Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1898 — Sailed Once With Dewey. [ARTICLE]

Sailed Once With Dewey.

Editor Republican: Our Dewey has met the enemy and they are ours. 30 years ego next month the U. S. S. S. Iroquois of which I was a member, went from Hong Kong, China, to Manila, to enforce a- demand of our Representative there. They had arrested an entire crew of one of our merchantships and would not give our consul any satisfaction or a chance to defend the crew. We arrived at Manila at 6 a. m., and after a series of correspondence they were given until 4 p. m. to comply, or we would reduce the forts. After we cleared our decks for action they came to time, or Limrick, as we called it. Manila is a lovely place, one of the finest harbors I was ever in. It is a natural bay. The main part of the city lies on the port or left side of the river, Pasig river, there is a canal connects with the interior and I think through the island of Luzon; the narrow entrance was well protected with 2 good forts at that time and one on the inside, the bay of Manila looks a good deal like the bay of Rio de Janerio only smaller. There is a volcanic island at the entrance of the bay but I am sorry to say I cannot remember the name of it. Manila was and I suppose is still a hustling port. The first and only bull ifight I ever saw was at Manila on Easter Sunday. The population were chiefly Malays, some mixed with Spanish blood called Creoles. We were‘impressed that they were a rather clever people, if they had a chance, and now I think their chance has come. I could write columns about Manila or the Philippine Islands, or in fact about any of the Asiatic points, but I do not want to bore the readers. If it was some stranger that wrote this, or some other discription, most every reader of this paper would become interested but as it is only from a Sand-Lapper or Nubbin-Ridger it amounts to little. However I will predict this, that in less than ten days Havana will also be ours. I know the temper of our sailors and the watchword on board an American Man of War is, “Conquer or Sink.” “Viotory or Death”. If our ship sinks she must sink with her colors flying to the Peak. John O’Connor.