The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-05-04
Admiral Dewey Defeats the Spanish
Fleet in Manila Harbor,
Philippine Islands.
Two Of Spain's Ships Burned and
Others Sunk to Avoid Be-
ing Captured.
American Fleet Remain in the Har-
bors and the Insurgents
Attack the City.

Madrid, May IAN official telegram
from Manila, dated IL a. M, says that
in the middle of last night shots fired
outside in the bay announced that the
enemy's feet, favored by darkness, had
forced an entrance to the harbor At
dawn it opened furious fire on the
forts at Cavite.
The combat was brilliantly waged,
the Spanish feet being protected by
| the batteries of Cavite and Manila.
The enemy was obliged to make sew
eral evolutions and suffered great loss.
At 9 o'clock they withdrew to the
west side of the bay, casting anchor
behind foreign merchantmen. In view
of the overwhelming superiority Of
the enemy our squadron suffered con-
siderably, and the Maria Christina,
which is now blazing, and another yes
sci are regarded as lost.
Among the dead are Commander Ca
darzo of the Christina. The Spanish
feet was animated by great courage.
The telegram has produced a very
painful impression, but the national
spirit shows no sign of weakness. The
cabinet is now sitting to discuss the
situation.
1t seems that the American squad
ron was sighted off Subic last evening.
Apparently its commander expected to
to.fnd the Spanish feet there, but Ad-
miral Montejo had retired to Manila
and the protection of the forts of the
bay. So Admiral Dewey kept on and
passed the forts at the entrance to the
bay just before dawn. There was
some firing from the batteries, but the
squadron did not reply; and there has
been no report whether the shots took
effect.
| With the dawn, Cavite opened fire
from her heaviest guns, and at once
the Olympia fred her S-inch forward
cannon in reply.
From this time the firing became
general. Admiral Montejo, in the
Reina Christina, went boldly to meet
the foe. He was soon engaged with
the Olympia. cruiser of such superior
force, and though he Unlisted much in
jury his ship was set on fire and Grip
pied by the Olympia's heavy guns.
The Captain Killed.
Admiral Montejo was urged to leave
the ship, which was in sinking con-
dition, and was at last forced to do SO
and transfer his flag. The captain
was shot dead by the admiral's side as
he was leaving the doomed flagship,
and devoted men were falling all
around him.
The transfer of the flag was deed
of desperate daring, for all the ships of
the Spanish fleet were under terrible
fire.
The admiral was forced to seek the
armed transport Isla de Cuba, which
had suffered less damage than the
others.
Meantime some of the American
ships withdrew to the west of the bay
and the Olympia and Baltimore fol-
lowed. The wounded were sent ashore
in position out of range of the Spanish
fire and the Americans returned to the
attack. With the Reina Christina de-
stroyed and many of his other ships
shattered, gallant Admiral Montejo
was hard put to it for a defense. He
forced the Americans to maneuvers,
however, and got them into positions
of great danger from the fire of the
forts.
In the second attack the Baltimore
Olympic, Concord and Boston made
straight for the crippled Spanish ships,
firing their heavy guns with great ra-
pidity.
The Spanish gunners stood nobly to
their guns and answered shot for shot
as best they might But weight was
on the American side, and soon the
large wooden cruiser Castillo was on
fire and all the efforts of the crew to
extinguish the blaze were unavailing.
The Americans continued to pour
their fire upon the DEVOTED vessel, and
to prevent the magazines from explod-
ing she was scuttled and the crew
made for the shore in their boats or
upon pieces of the shattered spars.
Don Juan Blown Up.
The Don Juan de Austria was even
less fortunate. She, too. was crippled
by the shots of the Americans, and in
her helpless condition could not escape
/ the storm of shot and shell.
Suddenly her magazine exploded. A
great cloud of smoke, from which
flames seemed to leap, was seen to rise
above the faithful ship. and she was
seen to rise above the faithful ship,
and she was seen no more.
All this time the guns III the forts
were firing at the American warships,
the gunners showing great patriotism
and cool courage. Great damage must
have been done to the attacking fleet,
/ though the effectiveness Of the fire was
somewhat interfered with. by the fear
, of damaging the foreign merchant
/ chips in tho hav