Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 May 1898 — DEWEY'S DARING. [ARTICLE]

DEWEY'S DARING.

Responsible for His Wonderful Victory in Manila Bay. Btory of How Yankea Guna Demolished the Spanish /" Forts and Fleet. Asiatic Squadron Uninjured After Sinking Eleven of the Enemy's War Vessels. Not a Single Life Lost on Board the American Ships—Only Six Men Wounded. Spaniards Acknowledge Loss of 618 Men—President Promptly Makes Dewey nn Admiral. Hong-Kong, May 9.—Among naval men, military men and civilians, Europeans and natives here to-day, there is only one subject of discussion, the brilliant, dashing, annihilating victory of the American fleet under Commodore Dewey over the Spanish fleet commanded by Admiral Montejo In Manila bay, on Sunday last. Owing to the fact that the cable between this port and the Philippine islands was not in working order, having been cut, it is said, some distance from the capital of the islands, there has been delay In obtaining a detailed account of the battle, and the facts In the case were only available when the United States gunboat Hugh McCulloch arrived here Saturday, and even then the tremendous pressure of business suddenly thrown upon the cable company necessarily made the earlier accounts of the engagement somewhat brief. True to His Trust. Commodore Dewey’s orders were to capture or destroy the Spanish fleet, and never were Instructions executed in so complete a fashion. At the end of seven hours there was absolutely nothing left of the SpanPh fleet but a few relics. The American commander had most skillfully arranged every detail of the action, and even the apparently most insignificant features were carried out with perfect punctuality. At the end of the action Commodore Dewey anchored his fleet in the bay before Manila amd sent a message to Govem-cr-General Augusti announcing the inauguration of the blockade, and adding that if a shot was fired against his ships he Would destroy every battery about Manila. A Wonderful Achievement. The position occupied by the Spaniards, the support which their ships received from the land batteries, and the big guns they had ashore gave them an enormous advantage. Therefore, when it is considered that the Spaniards lost over 600 men in killed and wounded, that all of their ships were destroyed, and that their naval arsenal at Cavite was also destroyed, with its defenses, it will become apparent that the victory of the American commodore is one of the most complete and wonderful achievements in the history of naval warfare. Not a man on board the American fleet was killed, not a ship was damaged to any extent, and only six men were injured Slightly on board the Baltimore. This grand achievement is quite as much due to the generalship of Commodore Dewey as to the fact that American gunners, ships and guns are superior to anything In the same line afloat anywhere. Credit must also be given to the fullest extent to the officers under Commodore Dewey, for, to a man, they seconded their gallant commander in every way possible, and thus helped him win the laurels which are Justly his. The terms of the capitulation were still unsettled when the McCulloch left Manila, and it was said Commodore Dewey feared rioting upon the part of the insurgents if he attempted a bombardment of the remaining fortifications of Manila. The forts at the entrance of the bay were dismantled on Wednesday, after they had capitulated. It is said the American commodore ordered the cable to be cut, because the {Spaniards refused to permit him to use It, pending the complete surrender of th« city.

STORV OF THE VICTORY. Detailed Account of Dewey’i Bold Duah and Its Results. The following dispatch, containing a detailed account of the battle, was brought here by the McCulloch: "Manila Bay, May I.—Last night Commodore Dewey arrived off Manila bay and without consulting his officers decided to make a dash Into the Inner harbor. ' From his flagship, the Olympia, he signaled the commanders of the fleet to follow him, and with all light* out the squadron of sea fighter* steamed Into the bay with the crews at their guns. As they passed the fortifications at Corregidor the order of the vessels was as follows: Olympia, Baltimore, Raleigh, Petrel, Concord, Boston. "Eight o’clock had Just struck when the state.y flagship steamed silently past the frowning batteries that command the entrance to the bay and In spite of the fact that the moon was shining brightly the fleet was well up the harbor before the Spaniards on watch were aware of Its approach. Corregidor lay a mile behind them when the first gun boomed Its warning that the enemy was at hand. First Shut from Spaniards. “One heavy projectile screamed over the Infloating ships and plunged Into the water far away. This was followed by a second, which dropped astern. Instantly the Raleigh, the Concord and the Boston accepted the challenge. A shell from the Concord described a long curve and apparently landed exactly Inside the shore battery, which fired no more. Slowly the squadron edged Its way toward Manila and the men, worn with long watching, were allowed to drop beside their guns for a nap on deck. 80 closely had the arrival of the fleet been timed that at break of day Dewey was within five miles of Manila. “Here he sighted the Spanish squadron. Admiral Montejo’s flag was seen fluttering from the cruiser Reina Christina. Just ahead of It was moored the Castilla, a protected cruiser of 9.900 tona Astern and to seaward in line of battle were arranged the cruisers Don Juan de Austria, Don Antonio de Ulla, Isla de Cuba. Isla de Luson, Qulros. Marquis del Onero and General Leso. With the flagship, they remained under way In anticipation of the action that followed. The vessels moved down to the attack In single file at a uniform speed Of eight knots, and as they passed In front of Manila three great batteries mounting powerful guns opened up at a distance of five mllea. Suddenly the Concord’s guns boomed out a reply. For a moment there was silence and expectation. Commodore Dewey signaled not to attack these batteries, for fear of sending hts shells into the crowded cliy.t Mines Explode. "Veering up the bay, he passed slowly In front of Cavite, where two powerful submarine mines were exploded ahead of the

• flagship. The commodore coolly glanced at his watch as he stood Impassively on the' bridge and called the attention of one of his officers to the fact that it was exactly six minutes past five o’clock. As the mines let go a smile flitted over his face, because of the fact that the Spaniards in exploding the mines had misjudged the position of the flagship.' As it -was, tremendous volumes of water were hurled into the air. But there was no hesitation. Dewey evidently had no fear of the mines. He signaled the ships to steam ahead and in a moment he was within range of the guns of the batteries at Cavite. By this time the Spanish gunners had'got the range and the - K -1U began bursting close aboard. , Flagship the Target. “The Spanish vessels also opened upwlth their guns and the missiles flew alialbout the flagship, which was evidently the mark at which they were directing their Are. Aboard the American fleet the heat was intense. The men, stripped to the waist, stood at their guns waiting for the signal to open up. All was silent aboard the Olympia except the whirr of the blowers and the steady throb of the engines. All at once a shell screamed through the air and burst directly over tha dock of the flagship. Then came the signal from the boatswain’s mate. “Remember the Maine.” “ ‘Remember the Maine!’ was the defiant cry that rang out in the American ships. On the forward edge of the flagship stood Admiral Dewey, with his chief of staff, Executive Officer Rees, and Navigator Lieut. Calkins. Capt. Gridley, commander of the ship, from the conning tower awaited the order to begin the engagement. Dewey looked at the batteries, from which putts of smoke were rising, and said, grimly: ’Shoot whenever you get ready, Gridley.’ “As 19 minutes of six the starboard eightinch gun in the forward turret of the Olympia belched forth a welcome to the dons at a distance of 6,500 yards. The firing was taken up by the Baltimore and Boston in turn, and shell after shell from their great guns was sent hurtling toward the Castilla and the Relna Christina. At first It was all guesswork. The Spaniards, knowing the exact distance, fired rapidly. "Their guns, ashore and afloat, were making it warm for the American squadron. Shot plunged and screamed about the vessels, while the shells burst In the air, their fragments lashing the water till it splashed all about their hulls. One shot struck the Olympia nearly abreast of the wardroom gun, t>ut burst without doing much damage. Another entered the Boston’s port quarter, exploding in the stateroom and starting a fire, which was quickly extinguished. Capt. Wildes, of the Boston, a moment later had a narrow esoape. A shell from a Spanish gun tore through the vessel’s foremast, passing Just in front of him. “Encouraged by the small amount of damage that was being done by the guns from the Spanish ships and batteries, the flagship turned and steamed majestically up within 2,000 yards of the enemy’s vessels. At this range even the qulck-fjring sixpounders were found to be effective, and a perfect storm of projectiles was poured In upon thd unfortunate Spanish fleet. Vessels Burning. "Three vessels were set on fire and their men were forced to abandon the guns. Satisfied with the work thus fiar accomplished, Commodore Dewey gave the signal and the fleet'Steamed slowly out of the range of the batteries in order that the crews, which had been continuously at the guns for more than two hours, could go to breakfast. There was a lull in the firing, and shortly before eight o’clock the fleet steamed past the flagship, the men cheering lustily. For three hours they remained out of range of the enemy’s guns, and then the signal for action fluttered at the halyards of the flagship.

Attack ReneSved. “This time the Baltimore was given the place of honor. She opened up with her guns on the Spanish ships and batteries as joolly as If at target practice. The replies were slow and Irregular. The Raleigh, the Boston, the Concord and the Petrel were directed to break into the Inner harbor and destroy every hostile ship in sight. The gunboat Petrel, with her light draft, was enabled to move up within 1,000 yards. With her guns going as rapidly as they could be fired, she created awful havoc among the vessels still flying the Spanish flag. “In the meantime the Reina Christina had been burning fiercely and had been abandoned. The Ulloa, which had also been deserted, lurched suddenly and sank beneath the waters of the bay. “A few minutes later the Spanish'flag on the arsenal disappeared and was replaced by a white ensign that fluttered bravely in the' wind. The signal was then made to the Petrel to finish the destruction of the vessels in the Inner harbor. The Don Juaxi de Austria, the Mar#ils Duerc, the Isla de Cuba and th“ Correo were set on fire. The Manila, a large transport, and a number of tugboats were seized before they could be sunk and passed into the hands of the Americans. “Dewey’* orders on approaching Manila had been to capture or destroy every Spanish vessel In sight. Within six hours after i the Olympia steamed past the fortifications at the entrance of the harbor the orders had been Implicitly obeyed. Not a Spanish vessel remained in the hands of the enemy. The total casualties on the American fleet were six men slightly wounded, while the Spaniards report 618 missing Spaniard* Were Brave. "The officers of the gunboat McCulloch bear testimony to the bravery of the Spaniards. They particularly praised the gallant crew of the Castilla, whom they describe as "the bravest men ever sacrificed In battle.” They consider the result of the fight a remarkable Instance of the advantage of long-range firing to the side which la better In artillery and marksmanship. “The Don Antonio de Ulloa made a most magnificent show of desperate bravery. When her commander found she was so torn by the American shells that he could not keep afloat, he nailed her colors to the mast, and she sank with all hands fighting to the last. Her hull was completely riddled, and her upper deck had been swept clean by the awful fire of the American guns, but the Spaniards, though their vessel was sinking beneath them, continued working the guns on the lower deck until she sank beneath the water.” "Private papers captured at Cavite show It was intended that the Spanish fleet should engage the Americans outside the bay the day before the fight. No explanation Is forthcoming of the change in plans. A landing was not effected at Manila, where food Is scarce, as Commodore Dewey could not undertake any responsibility. “The only loss on the American vessels was of Chief Engineer Randall, of the McCulloch, who died of heat and apoplexy, as the squadron was entering the harbor. He was burled at sea.” Humored Evacuation of Manila. Madrid, May It Is claimed that a message has been received here froip Manila announcing that the Spanish troops have retired from Manila, taking with them all their arms, ammunition and stores. PROMPTLY HOHORKU. President Sends Cablegram to Dewey Making Him an Admiral. Washington, May 9.—By direction of the president. Secretary Long sent the following cable dispatch to Admiral Dewey: "Washington, May 7, 1898. Dewey, Manila: The president. In the name of the American people, thanks you and your officers and men for your splendid achievement and overwhelming victory. In recognition he has appointed you acting admiral, and will recommend a vote of thanks to you by congress. * "(Blgned) Excitement at Washington. Washington, May 9. Notwithstanding the fact that everybody for several days past has . been In momentary expectation of cable advices from Commodore Dewey, the town was thrown Into the wildest excitement at breakfast time Saturday morning by the Issue of extra papers announcing the arrival of the McCullogh st Hcr.gKong with dispatches for the government

from Commodore Dewey. The publication of newspaper dispatches telling of terrible mortality among the Spanish and the escape of the American forces, men and ships, from serious Injury, added to the excitement and to the intense satisfaction with which the long-expected news was received. Commodore Dewey’s two dispatches were as follows: “Manila, May I.—Squadron arrived at Manila at daybreak this morning. Immediately engaged the enemy and destroyed the following Spanish vessels: Reina Christina, Castillo, Don Antonio De Ulloa, Isla da Luson, Isla de Cuna, General Lezo, Marques de Duero, Corrso, Velasco, Isle de Mindanao, a transport and water battery at Cavite. The squadron is uninjured, and only a few men a; » slightly wounded. Only means of telegraphing is to Amerlcatf ebnsul at Hong Kong. I shall communicate with him. "(Signed) DEWEY." "Cavite, May 4. IS9B. Long, Secretary Navy: I have taken possession of the naval station at Cavite, Philippine Islands, and destroyed its fortifications. Have destroyed fortifications at the bay entranoe, parolllng garrison. I have control of the bay completely and can take the city at any time. The squadron is in excellent health and spirits. The Spanish loss not fully known, but very heavy; 160 killed, including the captain of the Relna Christina. I am assisting in protecting the Spanish sick and wounded. Two hundred and fifty sick and wounded in hospital within our lines. Much excitement at Manila. Will protect foreign residents! “(Signed) DEWEY.” For Relief of Dewey. San Francisco, May 9.—The authorities are rushing every preparation for the expedition to the Philippines, and it is hoped that 6,000 men, big supplies of coal, food and ammunition will be on the way by May 15, the date now set for departure. There are prospects that the coal will be dispatched during the early days of the week. The steamers San Mateo, Progresso and Willlamette are considered the most suitable Cor this work.