Semi=weekly graphic., 1898-08-27
DESCRIBING THE BATTLE OF VANILLA RECEIVED BY MIR. L. E. JEANNlN
 OF THIS CITY.
"BOid Dewey Signals the Fleet to Follow
 the Flagship and Fire when He Did.

The following letter received by Mir. l.. E. Jeannin, of the l'ire Bluff Telephone Co.,, gives altogether the most vivid and compete description of the battle of Manila on May, the ist, yet received in this country, and we publish it in full.
 MANILA BAY, Monday. July 1. '9s l Mn. l.. E. JEANNIN: |
 DEAR SRI will now endeavor to give you detailed account of the I battle of Manila bay, which may ih- terest you. We arrived at Hong l Kong on Sunday. April l7th, and at once turned over to Commodore 1 tnow Rear-AdmiraH Dewey. and | were at once ordered to put war paint on and prepare ship for action pending declaration of war. We re mained in Hong Kong just one week when we ordered to proceed via Mfrs bay to Manila fifty miles distant where we took on coal and ammuni- ton and prepared for an attack on Manila
 We then hove anchor and started out from Mfrs bay on Thursday, Alp Til 2Sth, in the following order. Flag ship Olympia, Baltimore, Raleigh Concord, Petrel, Boston, Mccullough and two transports.
 On April 30th, we anchored in small bay near Manila, where the commanders were called on board the flagship to hold consultation on the mode of attack, ana Tn two hours time it was decided toenter at night and surprise the Dous, which We did and fortunate for us that We did as we found out later.
 We closed alf battle ports, put out all lights and screened every thing 90 that nothing appeared in sight exs eept the dark hulls of our ships
 All went well until we were opp posite Gorrigfdor island when the McCulIoeh's sm0kestaek caught fife, and gave us away, and before we could breathe, shot from Il heavy shore gun came sailing over lis. This was little past midnight on the morning of May lst.
 We at once opened up our six pounder batteries and sent thlee shots in rapid succession which must have found their mark The Boston sent one e'ght.fnch shell in which I plainly saw light up Che beach when , 1t struck, and if carred destruction
 withit
 We sailed along leisurely up the bay and at 4:55 a. rs we entered the inner Aarbor It was just breaking day. The Spuniards at once dis covered us and opened fire, but our ships went proudly on withoutnotic. , ing their fire for fully ten minutes or until we got in range.
 Bold Dewey signalled the fleet to follow the flagship and open fire when he did. When in range the Olympia started with her eight-inch : tnrret guns on the Spanish flagship . Reina Christinia, who had hotilla
 of pontoons in front of her, but they
 were of no use to her Infully twenty minutes we perfectly riddled her with lead and then directed our attention to the forts.
 One of the first ten shots set fire to
 the enemy's magazine and blew it up. Iii the meantime. the other yes. sels and forts of the Spanish kept up an ineessant fire, while the Raleigh,
 Petrel, Concord and Boston poured their shot and shell at them with wonderful effect.
 One remarkable instance l shall never forget, the Alba. two-fun- nelled boat came out under a full head of steam determined to ram us. A shot from one of ourshtps knocked one of her smokestacks oYerboards. She turned around and in attempting to get to a place of safety, a well directed shot from the Baltimore struck her stern and blew her un.
 I tell you it was pretty sight l IDAL TWO HOuAS LII uS SnAiJS hhO though shot fell all around us, we could not help but laugh at the lick ing we gave the Dons.
 This is about as good an account as I can give except that when our ships withdrew for breakfast or to
 bury our dead" as the Spanish had it, and the three shots we fired up the bay as we withdrew, the one the Boston fired killed forty-fye Span iards.
 In ali the Spaniards had 3s4 killed : and 400 wounded The Americans . had six wounded and none killed, p One Spanish shot went through [ the Baltimore's wardroom and set e fire to it, burning an officers cloth
 ing, but the fire was extinguished.