The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-05-14

ana the SnellS began TO strike near us or
burst close aboard from both the batteries
and the Spanish vessels.
The heat was intense. Men stripped off
all clothing except their trousers.
As the Olympia drew nearer all was as
silent on board as if the ship had been
empty, except for the whr of the blowers
and the throb of the engines.
''REMEMBER THE MAINE.
Suddenly a shell burst directly over us.
From the boatswain' mate at the after
five-inch gun came hoarse cry Gre
member the Mainer arose from the throats
of 500 men at the guns.
This watchword was caught up in tur-
rets and iirerooms, wherever seaman or
fireman stood at his post
..Remember the Mainer' had rung out
for defiance and revenge. Its utterance
seemed unprecedented, but was evidently
in every man mind, and now that the
moment had come to make adequate reply
to the killing Of the Maine crew, every
man shouted what was in his heart.
YuU MAY FIRE WHEN READY, GRIDLEY.
The Olympia was now ready to begin
the fight
Commordore Dewey his chief Of staff,
Commander Lamberton. an aide and my
self, with Executive Officer Lieutenant
Rees and Navigator Lieutenant Calkins,
who comed ship most admirably, were on
the forward bridge. Captain Gridley was
in the coming tower, as it was thought
unsafe to risk losing all the senior officers
bv one shell.
You may fire when ready, Gridley,
said the Commodore. and at nineteen min
utes of & o clock, at distance Of $500
yards. the starboard eight inch Gun in the
forward turret roared forth compliment
10 the Spanish forts. Presently similar
guns from the Baltimore and the Boston
sent 250-pound shells toward the Castillo
and the Reina Christina for accuracy.
SPANISH GINS HOT WORK.
The Spandiards seemed encouraged to
fire faster, knowing exactly our distance,
while we had to guess theirs. Their ship
and shore guns were making things hot
for us.
The piercing scream of shot was varied
often by the bursting Of time fuse shells,
fragments of which would lash the water
like shrapnel or cut our hull and rigging.
One large shell that was coming straight
at the Olympias forward bridge fortu-
nately fell within less than 100 feet away.
\ fragment cut the rigging exactly over
the heads Of Lamberton, Rees and myself
Another struck the bridge sratings in line
with it A third passed just under Com
mondore Dewey and gouged Il hole in the
deck Incidents like these were plentiful
Our men naturally chafed at being ex-
posed without returning fire from all our
guns, but laughed at danger and chatted
good humoredly. \ few nervous fellows
could not help dodging mechanically when
shells would burst right over them or close
aboard, or would strike the water and
passed overhead, with the peculiar Splut-
ter:ng roar made by tumbling rifed pro-
jectile.
THE OLYMPIA UNDER HEAVY FIRE.
Still the flagship steered for the centre
of the Spanish line, and, as our other ships
were astern, the Olympia received most of
the Spaniards' attention.
Owing to our deep draught, Commodore
Dewey felt constrained to change his
course at distance Of 1900 yards and
run parallel to the Spanish column. ':Open
with all guns, he said, and the ship
brought her port broadside bearing
The roar of the flagship s fve-inch rap
id-frers was followed by a deep diapason
of her after turet eight-inchers. Soon
our other vessels were equally hard at
work, and we could see that our shells
were making Cavite harbor hotter for the
Spaniards than they had made the ap-
proach for us.
Protected by their shore batteries and
made safe from close attack by shallow
water, the Spaniards were in a streng po-
sition. They put up gallant fight The
Spanish ships were sailing back and forth
behind the Castillo, and their fire, too,
was hot
EXPLOSION ON THE BALTIMORE.
One shot struck the Baltimore and
passed clear through her, fortunately hit
ting no one. Another ripped up her main
deck, disabled six inch gun and exploded
Il box of three FOUNDER ammunition,
wounding eight men.
The Olympia was struck abreast the gun
in the wardroom by shell which burst
outside, doing little damage.
The signal halyards were cut from Lieu
tenant Brumby' hand on the after bridge
\ shell entered the Boston's port quarter
and burst in Ensign Dodridge stateroom,
starting a hot fire, and fire was also caused
by Il shell which burst in the port ham
mock netting. Both these fires were
quickly put out.
Another shell passed through the Bos-
tons foremast just in front of Captain
Wildes, on the bridge.
After having made four runs along the
Spanish line, finding the chart incorrect,
Lieutenant Calkins, the Olympia's navi-
gator, told the Commodore he believed he
could take the ship nearer the enemy,
with lead going to watch the depth of
water The flagship started over the
course for the fifth time, running within
1000 yards of the Spanish vessels.
At this range even six-pounders were
effective, and the storm of shells poured
upon the unfortunate Spanish began to
show marked results
Three of the enemy vessels were seen
burning and their fire slackened.
JUST A STOP FOR BREAKFAST.
On finishing this run Commodore Dewey
decided to give the men breakfast, as they
had been at the guns two hours, with only
one cup of coffee to sustain them. Action
ceased temporarily at twenty five minutes
of eight o clock, the other ships passing
the flagship and cheering Justify.
Our ships remained beyond range of the