The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-05-10

SOuAI VI Tic UdIlI0 VI AadElld,, ltIkGu
from the Pioneer Press, was written
by the New York Heraid's special cor
respondent, who witnessed the fight
from the bridge of the flagship
Olympia:
Manila, May mot one Spanish flag
flies in Manila bay to-day. Not one
Spanish warship floats except as our
prize. More than 200 Spanish dead
and 500 to 700 wounded attest to the
accuracy of the American fire. Com
modore Dewey attacked the Spanish
posts at Cavite this morning He
swept five times along the line and
scored one of the most brilliant sue
cesses in Modern warfare That our
loss is trifing adds to the pleasure Of
victory without detracting from it's
value The number Of hits our vessels
received proved how brave and stub
born was the defense made by the
Spanish forces. Miraculous as it may
appear, none of our men were killed,
and only eight wounded. Those who
were wounded suffered only slight in
juries. Commodore Dewey arrived off
Manila bay last night and decided to
enter the bay at once. With all lights
out the squadron
Steamed Into BOcagrande
with crews at guns. 1t was just 8
o'clock, bright, moonlight night; but
the flagship passed Corregidor island
without sign being given that the
Spaniards were aware of its approach.
Not until the flagship was mile be-
yond COrregidOr was a gun fired. Then
one heavy shot went screaming over
the Raleigh and the Olympia, followed
by second, which fell further astern.
The Raleigh, the Concord and the BoS-
ton replied, the COncOrd's shells eXplOd-
ing apparently exactly inside the shore
battery, which fired no more. Our
squadron slowed down to barely steer
age way, land the men were allowed
to sleep alongside their guns. COmmO-
dore Dewey had timed our ARRIVAL so
that we were within five miles of the
city of Manila at daybreak. We sight
ed the Spanish squadron, Rear Adj
miral MontejO commanding, off Cavite
pronounced Kaveetay, with the ac
cent on the ''vee"O. Here the Span
iards had a we'll equipped navy yard
called Cavite arsenal. Admiral Monte
JOS flag was flying on the 3,500-ton
protected cruiser Reina Christina. The
protected cruiser Castillo, of 1920 tons,
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 Onero and
Gen. LezoX. These ships and the flag
ship remained under way during most
of the action. With the
United states Flag Flying
at all 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
begun by three batteries mounting
guns powerful enough to send a shell
over us at a distance of five miles.
The Concord's guns doomed out re-
ply to these batteries with two shots.
No more were fired, because COmmo-
dore Dewey could not engage with
these batteries without sening death
and destruction into the crowded city.
AS we neared Cavite two very power
full submarine mines were exploded
ahead Of the flagship. This was six
minutes past ) O'Clock The Spaniards
evidently had misjudged our position.
Immense volumes of water were
thrown high in the air by these de-
stroyers, but no harm was done to our
ship. A few minutes later the shore
battery on Cavite point sent over the
flagship a shot that nearly hit bat
terry in MANILA, but soon the guns got
better range and shells began to strike
near us or burst close aboard from
both batteries and the Spanish vessels.
The heat was intense. Men stripped
off all their clothing except trousers.
AS the Olympia drew nearer the ship
grew silent as if empty, except for the
Whirl of blowers and the thrOb of en-
gines Suddenly. as shell burst d.
rectly over us, a hoarse cry came from
the bosun's mate at an after five-inch
gun, and
.sRen.c mber the Maine"
rose from 500 men at the guns. The
watchword was caught Up in the
turrets and fire rooms below, wherever
a seaman or fireman stood at his post,
"Remember the Mainer' had rung out
for defiance and revenge. The utter
ance seemed unprecedented, but was
evidently in every mans mind, and
now that the moment had come to
make, adequate reply to the murder Of
thexx-A.sne's crew, every man shouted
W. Is in his heart. The Olympia