Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-06

Wna0 Aewey did IA the Pacific. The
story Of our fleets shagnincent triumph
at Santiago Is in many respects the
parallel Of our overwhelming victory at
Manila. sampson and his Yankee tars
waited long for their coveted oppor-.
tunity. but It came 1t last and glori-
ously I'D they improve it. They re-
membered the Maine With the awful
vengeance OF their brothers in the
Pacific. and when the thunder Of our
great guns ceased another feet OF
Spain was shattered and sunken.
When the news was flashed over the
world, two months ago. that Admiral
Dewey at Manila. against the odds Of
mines and shore forts. had completely
annihilated Spanish fleet Of nine
ships. causing the loss Of hundreds Of
lives. without the loss Of an American
life or the injury Of an American ship,
1t was pronounced the greatest naval
exploit in all history. His great
achievement stood alone in the daring
of its conception and the success Of its
execution, and the most ardent patriot
did not dare to dream that anothe:
victory SO great and overwhelming
would be ours on the seas. But
American sailors and American. war
vessels are the same wherever their
duty calls them, and when Sampson
and the Atlantic squadron had the
chance to strike. their blow was as
effective as that Of Dewey and the
Pacific squadron.
The utter destruction of Cervera's
fleet Of seven warships at Santiago
last Sunday morning by Admiral
Sampson differs, of course, in many
respects from the work which Dewey
did ON that other famous Sunday, two
months before, but in many respects
the battles were strikingly similar.
Once more our superb fighting navy
has electrified the world. Once more
the complete destruction of the en-
emy's fleet is vivid measure of the
completeness of the American vic
tory. The thunderous guns of Sun
day wrote the story of the greatest
sea battle of our time. and of one of
the most extraordinary combats in all
against armorclad, giant against giant.
Not one of the vessels of either main
squadron was of less than 5000 tons.
By their side most of the ships which
fought at Manila were mere pigmies.
On this occasion the element Of sur
prise was against the Americans The
Spaniards were the attacking force.
But the result was just the same. The
superiority of American gunnery and
American seamanship was even more
brilliantly manifest than in that hol
May day morning in the Bay of Ca
vite.
Though the Spaniards fought to the
last with the same courage of despera-
ton and did not give up until every
ship was shattered and stranded
hulk, not single American ship was
! injured and only one man was killed
in the entire fleet. Our official report
shows the Spanish loss to be about $50
killed. $50 wounded, and fully 1900 cap
tured, Including Admiral Cervera and
many high officers. 1t is wonderful,
almost passing understanding, how our
fleets could win two such great battles
against modern ships and modern
guns, totally destroying 16 Spanish
ships Of war, without the injury of one
of our ships and the loss of only one
man. 1t speaks volumes for the
craftsmanship and discipline of our
sailors, and shows how infinitely SUI
perior they are in intelligence and
training to their opponents.
No wonder that our people couli
scarcely credit the astounding news
that was given to the world on the
morning of the glorious Fourth. 7.
seemed too good to be true, especially
coming as it did when there was gloom
in the land over the hundreds of brave
men our army had lost around Santl-
ago while desperately fighting against
the strong odds of the entrenched
enemy. But it was all true, and the
more complete the details the greater
our victory becomes, and the more
marvellous our immunity from serious
loss.
Cervera had sailed from Cape Vim
cent April 20 with a splendid fleet of
armored cruisers, heavily armed, to
strike our blockading squadron. Weeks
later be appeared in Western waters.
and after lodging for a few days he
was finally bottled up in Santiago
harbor, May "a. there he has been
closely confined for over a month by
Schley and Sampson. Our attack from
land and sea had made the immediate
fall of Santiago certain, and in his