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Show I ' 50000000000 oooooooooooooooooooof The Battle of Manila. 5 0 o ot jg One of the Greatest Naval Battles of of g Modern Times. g ol 5o 000000300 ooooooooooooooooooooot It was 4:25 p. m. Saturday, April 80, American licet passed Subig the when is on the China Bea, and which bay, around Mariveles peninsula from Manila and Manila bay, and ateered directly for the entrance to the mouth of the latter. As it drew near the entrance the fleet Blackened speed, for it was then near sundown. All the ships were dark, the decks cleared for action and the sharpest outlook kept in all directions. The entrance to the harbor was thought by the Spaniards to be well defended and it would be so considered against anything but a fleet such as came there from Hongkong. On the side entering there are two d batteries, one on Point Mariveles and a smaller one further up the bay. On the right hand side there are also two batteries, one at Limbones point and another at Restingo. These laBt are on the Cavite side of the bay. In the middle of the entrance are three islands, the largest of which la which was to have been fortified, but the Spaniards did not have land armament to spare. It was understood that the entrance to the bay, as well as the bay Itself, was loaded with electric mines and torpedoes, but If this was the case, they did not explode, for the American fleet sailed over and through them unharmed. As the fleet approached the entrance in the dark the progress became slower, and one officer of the Olympia suggested to Commodore Dewey the danger of being blown up. To this Dewey Is said to have replied grimly: "Its a case of Mobile Day now, which was Interpreted to mean, in Farraguts words: "D n the torpedoes! Go ahead. All this time the vessels proceeded almost noiselessly on their way. When the fleet had rejoined, inside of the bay. Commodore Dewey reformed his line in the following order: left-han- , Carre-quide- o, a I 8 I I J $ B. S I 1 o aM 1 0 a a h c SI (C s ft N - f ) The of the fleet took some little time, but so soon as this was accomplished the flotilla proceeded with full steam on as though it were sailing In broad daylight in American waters. It was still dark at this time, but presently the dawn began to break, and the sun arose in all its oriental splendor. The weather was calm and sultry and over the waters of Manila bay a thick haze, so common to early morning in those parts, hung like a curtain, through which the rays of the coming day penetrated with dull but beautiful hues. Gradually, however, this lifted, and the dim outlines of the hills in the neighborhood of Cavite were discernible. Nothing whatever could be seen of the Spanish fleet, but the Americans knew they were but a few minutes away from the greatest naval battle of modern times. The nerves of the officers and men on Deweys fleet were keyed up to the strongest tension. Ev ery officer was at his post and every gunner behind his weapon, which he had watched for hours. The word had gone around, not by word of mouth, but by some subtle psychology: "Remember the Maine! Remember the Maine, and into drawn faces there came that look, which one sees only w'hen man, stirred by strong and primitive emotions, determines to meet and fight his enemy to the death. The breeze freshened up from off Cavite aad at 4:30 the enemy was in sight, ships aB well aB land batteries. As near as could be determined at that time eight Spanish ships were in full view, but their identity was not of course known to the Yankee fleet. It was soon apparent, however, that two more Spanish cruisers were cloEe at hand and there was other shipping, not clearly distinguished, near by. It was plain that the Spanish admiral was taken entirely by surprise. His fleet was ready, but he did not expect the Americans to enter the bay. Admiral Montejo had fully expected the American fleet to remain in tl'.e vicinity of Subig bay and that he would have to go out to the open water to meet it. He thought Commodore Dewey would try to force an entrance past the batteries of Subig bay and make a landing there and the governor general had a force of 8,600 men there to prevent a junction between the Insurgents and the Americans. That the latter would have the temerity to enter the bay and give him battle in front of Manila never entered his head. With the rapidity for which he is noted Admiral Montejo formed his line. It is not known yet what his exact formation was. It Is a mistake, however, to say that the Castilla was part of the formation. That cruiser ran aground Friday morning and could not be dislodged. She was therefore improvised as part of the land batteries, although a good portion of her armament, comprising the movable guns, was removed to shore Saturday. Later she was riddled with American shells, some of which set her on fire, and she burned nearly to the water's edge. The American fleet forced the fighting from the first Captain Wildes of the Boston was ordered to run out ahead and his ship had the honor of firing the first shot The effect was not noticed, for the battle began almost immediately afterward on both sides, the fire of the Spanish fleet being augmented by that of the Cavite batteries. Under orders the American boats deployed to the right and left until ordered back for the formation and advance which finally destroyed the Spanish fleet. Admiral Montejo directed the movement of his fleet from the deck of the Relna Maria Christina during the early part of the fight, and Commodore Dewey never left the ' Olympia until it was all over. The Boston and Baltimore were in advance of the American line and the roar of their guns was incessant But presently the commodores flagship came up as though envious of the part the others were playing. Her main guns was soon battery of eight-inc- h thundering away, while the cannon of the Concord and Raleigh were making mine-sow- ed it Interesting for the remainder of the thinking it was one of the American Spanish boats. The Petrel was not Idle, nor was the McCulloch, which dodged in and out among the fleet, doing its work of dispatch boat. The noise of the bombardment was deafening on both sides, and the firing, considering the dense smoke which soon arose and obscured the fleets from each other, was well nigh continuous, although every shot was Intended to count. The noise was plainly heard at Manila, each shot being easily noted, although, of course, the result was not known. Suddenly a Spanish ship, which proved afterward to be the Don Juan de Austria, ran down the Spanish line under a mistaken signal from the admiral. It was Btruck at least three times by the American shells, one of which was plainly seen to hit one of its guns, disabling it It fired as It went, on but a shot from an boat Btruck the the Olympia Spanish near the waterline. Watchers saw the Don Juan quiver as a horse does when shot in battle. Then in a sudden cessation of firing on both sides, which seemed almost for the purpose of watching what followed, the Spanish cruiser exploded with a noise which made all the cannonading that had gone before sound like the popping of so many corks. The tearing of steel, the splitting of timbers, even the shrieks of the wounded could be plainly heard following this awful noise. Dead bodies of men were Been flying through the air, while the survivors were noticed Jumping from the decks. The Don Juan careened over to port, righted again and dipped once more and began to sink rapidly. Hardly a seconds time elapsed between the striking of the fatal shot and the explosion, but it seemed to the watchers that it was five minutes. The shot undoubtedly penetrated and exploded the Don Juans magazines. The Americans had an opportunity to see this, for at that moment the dense clouds of smoke had settled in the direction of the Spanish line, while the American ships were comparatively free. The vice consuls reThe notoriously bad port says: marksmanship of the Spaniards was apparent from the start. The fleet was managed with daring and skill, but although numerically stronger than its enemy, it was no match for it in gunnery. The latter was splendid, and much regret is expressed that our naval representatives were not given a better opportunity to take note of an engagement which must mark an epoch in As a matter of fact, naval warfare. the Raleigh, Boston and Baltimore were reported to have been struck by Spanish shells and several men killed and wounded, but the victims, having been landed at a distant point upon the shore, the names could not be ascertained at the time the Spanish authorities cut the cable or at least stopped its use at Manila. When the Don Juan blew up a cheer arose from each of the American fleet and again the cry went up, "Remember the Maine. The Maine is avenged. From his post Commodore Dewey gave out his orders and these commands were to keep maneuvering. It was this order which rendered the shots from the Spanish gunners so ineffective. They and their commanding officers seemed unable to locate any of the American ships in time to deliver the broadsides where they Intended. No sooner would a gun be sighted than the whole American squadron would have seemed to change position, and the Spanish shots simply churned the water in the bay. Those shells which did take effect did so almost without exception merely by chance, and It is quite likely that some of them came When the from the land batteries. Spaniards heard the explosion of the Don Juan they gave shouts of Joy, eight-pound- er forced in the direction of Manila. Monbut when the dull yellow smoke tejo had by this time recovered his lifted and they saw their cruiser a total presence of mind and reassembled his wreck and the bay in its vicinity full shattered line, presenting a bold but of dead and wounded Spanish officers battered front to the enemy. He enthey shrieked with agony and Montejo deavored to put heart into his men, is said to have lost his head and to but the light had been taken out of the have run up and down the deck al- Spaniards and they seemed to feel that ternately cursing the Yankees and the there was not the slightest chance of Don Juans captain for his recklesstheir winning Montejo's officers and fleet, ness. The explosion unnerved the whole Spanish fleet, and it may be said to have determined the whole battle, for it proved the turning point Montejo had no time for vain regrets for his own flagBhlp was soon struck twice by shells. The attack of the American fleet was recommenced almost immediately after the explosion, and some of the hardest knocks were directed at the Relna Marla Christina. Her captain, Cardozo, and eight gunners were killed by a shell, and almost in the same instant a full broadside from two American ships struck the Spanish boat, killing two officers and a large number of men. Just then the Maria Christina was discovered to be on fire and sinking. The crew broke from all discipline and rushed to the sides. Jumping over, officers and men, preferring to trust to their powers as swimmers, rather than suffer the fate of their companions of the Don Juan. Several other shots struck her, but the Americans, seeing that it would be a waste of powder, turned their attention to the other boats. The Maria Christina began to sink rapidly and Admiral Montejo and a few officers had barely time to untangle a boat and pull off in it before his flagship, the finest Spanish boat in Asiatic waters, sank in the bay. He tried to reach the Reina Mercedes, but she was which really made any show of standing up to the Americans. At 11 oclock the work of the American fleet was shown to be more effective than was at first supposed, for in the bay toward Manila three other sunken Spanish ships were seen. The names could not be ascertained. The Spanish government officials claimed that these vessels were sunk by Admiral Montejo to keep them from falling into the enemys hands, but the Americans deny this and eay that they were sunk by shots from Deweys fleet. The Cebu, a Spanish transport loaded with coal and ammunition, was set on lire by American shells and sank off Cavite. The Cavite batteries continued the fight for some time after the lire of the Spanish ships slackened, but they, too, became silent about 9:30. A Spanish lieutenant, who was badly wounded on the Relna Mercedes and was landed near Cavite with a load of other victims, many of them dead or dying, said: The greatest naval battle of the world THE CRUISER OLYMPIA, CAPT. DEWEYS FLAGSHIP. in so hot a corner that he had to go on board the nearest boat, which proved to be the Isle de Cuba, a small and inferior cruiser. It is said that a majority of the Relna Christinas crew were killed or drowned, but some of the men were picked up by the Spanish fleet and the ship's exact loss in men cannot now be ascertained. The flagship burned fiercely during the rest of the fight, but sank before any explosion could occur. She is a total wreck. All this had taken place within sixty minutes. There was not a gun on board the American fleet which had not been used, and most of them had done exeThe Spanish cruiser Reina cution. Mercedes was engaged by the Baltimore and Concord, the shells of which did frightful damage to her, and she was obliged to retire behind the Spanish line. The Boston and Raleigh did splendid work along with their sister ships. The battery which had been rigged up on the sunken Castilla fired a few shots at the enemy, but was quickly disabled by the American guns. The Cavite battery kept up a steady cannonading upon the American fleet, but many of its shots fell short and somo came nearer to the Spanish boats than to the Americans. After the battle had raged for an hour the American fleet retired by twos to the Nashan and Zafiro, where they recoaled, the remainder of the fleet keeping up the None of Commodore Deweys fight. fleet showed any apparent injury to the Spanish fleet. They maneuvered with as much ease as though they were merely going through a squadron evolution in calm waters. Nearly all the Spanish fleet showed bad Injuries, and the loss of life among their sailors was so great that the commanders moved the ships with difficulty. The transfer of Montejos flag to the Isla de Cuba was not noticed for some time, in the confusion and wreck of the Spanish fleet, and it was nearly fifteen minutes before he made his boats understand where their admiral was and what he wanted them to do. Then there was a cessation of really hard fighting for about twenty minutes, when the Amerits line and began ican fleet once more. This time the Isla de Mindanao, a converted cruiser, and the Don Antonio de Ulloa were so badly disabled that they retired slowly and took no further part in the fight. Again the guns at Cavite roared out a steady bass chorus to the water fight, and the gunners appeared to have secured better range upon the American fleet, for Dewey ordered a general chaqge of base and the fighting waB - ed THE BALTIMORE most of his men behaved splendidly tor the first hour and stood by their guns with desperate bravery, but it waa clear to the foreign warships in Manila harbor that they were outclassed as gunners as their commanders were as seamen. The last half hour of fighting had no heart in it so far as the Spaniards were concerned, and the Luzon, Velasco and Cuba were the only ships occurred today. We were defeated, but no wonder when one considers the heavy armament of the Yankee ships. The Spanish navy was Ignorant of the" power of the fleet against which it wag pitted. Our boats, many as they were, were no match for the enemy, but the honor of Spain is Intact When Commodore Dewey found he had his adversary at such a disadvantage he detached the Baltimore, Concord and Boston to a point nearly opposite Cavite point with orders to shell the batteries there. Knowing the danger of risking his boats even at this advanced stage of victory too near the stationary guns of the land battery, he Instructed them to use the greatest caution in the undertaking, for they had not only to face the Cavite guns, but those of Mount Manila, and Las Pinas, on the inland shore of Bakor bay, which overlooked that body of water as well as the Cavite peninsula, and commanded a wide sweep of Manila bay itself. He did not know the strength of those batteries, but he had the seamans caution of risking a light with a land fortification. He had at the same time to beware of the still stronger fortifications farther up the shore, the particular defenses of Manila. The Baltimore and Concord stood down the bay for a mile or two and began a heavy cannonading upon the Cavite batteries, lasting twenty-seve- n minutes. Their work was effective from the start and the Spanish reply was short and ineffective. The cruisers ran In quite close to the shore and the work of their gunners dismounted several Spanish cannon and killed a large number of men. The position of the American ships prevented the forts on the hills behind Bakor bay from keeping up anything but a desultory lire, and even some of this was so badly managed that it dropped into the Cavite battery. From the very first shot of the battle Manila was in a panic. The stream of people who began to leave last week turned into a river and that river into a flood, and when the foreign office here last heard all was confusion in the city and its suburbai Also there wsb word that the insurgents had moved up to within fifteen miles of the western gates. Par-anq- ue HU Sad Experience. "I bought a claim, said the returned Klondlker, where the nuggets were said to be as plentiful as blackberries. "And they were notl "Well, yes. they were; but, you see, there are no blackberries in that region. Illustrated London News. |
