The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-06-25
DEWEYS GUNNER.
RELATES HIS PARTICIPATION
IN THE BATTLE OF MANILA.
Gunner Evans OF the Boston VINO Stood
Seven Hours Thunderihg one of the Can
non and Whose Shot Sunk the Spanish
Flag Ship.

non and Whose Shot Sunk the Spanish
Flag Ship.
Here is graphic story Of personal ex-
perience in the battle OF Manila, told In
the New York Journal, by man behind
the gum" The writer, Gunner Evans, OF
the cruiser Boston, just arrived in San
Francisco, was the man who on that
memorable day fired the S-inch projectile
which crashed through the Spanish flag,
snip Reina Christina, penetrating her
stern, dismantling her engines and set
ting the ship on fire. go g.. 49,.
San Francisco, Cal, June 10--From 5
o'clock in the morning till IL at noon,
seven long hours under most terrific
rain of shot and shell, and surrounded
at every moment by thousand dangers,
not knowing at what moment a sub
marine mine or torpedo would hurl one
skyWard, it was almost enough to turn
gray the hair Of an ordinary mortal. But
it was a glorious victory, and 1 believe
that every man in that battle feels proud
that he was there
Imagine If you can most terrific thun-
derstorm, with its brilliant streaks of
lightning, and multiply that by the num-
Der OF ships which participated In that
battle, and you can have slight idea of
what surrounded us for hours at stretch
on that eventful morning.
1t is quite impossible to describe in
words or to give a vivid picture that will
convey a correct idea Of the terrible and
peculiar sensation and rccou of a big
gun.
The time of my sea service had expired,
but I knew that the day of battle was
near at hand, and l wanted to be in it,
and therefore l remained with the fleet
until after the fight was oveE
Every experienced gunner and gun room
crew soon learns by intuition that at the
moment Of the (iSrharpa Of
proper thing to do is to throw ones
weight forward on the toes and stand
tiptoe until the recoil is over.
Long before the battle was over the
feeling in ones head was as though
there was at least quart Of waite,
in each ear.
During the afternoon of Saturday,
April 80 the Boston. the ship 1 was on
together with the Concord, Petrol and
Baltimore, were recommending in Subis
bay, and all the while we were making
active preparations in clearing the ships
for action
During that day every ship in the fleet
had done the same. Boats were covered
with canvas, and nettings were spread
to prevent splinters from flying, the cabin
partitions removed and every movable
thing stored below. Magazines had been
thoroughly inspected, ammunition was
at hand, and every bit of machinery care
fully tested 1 patted my gun on the
breech and mentally sWore to "Remem-
! Der the Maine at the first opportunity,
i and III bet every gunner in the fleet
I did the same thing mentally if not aud
IDLY. How we'll they kept their promise
the Spanish best knew by noon the next
day.
AT o'clock on Saturday evening the
captains were summoned to council on
the flagship Olympia. The council was
short one, and when the captains re-
turned to their respective ships it was
not long before the information by some
means or other reached the men that the
orders were Ito run by the Corregidor
forts at midnight.
Ammunition hOistS and bullet shields
had been put up and every man, l be-
Heve, really longed for midnight to come.
We steamed slowly toward Corregidor
island which splits the entrance to
Manila bay, the. channel being one mile
wide on one side Of the island and five
miles across at the other.
There are forts on the island and a
whole line on the mainland opposite, and
from somewhere, l don't know where
the report had come that the forts were
almost impregnahle and armed with the
very latest guns. Most of the evening
was spent by the men discussing not
what we could do, but conjectures as to
the strength of the Spanish forts. Every
one was IN cheerful mood, and don't
believe in the whole fleet there was one
man who wished himself out of it. e.
Just a little after midnight we were
steaming through Brea Grande, the
southern entrance of Manila bay, the
squadron formation being Column at
distance" The only light burned any
where on the ships, was one at the stern
of each vessel, which was hooded so as to
show directly astern- These lights We're
: to guide the ships in following the flag
ship. Olympia, Baltimore Raleigh Con-
cord, Petrol, Boston, McCulloch, Narstan
and Zatiro.
We were steaming at about six knots
an hour, and part of the time only four.
I must admit that a little bit nerv-
Gus; perhaps a little bit does not express
1t. l was not so mucl afraid of the forts
Or shore batteries or what the Spanish
fleet might do; but we had understood
that the channel was closely planted with
submarine mines and all sorts of explo-
sives.
AS we had very little definite f.4forma-
ton on the matter, our imagination had
full play, and it is surprising the num-
Der of dangers man thinks are sur
rounding him Ehen he is not fully in
formed on the subject. 1t was this chan
mel that was afraid Of, and those hours
of suspense were something awful.
Sometimes / wished that something
would happen to relieve the strain. had
laid my plans in case the Boston should
be blown up. I di1 not propose taking
any chances Of falling into the hands of
the Spaniards. In such an event I pre-
fcrred death.
At every NOR ent kept within reach of
my navy revolver, and had fully deter
mined that the moment 7 felt the decks
of the Boston rising unde- me to end the
matter, so far as 1 was concerned, by a
bullet in the BRAIN had chosen the
manner Of shooting, and had intended to
put the revclve" to my right temple, and
in case had life enough to fire second
shot, to put the next bullet into the roof
OF my mouth. 1t was not long before the
looked for happening came. Two shots
were fired by the ,Spaniards as we passed
the forts.
From that moment my nervousness
was gone, for knew that we had now
settled down to business and my mind
was too much occupied with what was
going on around me and with my H'@rk
to give much time to meditation. The
shot had come from shore battery or
the left side of the island. The gunner
Sullivan, who was in the turret with me,
happened to have his eye at the port
hole, and saw the flash of the first shot.
without waiting for orders. His gun was
elevated at 4,4O0 yards, and he did not
stop to alter the elevation, and that shot
dismounted one of the guns in the bat
terry and killed thirty or forty Spaniards.
After we passed the forts the ships
steamed ahead slowly, for it was still Ave
hours till daylight, and Manila and the
Spanish fleet were only two miles distant.
AS there was not likely to be any firing
for some time. had my men drop down
,oeside the guns and sleep as best they
& could. They were thoroughly tired, and
all except one or two Of the most nervous
onas slent sound1v IF a man slept at all