Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1898-05-12
THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT.
1t Began at $3.50 in the Morning and
Continued Three Hours.

IHE FIRST ENUAUEMENXs
Continued Three Hours.
The American feet entered Manila
bay on Sunday night with the greatest
of ease. The Spaniards had not estab.
lished q patrol and there were no
searchlights at the entrance of the bay.
In fact the American ships would
probably have passed inside the bay
without any challenge, had it not been
that some sparks flew up from the Nc.
Culloch's funnel. Thereupon few
shots were exchanged with the batter.
les on Corregidor island, but the fleet
did not slow down, and soon took up
position near Cavite awaiting dawn, in
order to commence hostilities.
The early hours of the morning re.
vealed the opposing ships to each
other, and the Spanish flagship opened
fire. Her action was followed by some
of the larger Spanish warships, and
then the Cavite forts opened up and
the smaller Spanish warships brought
their guns into play.
The American squadron which had
been led into the bay and through the
channel by the flagship Olympia did
not reply to this, although the
shells of tho spaniards
began to strike the water around them,
but moved majestically onward.
When nearing Baker bay sudden up.
heavel of water short distance ahead
OF the Olympia showed that the Span.
iards had exploded mine or q torpedo.
This was followed by second and
similar explosion. They were both ut
terly unsuccessful.
The American feet was then draw.
ing nearer and nearer to the Spaniards,
whose gunnery was very poor, the
shots from the Cavite battery and
from Spanish ships being equally
badly aimed, either falling short or 60
ing wide of the mark. When the
American feet entered the bay, COM
ing through the southern channel, the
following was their order: The flag
ship Olympia, the Baltimore, the Ra-
leigh, the Concord. the Boston and the
Petrol, the McCulloch, with two store
ships, the Nanshan and Zafiro, bring.
ing up the rear, and in that order they
swept grandly before the city and
faced the enemy in column line.
Though the Spani ards had opened tire
At 6,OOO yards the
Americans Hessrvsd Their Fire
until within 1000 yards of the enemy.
when the real battle began.
The Reina Christina, Castillo, Don
Antonio de Ulloa, 1sla de Cuba, 1sla de
Luzon and the Mindanano were in line
Of battle. outside Of Cavite at that
time, with four gunboats and the tor.
pedo boats inside the harbor.
The American ships then passed
backwards and forwards six times
across in front Of the spaniards, pour.
ing in upon the latter perfect hail OF
shot and shell. Every American shot
,eemed to tell while almost every Span.
sh shot missed the mark.
After having thus scattered death
md Generalization among the Spanish
deet and in the Spanish batteries the
American feet retired for breakfast,
md incidentally, council Of war was
held on board the Olympia.
By this time the Spanish ships were
in desperate condition. The flagship
Reina Christina was riddled with shot
and shell, one of her steam pipes burst
and she was on fire. The Castillo was
also on fire, and they were eventually
Burned to the Waters Edge.
The Don Antonio de Ulloa made a
most magnificent show of desperate
bravery. When her commander found
she was SO torn by the American
shells that he could not keep her
afoat he nailed her colors to the mast
and she sank with all hands fighting to
the last. Her hull was completely rid.
died and her upper deck had been
swept clean by the awful fire of the
American guns, but the Spaniards,
though their vessel was sinking be.
meath them, continued working her
guns on her lower deck until she sank
beneath the waters.
During the engagement Spanish
tornado hoat crent along the shore ana
around the offing in an attempt to at.
tack the American store ships. but she
was promptly discovered. was driven
ashore and actually shot to pieces.
The Mindanano in the meantime had
been run ashore to save her from sink
ing, and the Spanish small craft sought
shelter from the steel storm behind the
breakwater.
COMPLETED THE JOB.