The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-11


of the Spanish navy, next In rank at this
station to Admiral Alontejo. who had been
wounded ana conveyed to Manila. Com
mander Lamberton, Lieut. Wood Of the
Petrol and myself, went with Capt Sos
toa to the arsenal headquarters, which
was at once surrounded by an armed
guard.
Commander Lamberton told Capt Sos
toa that he was surprised to see his men
under arms after they had surrendered the
day before Sostoa said they had not sur
rendered, but had merely raised the white
flag to enable them TO remove the women
and children 10 a place of safety.
Then Commander Lamberton said that
when the Spanish flag came down ana the
white flag went up, no other interpreted
ton could be put upon ii than an un-
conditional surrended and the women and
children ought not to have been there
anyhow. Capt. Sostoa replied that we had
came so early that they had not been re-
moved. If we had not begun the hight so
| soon. he declared, the women would have
been out of the way
Commander Lamberton reminded MN
that the Spaniards fired the first shot
However, he was not there to discuss past
events. He was Commodore Dewey rep
resentative to take possession of the arse
nal The Spaniards there must surren-
of war, otherwise our ships would open
| fire on them.
Then Capt Sostoa said he could do moth
| ing. not being in command. and would
have to consult his superiors.
Commander Lamberton refused to rec
ognize any one but the senior officer ac-
tually present, who must comply with
| Commodore Dewey's conditions. capt
| Sostoa asked to have the terms put down
| oh, as follows.
without further delay all Spanish Off
GERS and men must be withdrawn, and no
belongings nor stores must be Injured
Commodore Dewey did not wish further
hostility with the Spanish naval forces, so
it was proposed that the Spanish officers
would be paroled and that the forces at
the arsenal could deliver all their small
arms.
Then Can't. Sostoa pleaded for time The
talk had ali been in Spanish and the time
when Lieut.. Wood was TO open FIRE was
nearly up,
Consequently Commander Lamberton
gave two hours as a limit. If the white
flag was not rehoisted over the arsenal in
that time we should reopen fire.
We returned to the Petrol just In time,
and started back across the bay to report
to the commodore. AT 1915 O'CLOCK the
white flag was again hoisted, but when we
we found that every seaman had marched
off to Manila, carrying his Mauser rifle
with him.
That evening, having learned that the
| Governor of Manila refused to let the ca
Bile company transmit our messages, Com
modors Dewey sent the merchant steamer
Zafro a short distance down the bay ana
cut tie cable. Having no instruments Tor
working the cable, we could not keep up
/ would
not let the cable company send Its opera
tors TO our ships.
No one can complain that Commodore
Dewey has been slow in finishing off his
work. vet he would have ended 1t even
sooner bur for an accident to one or the
Raleighs pumps, which detained him In
Mrs bay two days, and also the slow
speed os which the transport vessels are
capable But for these delays the Span
ish ships would have been destroyed on
Thursday instead of Sunday.
During the passage of the forts at the
entrance TO Manila bay on Saturday night
Mr.. Randall, chief engineer of the reve-
me cutter NIcCulloch, died suddenly fro m
heat prostration and was buried at sea
next day Although the McCulioch was
of no value as fighting machine the
commodore several times made use OF her
to overhaul sailing craft she Kept at
safe distance from the scene of action on
sunday. but went down the bay to meet
the English mer chant steamer Esmeralda,
which was coming in, and an excellent
record for speed as a dispatch boat bring
ing US over TO Hong Kong
As soon as the natives ashore had
learned chat the Spaniards had been driv-
en- out of Cavite they began coming In
crowds to rillage. Finally they became
so bold as to attack the hospital and 1t be-
came necessary either to send guard of
American seamcn TO protect it or to trans
fer The Spanish wounded TO Manila. Tne
latter was done on Wednesday, the COM
modore utilizing the captured steamers Tor
this duty.
All house Of Spaniards in the town of
San Roaue. near Cavite, were pillaged by
the natives. who even ventured into the
arsenal and carried off many boat loads
of furniture and stores before marine
guard was posted at%he gates.
The Spanish defeat was advertised for
miles away by the ships burning at Ca
vie. The Castillo, which was set on fire,
was a magnificent mass OF flames, con-
tinuing 10 burn all night with brilliant
intensity.
I boarded the Don Juan de Austria, Isla
de I,uzon and Marquis del Duero while
thew we're still burning and found then.
fitted with fine rapid-fire guns and the
most modern naval improvements. l did
not discover until after we had spent the
afternoon in their vicinity that all their
large guns were loaded with powder and
shell, making them peculiarly dangerous
10 small boats.
The moment when our ships drew away
for breakfast Sunday morning the tenn
per of the men was illustrated by an al
most fearful appeal Of one gun captain to
Commander Lamberton:
For Gods sake, Captain, don't stop
Now let's finish EN- UP right off. To h..
with breakfast"
"Old Purdy," a privileged petty officer
because he has served in the navy or
army nearly fifty years. was greeted by
the commodore on Saturday. The old
man shifted his quid and said:
~ hope you won't fight on May g. Com
modore.'
why not?" asked Commodore Dewey
wei, you see, got licked the last time
/ fought on that date" he answered.
Purdy had been with Hooker at Chan
celIorsyille, and he did not like that ami
versary.
All our men suffered greatly from heat
during the action. for the ships were shut
up below, with furnaces blazing and