The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-05-20

sBy Lieut. J. L. stiekney. U. 6. ". stan CORE
spondent OF 81. Louis Republic and New York
Herald. with the Asiatic squadron)
On BOARD THE FLAGSHIP OLYMPIA,
MANILA, Philippine Islands, May !, via
HoNe-KoNe. May Mot one Spanish
dag flies in Manila bay to-day. Not one
Spanish warship floats except as our
prize.
More than 200 Spanish dead and 500
70 700 wounded attest TO the accuracy
of the American fire.
Commodore Dewey attacked the Span
fsh position at Cavite this morning. He
swept five times along the line, and
scored one of the most brilliant sue
cesses In modern warfare.
That our loss is trifling adds to the
pleasure of victory without detracting
from its value The number of hits our
vessels received proved how brave and
stubborn was the defense made by the
Spanish forces
Miraculous as il may appear, none OF
our men was killed. and only eight
were wounded. Those who were
wounded suffered only slight injuries
Commodore Dewey arrived off Ma
Mia bay last night, and decided TO en-
ter the bay at once.
With all its lights out. the squadron
steamed into Boca Grande, with crews
at the guns. This was the order of the
squadron. which was kept during the
whole time of the first battle;
The flagship Olympia.
The Baltimore.
The Raleigh.
The Petrol.
The Concord
The Boston.
1t was Just eight o'clock. bright
moonlight night. But the flagship
passed Corregidor island without sign
being given that the spaniards were
aware of it's approach.
Not until the flagship was mile be-
yond Corregidor was gun fired. Then
one heavy shot went screaming over
the Raleigh and the Olympia, followed
bv a second, which fell farther astern.
The Raleigh. the Concord and the
Boston replied, the Concords shells ex-
ploding apparently exactly inside the
shore battery, which fred no more.
Our squadron slowed down to barely
steerage way, and the men were al
lowed to sleep alongside their guns.
Commodore Dewey had timed our arr
rival SO that we were within FIVE mnes
of the city of Manila daybreak.
We sighted the Spanish squadron,
Rear Admiral Montejo commanding,
or Cavite-pronounced kahveetay.
with ancent on the wee" Here the
Spaniards had a well-equipped navy
yard called Cavite arsenal.
Admiral Montejo's flag was flying on
the 3,500-ton protected cruiser Reina
Cristina. The protected cruiser Cas-
tilla. of 3. 200 tons. was moored head
and stern to the port battery, and to
scaward were the cruisers Don Juan
de Austria, Don Antonio de Ulloa. lsla
de Cuba. Isla de Luzon, Quiros. Marques
del Onero and General Lezos.
These ships and the flagship re-
manned under way during most of the
action.
With the United States flag flying at
al their mastheads. our ships moved TO
the attack in line ahead, with speed
of eight knots, first passing in front OF
Manila, where the action was begun by
three batteries mounting guns power
full enough to send shell over US at z
distance of five miles.
The Concords guns doomed out q
reply to these batteries with two shots.
No more were fired, because Commo.
dore Dewey could not engage with
these batteries without sending death
and destruction into the crowded city.
As we neared Cavite two very pow.
erful submarine mines were exploded
ahead of the flagship. This was six
minutes past five o'clock.
The Spaniards evidently had mis-
Judged our position. Immense volumes
of water were thrown high in air by
these destroyers, but no harm was done
20 our ships.
Commodore Dewey had fought with
Farrugut st New Orleans and Mobile
bay. where he had his first experience
with torpedoes. Not knowing how
1nany more mines there might be ahead
he still kept on without fatering.
No other mines exploded, however
and it is believed that the Spaniards
had only these two in place.
few minutes later the shore bat
terry at Cavite Point sent over the flag
ship n shot that nearly hit the battery
I'm Manila. But soon the gunners al
Cavite got better range and the shells
began To strike near us or burst close
aboard from both the batteries and the
Spanish vessels.
The heat was intense. Men stripped
OF all clothing except their trousers.
As the Olympia drew nearer all wal
as silent on board as IL the ship hae
been empty, except for the whirr o
blowers and the throb of the engines
Suddenly q shell burst directly ovel