Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-05-12
DENEYS GLORIOUS VICTORY
Reports that He Utterly Destroyed
SPANS Philippine Fleet.
HAS MANILA IN HIS POWER.
None of the u. s. Warships Badly Dam
aged not AN American sailor Killed
and Only Eight Slightly Wounded
Manila Is at His Mercy.

American victory was received from the
Commodore Dewey, the latest naval
hero. The report was carried from
Manila to Hong Kong by the U. S. dis
patch boat McCulloch and then trans
mitted to the navy department at
Washington. The distance from Ma
Mia to Hong Kong prevented an earlier
report being received from Dewey.
The portion of the first report made
public by the navy department IS as
follows:
Manila: Squadron arrived at Manila
at daybreak. Immediately engaged
the enemy and destroyed the following
Spanish vessels: Reina Christina, Don
Antonio de Ulloa, Isla de Luzon, Isla
de Cuba. General Leo, Marquis de
Duero. Correo, Velasco, Isla de Min
diano, transport, and water battery
at Cavite. The squadron is uninjured
and only few men are slightly
wounded Only means of telegra phing
is to American consul at Hong Kong.
| shall communicate with him.
A second report given is out is as
follows:
Cavite: l have taken possession of
the naval station at Cavite, Philippine
Islands. and destroyed its Notifications.
Have destroyed Notifications at the
bay entrance (Corregidore islands), pa
rolling the garrison. l control the bay
completely and can take the city at
any time. The squadron in excellent
health and spirits. The Spanish loss
not fully known, but very heavy; $50
killed, including the captain of the
Reina Christina. am assisting liz pro-
tecting the Spanish sick and wounded.
Two hundred and fifty sick and
wounded in hospital within our lines
Much excitement in Manila. viii pro-
tect foreign residents. DEWEY.
These reports, although brief and
lacking in details, caused the most in
tense enthusiasm in government circles
at Washington. The destruction Of
ten warships, and the silencing of a
score of shore batteries without the
loss of ship or man, is a feat so stu
pendous that the most experienced
naval officers could hardly believe their
eyes when they read Dewey's terse and
graphic message. No parallel is to be
found in history for this remarkable
accomplishment, and to Dewey's credit
is placed the first demonstration of the
terrible effectiveness of the modern
warship manned by brave men and
commanded by cool and skillful officers.
The Spanish surrendered everything
they had left to surrender outside of
Manila. Admiral Montejo fled to Ma
Mia with all of his staff and such Off
L ha1 not L. laH A II oil
Dewey sent his marines ashore to cap
ture Cavite. and then cut the cable so
that the Spaniards could not summon
succor. And when all noses had been
counted, not man was missed from
the fighting fleet, though the chief en-
gineer on the McCulloch had died from
heart disease, an attack 70 lght on by
excitement. Some estimates place the
number of Spanish wounded during
the engagement at over / 200 men.
Commodore Dewey's orders were to
capture or destroy the Spanish feet and
never were instructions executed in so
complete fashion. At the end of
seven hours there was absolutely moth
ing left of the Spanish feet but a few
relics. Only the cruiser Baltimore had
suffered in any way from the fire of the
enemy. A shot which struck her ex-
ploded some ammunition near one of
her guns and slightly injured eight of
the crew. The Olympia was struck five
times about her upper works and sew
eral shots passed dangerously close to
Commodore Dewey. but little or no
damage was done. A whaleboat of the
Raleigh was smashed. Although the
Krupp guns on the esplanade of Manila
were fired continuously during the en-
gagement, Commodore Dewey did not
reply to them, and the battery after
ward hoisted white flag in token of
surrender
The terms of capitulation were still
unsettled when the McCulloch left
Manila, and il was said that Commo-
dore Dewey feared rioting upon the
part of the insurgents if he attempted
a bombardment of the remaining forti-
fcations at Manila. The forts at the
entrance of the bay were dismantled
after they had surrendered. 1t is said
the American commodore ordered the
ca Dle 10 NC cut DecduSc tine SDanlarOS
refused to permit him to use it pend
ing the complete surrender of the city
and also TO prevent foreign govern
ments from ordering their consuls to
protest against the bombardment or
blockade of Manila.
The Nations Gratitude To Dewey
The reply sent by Secretary of the
Navy Long to Commodore Dewey was
as follows:
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. LoNG.
Upon hearing of the Spanish loss at
Manila the pope was almost overcome
and SAID he wished he could have died
before this war was begun.
Secretary Long says that Dewey will
be made an acting admiral at once and
later his nomination to be rear admiral
will be sent To the Senate
W. Il. Blanchard, chairman OF the
Joint Traffic Railroad association, has