Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-05-09

falling short or going wide Of the mark.
Though the spaniards had opened fire
at 5000 yards the Americans reserved their
fire until within 1900 yards of the enemy.
when the real battle began. The Reina
Christina, Castillo. Don Antonio de Ulloa.
Isla de Cuba, Isla de Luzon, and the Min
danao were in line Of battle outside of
Cavite at that time, with four gunboats
and the torpedo boats inside the harbor.
The American ships then passed back
ward and forward six times across the
front Of the spaniards. pouring in upon the
latter a perfect hail Of shot and shell.
Every American shot seemed to tell. while
almost every Spanish shot missed the
mark.
After having thus scattered death and
decentralization among the Spanish fleet and
/, in the Spanish batteries, the American fleet
retired for breakfast and, incidentally. a
council of war was held on board the
Olympia.
By this time. the Spanish ships were in
a desperate condition. The flagship Reina
Christina was riddled with shot and shell.
one of her steam pipes had burst. and she
was believed to be on fire. The Castillo
was certainly on fire, and soon afterward
their condition became worse and worse.
| until they were eventually burned to the
waters edge.
The Don Antonio de Ullao made most
! magnificent show Of desperate bravery.
| When her commander found she was so
| torn by the American shells that he could
not keep her afloat. he nailed her colors
| to the mast and she sank with all hands
| fighting to the last. Her hull was COM
pletely riddled, and her upper deck had
been swept clean by the awful fire of tho
American guns but the, Spaniards. though
| their vessel was sinking beneath them.
continued working the guns on her lower
| deck until she sank beneath the waters.
During the engagement Spanish torpedo
| boat crept along the shore and round the
offing. in an attempt to attack the Amer
ican store ships, but she was promptly
discovered. was driven ashore and was ac-
! tually blown to pieces.
The Mindanao had in the meantime, been
run ashore to save her from sinking. and
the Spanish small craft had sought shelter
from the steel storm behind the break
water.
The battle. which was started at about
$50 a. m. and adjourned at $50 a. m.
| was resumed about noon when Commodore
Dewey started in to put the finishing
touches on his glorious work. There was
not much fight left in the spaniards by
that time and at 2 p. m. the Petrol and
Concord had shot the Cavite batteries into
silence. leaving them heaps of ruins and
floating the white flag.
The Spanish gunboats were then scuttled.
the arsenal was on fire and the explosion
Of Spanish magazine caused further NOR
tality among the defenders of Spain on
shore.
On the water the burning. sunken or de-
stroyed Spanish vessels could be seen,
while only the cruiser Baltimore had suf-
fered in any way from the fire Of the
enemy. A shot which struck her exploded
| some ammunition near one Of her guns
and slightly injured half dozen Of the
crew.
Several shots passed dangerously close to
Commodore Dewey. but little or no damage
was done on board the flagship.
On the other hand, about $50 men are
said to have been killed on board the Span
ish flagship, which was totally destroyed
Admiral Montejo. the Spanish commander
transferred his flag to the Isla de Cuba
when his ship caught fire, but the latte,
was also destroyed in due course Of time
The Reina Christina lost her captain. 8
lieutenant, her chaplain and midship
man by one shot, which struck her bridge
About 100 men were killed and sixty
wounded on board the Castillo. ..--
Indeed some estimates place the number
Of Spanish wounded during the engagement
at over 1000.
The Olympia was struck five times about
her upper works, and whaleboat on the
Raleigh was smashed.
Although the Krupp guns on the espla
made Of Manila were fired continuously
during the engagement, Commodore Dewe,
did not reply to them, and the battery aft
erward hoisted a white flag in token o.
surrender.
The terms of the capitulation were still
unsettled when the McCulloch left Manila
4
rioting upon the part of the insurgents Il
he attempted a bombardment Of the re
manning Notifications at Manila. TIL,
forts at the entrance Of the bay wer,
dismantled on Wednesday. after they hai
capitulated.
1t is said the American commodore or
dered the cable to be cut because tn,
Spaniards refused to permit him to use +
pending the complete surrender Of the city
1t is said that the Spanish ships die
not get under steam until after the alarm
} was given. 1t is said also that the Span
ish commander informed the governor gen
eral that It was advisable to surrender IL
the interests of humanity, as it was i'm
possible to resist successfully, but that h,
and his men were willing enough to f1gh
and die. Even when the Spanish flagship
was shot half away, her commander
though wounded, refused to leave tn
bridge till the ship was burning and sink
ing, her stern shattered by common
shell and her steam pipe burst.
As yet. there are no further details of tn
fighting. After it was over, Commodor
: Dewey sent an ultimatum to.the city bat
terry, ordering it to cease firing or h
would lombard.
The Petrol chased a gunboat up tn
river Pasig and the Spanish captain cam
in a boat to negotiate conditions Of sur