The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-05-13
Details OF Dewey. Victory,

The N, Y. Herald's correspond
ent who was on board Com. Dewey's
flag ship sends the following details
Of the great naval fight off Manila:
With all lights out the squadron
steamed into Bocagrande, with crews
at the guns, This was the order of
the squadron, which was kept during
the whole time of the first battle:
The flagship Olympia, the Balti-
more, the Raleigh, the Petrol, the
Concord, the Boston.
1t was just s o'clock, bright
moonlight night, but the flagship
passed Corregidor island without
sign being given that the Spaniards
we've aware of its approach.
Not until the flagship was mile
beyond Corregidor was gun fred
The one heavy shot went screaming
over the Raleigh and, the Olympia,
followed by a second, which fell
further astern.
The Ralegh, the Concord and the
Boston replied, the Concord's shells
exploding apparently exactly inside
the shore battery, which fired no more.
Our squadron slowed down to bare
ly steerage way and the men were al
lowed to sleep alongside their guns.
Commodore Dewey had timed our
arrival so that we were within five
miles of the city Of Manila at day
break.
We then sighted the Spanish squad
ron, Rear Admiral Montojo COM
handing off Cavite-pronounced
Kahveetay, with accent on the "vee.
Here the Spaniards had well-equlp'
ped navy yard called CaNite arsenal
Admiral Montojos flag was flying
on the 3500-ton protected cruiser
Reina Cristlna. The protected cruls
err Castillo, of 32C0 IONS, was moored
ahead, and astern to the port battery
and to seward were the cruisers Don
Juan de Austria, Don Antonio de
Ulloa, Isla de Cuba, Isla de Luzon,
Quiros, Marquis del Duero and Gen.
Leo.
These ships and the flagship re-
manned under way during most OF the
action.
With the United States flag flying
at their mastheads our ships moved to
the attack in line ahead, with a speed
of eight knots, first passing in front
of Manila, where the action was be-
gun by three batteries mounting guns
DOW erful enough to send shell over
us at distance Of five miles.
The Concord's guns doomed out a
reply to these batteries with two
shots. No more were fired, because
Commodore Dewey could not engage
with these batteries without sending
death and destruction into the crowd,
ed city.
AS we neared Cavite two very pow
erful submarine mines were exploded
ahead of the flagship. This was al
5 O6 o'clock. The Spaniards evl-
IDENTIFY had mlsjudged our position
Immense volumes Of water were
thrown high in air by these destroy
ers, but no harm was done to oul
ships Commodore Dewey had fought
} with Farragut at New Orleans arc
Mobile bay, where he had his frs
experience with torpedoes. No
knowing how many more mines there
! might be ahead, he still kept on with
out faltering. No other mines ex
8 ploded, however, and it is believed
that the Spaniards had only thes'
two in place.
Only few minutes later the shor
battery at Cavite point sent over tn
: flagship shot that nearly hit the bat
! terry in Manila, but soon the guns 60
e better range, and the shells bega
: to strike near us or burst close aboar,
e from both the batteries and the Span
ish vessels.
d The heat was intense. Men strip
$ ped off all clothing except their trous
!. ers. AS the Olympia drew neare
4 alt was as silent on board as if tn
y ship had been empty, except for tn
y whirr of blowers and the throb of th
: engines. Suddenly shell burst d
II recty over us. From the boatswain
9 mate at the fve-inch gun came
hoarse cry. "Remember the Maine
e arose from the throats of 500 men {
the guns. This watchword Wa
caught up in turrets and fireroom'
: wherever seaman or fireman stood ;
his post.
:" Remember the Maine Y had run
= out for defiance and revenge. i
utterance seemed unpremeditatet
\ but was evidently in every man