Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-05-11
BATTLE OF MANILA.
DETAILED REPORT OF DEWEY'S
GREAT VICTORY.
HOW THE BATTLE WAS FOUGHT AND
WoN-HOw THE AMERICANS BE-
HAvED UNDER FIRE.

newspaper reports of the battle, from
which the following from the Boston
Journal is selected as the most accurate
and at he same time most vivid:
In a conference of the commanders OF
the ships held before the fleet left Hong
Kong, plan OF action had been decided
upon and the commanders knew that the
bay OF Manila was to be entered under
cover of darkness.
1t WAS soon after dark when the ''Olym-
pia" led off for the entrance OF the bay.
The night was still and hot. Scarcely a
breat h of air was there to raise ripple
on the tropical sea. Following the
Olympia" WAS the cruiser Baltimore,
and then in order followed the Raleigh,
the "Petreln the Concord, the "Bos-
tom, the dispatch boat "McCulloch" and
the two supply ships, the "Naushon" and
the "Zitiro".
All the lights in the fleet were put out.
The sailors were at their guns. Anxious
to allow them all The rest possible Com
modore Dewey had the word passed early
in the evening that the men might be al
lowed to lie on deck beside their guns,
ready for an instant call. The guns were
all shotted SO that il necessary they could
be fired at q moments warming.
So the ships followed the flagship of
their commodore into Manila bay. Not q
sign of life could be detected in the
direction Of the forts on the island of
Correg idor. The air Was motionless. To
the officers and crew the sound of the
engines sounded louder than it really
was. They would fain have stifed the
noise OF their hearts, which sounded
strangely noisy to their own ears.
By Corregidor Island and the batteries
which crowned it sped the "Olympia"
one and one-half miles away. The night
was moonlight and the ships should have
been seen. But the garrison depended
on its sleepy pickets. No search-lig BIT, no
patrol boat guarded the entrance to give
the alarm.
The dull gray war paint OF all the ships
aided in allowing all the ships to pass
by unobserved. The four-knot gait
which the fleet had assumed was sufficient
to allow them to glide through the
water with the minimum amount OF
noise. And so all the ships sped by the
fort unobserved.
A mile beyond and into the bay steered
he fleet and then the gunners at Cor
regidor discovered that the squadron had
outwitted them. The discovery WAS
caused by the little "McCulloch". In the
run in her fires had gone low. They had
to be repaired, and in doing it stream OF
sparks was shot high into the air.
Commodore Dewey saw them. He was
not disturbed in The least.
perhaps they'll see US now" he re-
marked dryly.
He was not mistaken. Almost instantly
there was bleching Of fire from Corregi-
dor and then mighty roar was heard. 1t
was followed by second and a third.
The first shot scared over the "Olympia"
Its trail OF fire could be plainly seen.
Several hundred yards ahead it fell into
the water and disappeared. The second
and third shots fell short of the last YES
sci of the fleet.
Quick as a flash the orders were called
through the Boston, Concord" and
" Raleigh, to man the guns. The s-inch
guns of the Boston" doomed out. The
heaviest guns of the "Raleigh" followed
and the Concord" joined in the firing.
The shells could be followed as they sped
ashore. All the shots seemed to be well
aimed in the darkness. One OF the Con
cords" shells fell apparently exactly in
the fort at Corregidor and exploded.
Half dozen shots in all were ex-
pended on Corregidor and then the
firing ceased Oh both sides. The ships
slowed down still more, until barely
steerage way was had, and the course
bay. Again the men lay down beside
their guns, and the same deathly silence
prevailed as the ships glided on
When daylight suddenly burst out OF
the east and the whole harbor of Manila
was in view, Cavite was but five miles
ahead, and the Spanish fleet was in full
view.
The Spanish flagship, the 35OO-ton pro-
tected cruiser "Reina Cristina", flying
the flag Of Rear Admiral Montojo, lay off
Cavite. Astern was moored the 300 ton
protected cruiser "Castilla" with her port
battery ready for action. The smaller
Spanish vessels were little to seward
These were the "Don Juan De AUSTRIA,
the "Don Antonio De Ulloa", the "Isa
De Cuba, the AIsIa De Luzon" the "Qui-
ros", the marquis Det-Auero" and VIE
General Lezo''. ----.
They were under steam, and were slow
ly moving about apparently ready to re-
ceive the fire Of the advancing American
squadron. The flagship "Reina Cristina"
also was under way.
When the ships of Spain were sighted
the signals from the "Olympia" ordered
an eight-knot speed for all the ships.
Onward the squadron sped, turning to
the westward and sailing before the
city of Manila. Then the big guns at
Cavite opened, so did those at the