The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-03

Continued from Page ID
casualties sustained by the American
fleet From the stubborn defense made
| by the Spaniards. it was feared that
| before they burned, blew up or sunk
their ships, they managed to inflict Sc
we're damage upon Commodore Dewey's
squadron.
ALL VULNERABLE.
All of the ships engaged were vulner-
able in one respect, namely, in their
lack of protection to life. There was
not an armored ship in Commodore
Dewey's fleet, the nearest approach be-
| ing the flagship Olympia.
She had some coal protection around
the sides and an arched steel deck cal
| culated to protect the vitals of the ship
| The other vessels of the fleet, save
those recently added to the navy, like
the McCulloch, have lighter steel decks
| of this character, but in ell cases, Win
| the exception of some slight protection
in the shape of gun shields, the per
sonnet of the ship was exposed to the
| fire of the enemy.
| If Commodore Dewey has lost con-
siderable portion of his men, it is fear
ed he will be much embarrassed in the
work of maintaining possession OF Ma
Mia for lack of sufficient force.
United States naval vessels are al
ways undermined, according to Eu-
ropean standards, and it will not be
possible, having regard to the safety OF
| the ships, to spare any conSlderaple
number of men to keep the city, espec-
tally if the engagement has disabled
many of them. There was some talk
this afternoon of sending out troops
from San Francisco to aid in this work,
but this has not yet taken shape, so
far as can be learned, and it is likely
that the department will wait to near
from Commodore Dewey himself before
taking any action. It may be, and, IN
fact, it is expected, that by comblna-
ton with the insurgents he will sue
! coed in having his men relieved of the
task of garrisOning Manila
FUTURE OF ISLANDS.
AS to the future of the islands, it is
likely that the government will retain
possession of at least one good port,
such as Manila, for a coaling station
and base OF supplies during the re-
mainder of the war. There was under
stood to be considerable force in the
Philippines, and a large number of ma
tives are said TO be loyal" meaning
in that sense attached to the Spanish
fortunes. With this material on one
hand and the insurgents on the other,
the latter stimulated by the overthrow
that civil war may rage on the islands
for some time outside of Manila proper.
It is believed the officials have not de-
cided what to do with the Islands at
the end of the war. but in their pos
session the United States will enjoy a
powerful weapon in enforcing terms of
peace with Spain. Surprising Porto
Rico shall next be seized. it would seem
that Spain will have little to encourage
her in further resistance, particularly
as the fall of Porto Rico would mean
the loss to her of her ironclad fleets
should they cross the Atlantic.
ONE GOOD RESULT.
There is no talk yet of European in
tervention, but one of the most bene-
fetal results of Dewey's victory yes
terday is that deep impression has
been made upon the European powers,
who can now no longer afford to blind
themselves to the fact that, man TO
man, the American navy is equal to
any in the world. There was no exhibit
ton, such as was sneeringly predicted
in the European press, of weakness in
the American fleet, caused by the fact
that it was of heterogeneous compost
ton. 1t is safe to say that after the
battle at Manila the European powers
will conclude that the American flag
always floats over the American crew,
regardless of the nationality or racial
descent of the men who fight the guns.
The impression produced is likely to
deter the European powers from hasty
intervention, and the present indica-
lions are that we shall be left to settle
our affairs with Spain a. our own
pleasure, always providing we do not
get involved in the eastern question
through obtaining possession of the
Philippines.
PROMOTION FOR DEWEY.
1t is entirely possible that Commo-
dore Dewey may secure his promotion
to the rank of admiral through this
splendid exhibition of pluck, discretion
and sailor qualities he made in yester-
days engagement. The naval law,
however, does not permit of promotion
except by seniority, so that it probably
would be requisite for congress to pass
a special resolution, such as was done
in the case of Commodore Melville, to
afford him his well-earned promotion.