The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-26
The Great Gunmery at Manila.

From the st. Louis Globe-Democrat
Lynx Smith, a gunner on the flagship
of Admiral Dewey, the Olympia, a resi-
dent of Peru, Ind, writes a long account
of the battle of Manila to his relatives Al
ter describing in detail the voyage from
Hong Kong past Corregidor Island, he
says:
"At o'clock in the morning, after
slight shower, the moon shone out hazy
a great point in our favor, as we could
keep a sharp lookout without using our
searchlights. At 4:1O o'clock we took our
stations at the guns, magazines and shell
rooms. I was in the eight-inch shell room
aft, 20 feet below the water line, and i'm
mediately above me was a hatch, opening
six feet square which led to the spar deck
through which the shells were hoisted. 1t
was just breaking day and l saw our bat
tie flag going up on the mizZenmast There
were three cheers as 1t went up, and i'm
mediately the enemy opened on us, and
from that time until 7:16 there was con-
tinuous laundering of the big Hotchkiss
guns. The heat below was terrible. The
thermometer in the room registered III.
The perspiration poured down my bare
back and clothing would have been intol-
cradle. We were considerably excited at
first, and 1 believe we should have been
quite as warm had the shell room been en-
CdSGu III al tCGDSTR, DuL gradually VIC bC-
came accustomed, and, after ten minutes,
surrounded by fifty tons of shells that
six-pounder would have touched off, did
not have time to think of the heat. The
call was unceasing for shells of all kinds
shrapnel, armor- piercing and cannon, and
] was kept busy selecting the projectiles
dragging them to the hoist and attaching
the tackle. The shells weighed from 80
to $50 pounds each, but by the end of the
R,rJ,t ;, - atort.
pounds. 1t was 62S when I took my place
at the gun, No. 81. 1t is a six-pounder
HOtchkiss and can be handled easily and
is almost as accurate as a common rifle.
I was second gun captain and 1T was
my duty to eject the exploded shell, drive
home the fresh charge, close the breech-
plug and adjust the sight to the range
called out through sentries, every two
minutes by the range-finder. One call
would be for 5000 yards; another for zoo
yards, and another for $500 yards off the
port beam. I adjusted thirty shells;
When 1 took my place at the gun start
ed through the dense smoke and saw
ship ahead Of me as large as the. Copcord'
The range came, 100 yards and l gave
it to her. Before had time to fire sec
ond shot came the call torpedo boat W.
yards; while I was waiting for her to
come flush with my quarter the boat was
Hlt Wy dh SsSHt-lhCH shell Aiolh q '~'
gun of the Olympia and blown clear OUT
of the water. I saw the most wonderful
shooting at the Castillo, which came Out
from behind the masonry of a fort Inc
range, $50 yards was called, and almost
instantly two eight-inch, seven five-incn
and ten six-pounders had plugged her fun
of holes, while an eight-inch shell mo
ment later actually tore its way through
her entire length, burst her boilers ana
sank her We were struck quite Otter,
but were not hurt. The Spaniards coua
not see the range. firing high and sendms
most of their shots through the rigging.