The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 2, No. 24, June 16, 1898: A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls

In Short

This weekly magazine volume collects global news, educational features, and advertisements from June 1898, serving as a chronicle of current history for young readers. It spans international conflicts like the Spanish-American War, domestic developments, technological marvels of the era, and historical retrospectives. The publication has survived as a historical artifact capturing the precise pulse, anxieties, and curiosities of the turn of the twentieth century, offering modern readers a direct portal into how contemporary events were communicated to past generations.

The Story

The volume opens with the editorial correspondence and current event summaries of mid-June 1898, focusing heavily on the active hostilities of the Spanish-American War. The narrative of global events details Lieutenant Hobson’s daring, calculated plan to sink the collier Merrimac across the narrow, heavily fortified channel of Santiago harbor to bottle up the Spanish fleet. Following accounts track the capture of Hobson and his men, the gallantry of Cadet Powell in his steam launch, and subsequent operations including successful troop landings by the steamer Florida and the establishment of an American marine encampment at Guantanamo Bay, which soon faces unexpected sniper attacks from surrounding brush.

Moving beyond the Cuban theater, the chronicle sweeps across the globe to examine related geopolitical shifts. In the Philippines, the insurgent chief Aguinaldo consolidates power, routing Spanish forces and capturing thousands of prisoners while American naval forces under Admiral Dewey maintain order awaiting reinforcements. The narrative exposes administrative dysfunction and defeatism within the Spanish government through reports of a revealing intercepted letter from Spanish spy Lieutenant Carranza in Canada and an interview with ex-Secretary Moret, who laments Spain's rudderless political course.

Turning toward other world affairs, the text records tragic domestic uprisings and international relief efforts, detailing the brutal "pura" massacre of missionaries in Sierra Leone driven by native resistance to British hut taxes, alongside the benevolent expansion of the Red Cross Society founded decades earlier after the battle of Solferino. The geographical and cultural excursion extends to the Klondike gold rush through an account of a Wisconsin woman running a booming, isolated restaurant in Skaguay, Alaska, surrounded by rampant gold-seekers and hidden fortunes. The volume winds through historical curiosities, explaining the origin of Hawaii's unique flag blending British and American symbols, before concluding with the latest late-June skirmish reports from Guantanamo and enthusiastic endorsements from educators testifying to the periodical's utility in shaping young minds.

How It Unfolds

• The editorial welcome — The volume initiates its weekly dispatch by sharing letters from young auxiliary societies supporting Red Cross ambulance equipments and reviewing recommended books for youth.
• The sinking at Santiago — Detailed tactical descriptions recount Lieutenant Hobson's meticulous plan to block the Santiago harbor channel with the Merrimac under heavy enemy fire.
• The Cuban landings and camp life — The narrative shifts to the successful landing of Colonel Lacret’s expedition and the establishment of marine encampments at Guantanamo Bay.
• Global intelligence and espionage — Reports map out Aguinaldo's advances in the Philippines, intercepted Spanish correspondence exposing spy networks in Canada, and political turmoil within the Madrid cabinet.
• Faraway frontiers and tragedies — Accounts transport readers to the harsh economic boom of Skaguay, Alaska, and recount the harrowing missionary massacres in Sierra Leone.
• Closing reflections and latest dispatches — The volume rounds out with the curious history of the Hawaiian flag, a tribute to the sailors' friend Samuel Plimsoll, and late-breaking skirmish reports from Cuba.

The People

• Lieutenant Hobson — A brave and meticulous naval officer who plans and executes the sinking of the Merrimac; he wants to block the Spanish fleet in Santiago harbor and ends up captured after successfully completing his hazardous mission.
• Cadet Powell — A brilliant young graduate of the Naval Academy and commander of a steam launch; he desires to rescue Hobson's crew under heavy fire and emerges commended for his coolness and courage.
• Aguinaldo — The insurgent chief in the Philippines; he seeks to lead an independent campaign against Spanish rule and ends up rapidly defeating Spanish forces and holding thousands of prisoners.
• Lieutenant Carranza — A Spanish military figure directing spy operations in Canada; he attempts to coordinate intelligence for Admiral Cervera and criticize Spanish leadership, but ends up arrested in a civil suit for false imprisonment with his funds seized.
• The anonymous Wisconsin woman — A pioneer entrepreneur in Alaska; she wants to establish a home-cooking business in Skaguay and ends up overwhelmed by hard work, isolation, and rapid wealth accumulation before contemplating a move to the gold diggings.

In Its Own Voice

"When I reach this, the narrowest part of the channel, I shall swing the vessel around, stop the engines, open the sea valves, touch off the torpedoes, and leave the vessel lying across the channel, which is not as broad as the Merrimac is long."

Lieutenant Hobson outlines his precise, daring strategy to his companion before embarking on the mission to block the harbor.

"I never felt so lonesome in my life; I never worked so hard, but have never been so happy; money comes in so fast that we do not know what to do with it."

An anonymous Wisconsin woman writes home to describe the startling financial rewards and extreme isolation of running a hotel in Skaguay, Alaska.

"The Government does not know where it is going. There is no person in Spain who can tell the outcome of the present situation."

Ex-Secretary of the Colonies Senor Moret summarizes the rudderless and chaotic condition of the Spanish administration during wartime.

What It's Really About

Underneath its surface reporting of contemporary battles and distant geographies, the book grapples with the responsibilities of an emerging global power and the friction between imperial decline and energetic modernity. It investigates how information is gathered, censored, and disseminated to the public during wartime, highlighting the crucial role of intelligence, logistics, and communication networks. Furthermore, it explores themes of humanitarian duty versus nationalist conflict, contrasting the brutal realities of colonial taxation and native rebellion with the neutral, cross-border mercy embodied by the Red Cross.

Why Read It Today

Contemporary readers will find value in this volume as an authentic time capsule of 1898 journalism, offering an unfiltered look at the language, biases, and educational philosophies directed at children at the close of the nineteenth century. Reading it feels like stepping directly into a Victorian classroom or parlor, where world events arrived via weekly post rather than instant digital feeds. While modern readers must navigate period attitudes toward foreign populations and occasional traces of nineteenth-century paternalism, the vividness of firsthand accounts—such as the raw letters from Alaskan homesteaders and Cuban informants—retains a striking immediacy. Anyone interested in military history, media archaeology, or the everyday texture of life during the Spanish-American War will find it an engaging and illuminating read.