midnight
-- BLOMSBERRY , Commander Susquehanna . '' Five minutes afterwards the whole town of San Francisco knew the tidings . Before 6 p.m. the different States of the Union had intelligence of the supreme catastrophe . After midnight , through the cable , the whole of Europe knew the result of the great American enterprise . It would be impossible to describe the effect produced throughout the world by the unexpected news . On receipt of the telegram the Secretary of the Navy telegraphed to the Susquehanna to keep under fire , and wait in the bay of San Francisco . She was to be ready to set sail day or night .