Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-06-23

uro TO the room. a small piece OF shell
came across ward room aud landed ON
floor Just where was sitting. got
an AK, at hand ana lent hand to open
his bureau up 40 that water could be
got in. Hose was turned on and in a
moment fire was ont. Incidentally the
big three inch hose had put Hs many
inches OF water all over our ward room
floor.
I'VE had had no supper and no
breakfast, not sven sip Of coffee.
About this time / scrambled two flights
to tiro room, got some hot water. made
some good strong coffee and filling a
cantssu with it climbed up the two
rope ladders TO upper deck (ull ladders
were gone as | told your. had u bit
OF ships biscuit, too. and tie officers,
the old man aud as many Of ths men
as canteen would last to, sesmed power
full glad to get it. II was the first
moGtbful they had had. We had by
this time had several other hits, hut
wonderful to say. no one hurt. One
| small shell came through aide and ex.
ploded on gun deck, main mast was
cut, two came into hammocks near tina
bridge, exploded and set fire, but no
harm done, and one, a darling, a five
inch shell came clean through foremost,
splattered everybody on bridge with
paint and dsbris, but only cut one
mans face a bit and exploded clear of
the ship, but not 20 feet away.
DBEw OFF FOR BREAKFAST.
IAN this time, from actions, that u.s.
in brief movements OF enemy's ships
and always bnGk Of certain line, we
had made sure there were mines and
things and we bad not drawn nearer
than say. 3, 700 yards. Up till now we
could see but little result of our fire
and when signal was nRds to draw off
out Of fire wo were filed with mixed
feelings. just an We drew out Boston
fred big she'll which WAS seen to hit
the Reina Christina and exploded, III
parently setting FIRE.
" ONCE clear of fire we got orders to
| GO TO chow
Although it seemed to VA all as II
u must be noon it was really only Z. 30.
We took couple OF hours to eat out
biscuit and soup anu Gully (you ask
me some day and I'll tell you what
soup and Gully Ia and talk over our
experiences). To our delight we found
that no one was burt. While chatting
we were hearteued up by prolonged fire
and repeated explosions not only on
Reina Christina but on the three other
big SHIPS and ON some of the smaller
ones. We went back by and by, went
in closer and another hour did the lob.
Spanish flag went down. White flag
wont up and we later learned tnat Of
the IA ships lined up against US that
morn, not one was left alive, all were
sunk or burned and sunk, a most un
commonly good forenoon's work, more
especially as no one in feet was killed
and not snip injured.
ION next day the navy maze formal
surrender, and the army forces al
Cavite withdrew to Manila. The cues.
tion Of attacking Manila at once was
discussed. There seemed to be nc
doubt but we could force thom to sur.
render in a days time and with hui
little risk to ourselves. The more seri.
Gus problem was what the deuce would
we do with the surrender when We got it.
A VISIT TO DESTROYED sRIrs AND NAVY
YARD.
"Since the aght / have visited the
destroyed ships and the navy yard re
peatedly. | never eveu conceived Of
such scene of desolation and destruc
tion. It il awful. The officers quar-.
tiers in the yard were beautifully fur.
nished and arranged, tropical hunga.
lows, and tha place itself were very
pretty. Their families we're here
they had books and pictures and music,
&c. When We got done ON Sunday,
May lst, ut noon, there was nothing
left, smashed, broken, torn up, carried
off, nothing was left. In ons room We
found the early coffee served but moi
drunk; haby's cot with the clothes
just rs il was left, &c. 1t really makes
one think that Gen. SheIman's briei
definition War is half. ia not much
out of the way. Then the officers VIZ
met looked so sad. One OF them made
me very pretty reply. / had commit.
mented him on the plucky fight they
made with their ships as knocked ur
as they we're. Hp replied gracefully,
Ah, thank you We only tried to dc
what you did. IL was our duty Nv
tendency to undue sympathy ia some
what moderated by look at the
prisons they had ready for us. The,
are on water front, under fort and al
high tide are half full OF sea water; al
highest tides they overflow. There
they report so many nrisoners died il
prison. Cheerful idea, lie it notY
picked up ON the chips and in nav,
yard number of mementoea of oc
casion; chiefly small shells; they will
serve as paper weights you know.h
The writer speaks OF the strain upor
the nerves in being called to genera
quarters every night and one nigh
three times, and 90 four occasions
firing at something or other.
Writing later under dste OF May 10th,
! he speaka of the return of the McCul
loch from her trip to Hong Kong tt
report the news oil tine battle. She car
ried back news of the furore caused al
home by the victory. The men ON tn,
squadron we're disappointed at receiv,
: ing no decisive nsws from the homt
fleet. The squadron seized two ship
loaded with Goals, which proved very
acceptable find.
! paymastor Martin tells. too, how
badly wrecked bis room was by th,
hring OF the after eight-inch gun.
All the woodwork was started, every
thipe breHkable was broken; book
shelves we're toru from bulkhead ant
DOORS, pictures, curios, clothes, shoss
} baccy, papers, letters, &C., we're in one
mass on hoor, and an you may remem
, her, our tussle with a fire in three OF
four inches of water. Inside nv dssl
everything was UPSET and airift, int
and mucilage divided the honors. Nj,
, watch, which was securely placsd in ,
very small drawer had its crystal broker
in thousand pieces. | failed to ga,
: that in tie melapge on the floor ar
electric fan, clock and two elsctri,
lights bore their part. Last night ",
were turned out again for general quar-
I tiers.
THE SPANISH WERE PREPARED.