The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-09
WRITTEN BY DEWET,s TARs.

A History of the Capture of Manila Pub
lished on the Cruiser Baltimore.
One OF the mementos OF the war with Spain
is a little pamphlet printed on board the cruis-
er Baltimore In Manila Bay. giving an account
Of all the operations In the Philippines. 1t Is
an unusual piece OF presswork from a man-of-
war. 1t contains about thirty-fve pages OF
printed matter. and has a cover in two colors.
red and blue. displaying a big United States
flag in colors. The authors are ]. A. Wlsner
and H. F. Humphrey. of the cruisers crew.
Late in June several copies OF a pamphlet
giving an account OF Dewey's great fight on May
l were received in this country from the press
on the Baltimore. 1t also was written by
Messrs. Wisner and Humphrey. Last week cop
les Of a revised edition Of the pamphlet giving
an account Of all the work Of Dewey's ships up
to the time OF the occupation Of Manila were
received here. There Is no Jack Tar talk in
the pamphlet. 1t contains a simple story writ
ten without coloring or hint Of boasting. 1t
bears all the marks OF having been we'll
edited by some one Of good taste and modera-
ton. and for that reason it is all the more val
liable as an unbiased account Of the deeds OF
the American sailors.
Although the account bears evidence OF
editing. it is apparent that the man who super
vised the story finally could not bear to cut
out a tendency to fine writing here and there.
This is one Of the specimens. descriptive OF
the situation as the great fight of May / began:
1T was a grand picture thus unrolled be-
fore us on that memorable morning! The
sun was Just gliding the distant mountain
tops. giving a golden lining to. the brilliant
eastern sky as the two oombatants drew
nearer and nearer TO each other. .~belching fire
that it shut out the view. hung like a death
pail over it all. But we had no time to grow
nature demanded our attention lust them.
When within suitable range our feet com
o %sn sifh the seT ffsa 9f stv SreefsPFon G and dbfsI then
unn back and forth before, GavItg and the
This is the description Of the arrival Of the
It Was Just a iHf et alter half aSift past l o'clock
when Smoke ahead rang out from the mast;
F aes6 i foq 3Se a9d a. once fys there WAS o 2 general general
ing, No. sure enough. there on the distant
smoke. T Using Pc per pend SHS I 'i IN the SHlu@ eal3 %.
atmosphere. Soon another column sprang
"RumoMris Of spanish fleets lee began aa4'" Tying
around. az usual. and there was some specula-
not. It would have been q rather precautions
situation for us should the oncoming ships
h hoUs 0T9v sa,t to be Spanish ms n t6 cruisers fbs 9ow But n1s the the
Visible four, ships at full speed, and at ten min
ptes to 2 O'clock they could be made out to
o they came. with the Stars and Stripes
i Hy's stsh e sse tReR ~ stea@sd Pi Pr ssIamas a o Ssaq The
mirror-like tropical sea, They had $500
s sISSRn OF OF d HSn the a appe 'o DECKS Rs'G snd 'R RsiIs 'P pPs:
Ss1ted q very crowded appearance. At 3
waving Of hats and with the bands playing ma:
those Which happens seldom in a litssti1ee."
speaking OF the way the sailors Jared dur
Store ships loaded with all kinds Of pro-
visions came in from Hong Kong, and they
found a ready sale for their goods among our
but yet within reach. The large belgian re.
trigerat9E steamer Culgon arrived from Aus
BODY va iars Cd Ven us and While ii t the heSdstroh nye snd
and whatever they could get hold OF, we were
not TS %sn namGb t2T anything atysss G, nSo tSiys G could R7sy g'
burst over the capture OF Manila:
THE Stars and Stripes were waving over
Mani na at on last : sp6 d. the he Proud ps%se old Spanish
gusi to our s%ehieSe@Sents on the arst OF Nay
And far inshore, at the mouth Of the Paslg
f dsnsts shed iss on q soft fEs fad IL sso over ettRR e now p plse
Old Glory j While the band 81 our ship hi played Pia
patriotic Ain 70 a patriotic crew on q pstri-
As an appendix the little book contains Sec
rotary Longs oableeram OF eongratulation TO
admiral DeEey. ADMIRAL Dewey's report Of his
Of Governor. General Augustin, telling, how
ridiculous opinions of tho Spanish press be-
fore the battle of American valor. and the ac-
count of the fight afterward. Aguinaldo's
PROCLAMATION TO the insurgents. and President
Mckinley's. message to Dewey, telling him
that he had been made Rear Admiral.
The conviction that the pamphlet was edit
on the back Of the cover. It was there. evil
IDENTITY. that some Jack Tar had .full swing for
his muse. Although. as In every part Of the
United States where people we're gathered
written about Dewey. this, one, OF the dozens
that doubtless were produced on Dewey's
ships, was printed as the last word on the
pamphlet:
When bright and early on that morn
We bAttled for tn right, |
We little thought ere noon was born
No SpAniArd d be in sight.
Yet 50 II was; when MONDAY glare
OF tropic sun did shed i
It's rays upon our ships. IL were /
The spanish who had ned.
The poetry Of the .~Baltimore's tars may be a
little thin and lame. but IL is evident that some
one in the crew. notwithstanding that editing