forts in 

 Manila Bay. Italy : Several persons killed in bread 

 riots. Spain : Martial law proclaimed in Madrid 

 because of popular fury over the loss of the Span- 

 ish fleet at Manila. A British gunboat sent to 

 Santiago de Cuba to protect the English consul. 



4. Italy : Import tax on cereals suspended be- 

 cause of bread riots. Admiral Sampson s squadron 

 sails from Key West. 



5. Washington : A large number of appoint- 

 ments of volunteer general officers made by the 

 President. Africa: Insurrection at Sierra Leone. 



6. Washington : Col. Leonard Wood authorized 

 to recruit a regiment of volunteer cavalry among 

 the Western cowboys and other rough riders ; Theo- 

 dore Roosevelt resigns as Assistant Secretary of the 

 Navy to accept lieutenant-colonelcy of this regiment. 

 Great Britain refuses to join the powers in inter- 

 vention. Germany: Closing of the Reichstag; 

 the Kaiser makes a speech. 



7. The President sends the thanks of the nation to 

 Commodore Dewey and promotes him rear-admiral. 

 Italy : Bread riots reported in Milan, Florence, Leg- 

 horn, and elsewhere ; many killed and wounded. 



