Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-07-12
U. S. S. BALTIMORE
MANILA BAY,
IsLA DE LuzoN. MAY %, 1898.


MANILA BAY,
IsLA DE LuzoN, May %, 1898,
Dear Cousin: | have decided to write
another letter and try to give you an ac-
count of all that has taken place here
since the battle, and | will try to de-
scribe to you the scenes in and around
the navy yard and factories, and also the
sunken ships living in the mole close to
the navy yard.
hope you received that little book of
the battle, and | want you to take very
good care of it for | cannot get another
copy and prize that very highly.
Our fleet has full possession of the
harbor now, and we are lying very close
to the navy yard Our marine guard
are stationed in the navy yard guard.
ing all the buildings and grounds against
the Spanish soldiers and insurgents, who
have been carrying off all the plumber
in and around the yard.
During the engagement the Spanish
feet Unanswered their fleet in front of
their forts and navy yard, so all of our
shots that went wild took effect in the
yards and forts, doing awful damage in
the buildings and magazines.
Now | will tell you how we found
things there two days after the battle :
When our guard went ashore to take
possession of all that belonged to the
government in and around the yard and
town of Cavite, the first sight that met
our eyes as we steamed around the point
was five gun boats lying inside, sunk in
shallow water with their guns still stick
ing above water, and all their ships, and
all of that pretty navy yard deserted
not one Spaniard was to be seen; all
had fled with what little they could
carry.
We met few struggling natives here
and there, who were carrying off all the
valuables they could, and we soon ran
them out. And as soon as we landed we
could smell an awful stencil coming
from the yard further up. We fell in in
proper order and marched up through a
beautiful park in front of the com
mandant's building, passing many large
| buildings all thrown open and deserted.
We could see very plainly that the in
surgents had looted everything. Next
we passed the officers hospital and the
/ sights in there / will never forget. We
| stopped there and went inside to see
where that awful smell came from, and
| the first sight that met our eyes as soon
as we stopped under the arch way was
nothing but blood everywhere, and in
side of the first ward were three dead
| Spandiards, one lying with his face down
on the floor in a pool of blood, the other
two were lying on hunks. Owing to the
extreme hot weather they were in an
awful state of decay Along side of the
cots were all kinds of instruments and
medicine lying in perfect order, where
| they had been abandoned in their haste
to get away; also leaving wounded to
care for themselves. Some had died.
| those were the ones we found J others
managed to get away somehow. We
found in that one hospital nine dead
bodies in different parts of the yard and
| all were buried before sunset that day.
! After the sentries had been stationed
1 in different parts of the yard, the rest of
US had permission to go about the ward
and take a look around. We went ia all
| the large buildings and picked up many
curios. On the second floor of the com
mandant's building we could see where
oneof our 9-inch shells had exploded
and it did some terrible damage, I went
through room after room and everything
had been turned upside down-costlv
furniture and everything belonging to a
wealthy man s house was in disorder,
and most OF 1T had never received a
scratch. Large libraries full OF all
kinds of costly books and charts
had never been touched, and are now
open for us to help ourselves. In the
open courts of all the private dwellings
were beautiful beds of flowers and foun-
tains inlaid with crystal sea shells, sha-
ded by large leafy palms The flooring
was made of white marble, studded here
and there with bronze and marble stat
ues, making it paradise live in. Large
sea shells were filled with flowers, all of
which are low dying for want of water
All of these beautiful houses, courts and
parks, which had once been their homes
are now lonesome and deserted They
even left their horses in the stable and
cows in the fields, all of which/we nov
have and are taking care of. Their cats
and dogs have made friends with us and
we haye regular inenagerie around the
guard house now consisting of cats, dogs,
monkeys, goats. deer, water buffalo and
many other animals.
Many of the small buildings were full
OF all kinds of ammunition ready for i'm
mediate use. Some OF the shells were
lying in piles outside of the houses. Our
working party have destroyed all ammu-
milton lying around loose, and all the
small arms we gave to the insurgents.
They have fitted themselves cut with