Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-06-16
AS Told by Eyewitnesses OF the
Engagement.
LIVELY EXPERIENCE OF OLYMPIA
Fieroely Assaulted by Two Span
iSh Torpedoboats.


They are Col. 9. A. Loud, acting pay
master OF the disnatchboat MeCulloch
Dir. Charles Ii. Kindleherger, surgeon
Of the Olympia, and j. G. Evans. gun
ner OF the BUston. Kiudleberger and
Evans arc going home, as their terms of
service have expired. Col. Loud wac
psymaster of the McCulloch, but was
relipvol when he reached Hong Kong,
CON ing back on leave Of absence. Col.
Loud gives good story of the fight,
which he was in position to watch
carefully by the aid of good glass.
He said;
after leaving Hong Kong we steered
straight for the Philippines add as
we approached the coast the Baltimore,
Boston and Concord were told to 90 on
in front to ace If they could discover
anything OF the encmy.
No enemy, however, was seen, but
in Subic Bay tho Kite came across a
couple OF small schonners whose occu-
pants we're questioned as to the where
abouts of the Spanish fleet. but with.
out satisfaction, they even pretending
not to know whers Manila is.
Ii was about O'Clock on Saturday
evening when we left Suhie Bay We
expected tn sight the Spaniards every
minute, and accordingly steamed slowly
along a sharp lookout. was kept and
everything was ready for action. Still
notting hove IN sight, and lats in the
evening ws arrived outside Manila Bay,
entering the broad channel in regular
battle order.
The vessels steamed slowly by
Curregidor Island, which divides the
entrance to Manila harbur into two
channels. There was a bright moon,
hut the ships had nearly all passed the
forts thare without being discovered.
No lights were permitted On any of the
ships with che exception OF a stern
light, to enable the vessels to keep 10
line. The dull gray color al the ships
evidently helped to conceal them from
view. Ihare was perfect stiffness on
each ship of the fact Tho men were
at quarters, and everything was in
| perfect readiness they steamed slowly
through the wide channel Go the south
OF Corregidor Island. Six of the ships
had passed through unnoticed when
rattling fire from the shore batteries
told that the fleet had heen sighted.
The shots dropped near the Boston and
McCulloch. The McCulloch answered
with three shots and the Boston also
fired Heyeral shots.. None Of the pro.
lectiles damaged any Of the vessels,
and, after the shots from the Boston
| and McCulloch, no further attention
was paid to this fire from the forts. The
fleet slowly advanced up the bay to
Manila, and arrived oppositsd the city
about i.3O, am, when day was break
ing. ~
We soon made out the Spanish fleet
in the harbor of Cavite. Including fur
small gunboats, there we're about IA
vessels altogether drawn up in line,
backed and fianked by the batteries of
Cavite, which were very heavily
mounted, the ordnance including
several 10 inch guns. The Spaniarde
| gave US warm reception, and we soon
found that the Don Antonio d'Ull0a
and the Relna Cristina the flagship
carried much heavier guns than we
thought. They, however, did no exe-
cution. while the bruadsides poured by
our vessels, as, headed by the Olympia,
they steamed across the mouth of the
harbor, soon made an impression.
We first fired the port battery aud
| then came around and fired the star
board battery, repeating this operation
four or five times. The second time we
came around tho Spanish admiral came
out In the Reina Cristina and CALAMITY
assailed us. We received him warmly,
and do not know how in the world he
escaped with his life. While the old
admiral was standing on the bridge, a
shot from one nf our vessels blew the
bridge clean over, but the admiral
somehow escaped, for We cav him after.
ward calmly pacing the deck. Finally,
finding he could do no goud, he turned
TO get hack into the harlior, but bufnro
he could take shelter an s-inch shell
from the Boston struck his vessel 10 the
stern and set her on hre. Later she
sank with some 200 men. The admiral
was among thUse who escaped.
Tho Castillo was next 10 take fire
and tho Don Antonio d'Ullua followed.
Two torpedo launches, which lay in
wait oil Cavite, attempted to run IN
witt torpedoes against the Olympia,
and there were come trying moments
for the crew. The shells from the big
guns did not succeed in hitting such
small objects as they rapidly ap,
preached Whom within 800 yards OF
the fagships, the secondary batteries
of the Olympia sent in a perfect hail
of pound shells, smashing up the
leading boat. killing all on board. and
driving the second launch back on the
beach with u shot holes through her.
This boat wns asterward found covered
with blood.
by this time breakfast time had ar
rived, and the commodore gave a signal
to haul off a short distance, not going to
anchor, however, and the commanding
ollicers had consultation. The attack
IA nc, Il nk nj. I II. :.
time we directed our attention to the
Cavite batteries, the Spanish fleet
having been practically annihilated.
TIE Baltimore took the lead. She had
orders to attack the shore batteries, and
she want and did tine checklist thing of
the whole day. The batteries mounted
10 inch guns, shot from one of which
would, il 1t bad struck her, have blown
the Baltimore into atoms. The vessel,
however, to the admiration of the whole
fleet, went 10 full speed until she cot
close under the batteries. Then she
swung round and let them have ii with
a vengeance. 1t was wonderful to seu
her CALAMITY sail into the teeth OF the
guns and silence them.
Not only tine fleet, but all the de.
fences OF any Importance had by this
time been destroyed. l shall not suun
forget the sight which tho harbor
presented. The smoking hulks of the
Spanish vessels which had not yet sunk
wero sesn to be strewn with corpses
and wounded men, and bodies were
floating about in the water. | should
think the Spanish lost about 500 men
killed and wounded, while on our side
not man WAS lost and only one badly
hurt.
1.-The hauling down of the Spanish