Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-05-12
A RECORD BREAKER.
Deweys Victory at Manila With
out a Parallel.
The SPANISH FLEET DESTROYED.
Fort CaVIte Demolished aud Captured
-Dewey'S ships Only Slightly
Injured-EightO of HIS Men
wounded.

Hong Kong, May 1O.-Among naval
men, military men and civilians, Eu-
ropeans and natives, here to-day
there is only one subject of discus
sion, the brilliant, dashing, annihilat-
Ing victory of the Americai feet un"
der Commodore Dewey over the Span
ash feet commanded by Admiral
Montejo in Manila bay on Sunday
May l.
Owing to the fact that the cable be-
tween this port and the Philippine is
lands was not in working order, haV-
aug been cut, it is said, some distance
from the capital of the islands, there
has been delay in obtaining detail"
ed account of the battle, and facts in
the case were only available when the
United States gunboat McCulloch ar
rived here Saturday, and even then
the tremendous pressure of business,
thrown suddenly upon the cable COM
pany, necessarily made the earlier
accounts of the engagement some
what brief
The American commander had most
slSiilfully arranged every detail OF the
ect OF, and even the apparently most
insignificant features we're carried
out with perfect punctuality, and in
railroad timetable order.
Al the end of the action, Commo-
dorr Dewey anchored his feet in the
bay, before Manila, and sent mes
sage to Governor General AugustOn
announcing the inauguration of the
blockade, and adding that If shot
were fred against his ships he would
destroy every battery about Manila.
The position occupied by the Span
iards, the support which their ships
received from the land batteries, and
the big gums they had ashore, gave
them an enormous advantage. There
fore. when it is considered that the
Spaniards lost over 600 men in killed
and wounded, that all their ships,
amounting to about fourteen, were
destroyed, and that their naval an
senal at Cayite was also destroyed,
with it's defenses, it will become appar-
ent that the victory of the American
commodore is one of the most COM
plete and wonderful achievements in
The history Of naval warfare.
Not a man on board the American
feet was killed, not ship was dam
aged to any extent, and only eight
men were injured slightly on board
the Baltimore.
This grand achievements is quite as
much due 10 the generalship OF Com
modore Dewey as to the fact that
American gunners, ships and guns
are superior to anything I'm the same
line afoat anywhere. Great credit
must also be given to the fullest eS-
tent to the officers under Commodore
dewey, for, TO man, they seconded
their gallant commander in every
way possible, and thus helped hm
win the laurels which are justly his.
When the squadron left here, it
touched first at point in the Philip
pines, near Bolinao, as Commodore
Dewey wished. THE insurgents agents
TO disembark there, ascertain the
strength and disposition of the in
surgent forces. The insurgents
leaders, however, refused to disem-
bark under any consideration, and
the American ships cOasted in search
Of the Spanish ships, but failed to find
them.
Commodore Dewey arrived AT Subig
bay, about thirty miles north of Ma
Mia bay, ON Saturday, April 80, and
sen. the Baltimore and Concord to re-
connOiter the enemy. They found no
Spanish ships at the entrance of the
bay, and so Commodore Dewey decid-
ed to risk the mines and proceed that
same night after dark into the Bay of
Manila, VIII ch he did.
When the American feet entered
the bay, coming through the southern
channel between Cabaalo Frile inlets,
the following was their order:
The flagship Olympia, the Balti-
more the Raleigh, the Concord, the
Boston, the Petrol and the McCulloch,
with the two store ships, the Nanshan
and the Dafiro, bringing up the rear.
And in that order they swept grandly
before the city and faced the enemy
in column line.
The order of battle taken up by the
Spaniards was with all the small
craft inside the stone and timber
breakwaters of Cavite and Manila.
The American feet entered Manila
bay ON Saturday night with the
greatest of ease. The Spaniards had
not established a patrol, and there
were no searchHghts at the entrance
side the bay without any challenge
ships would probably have passed in
side the bap without amy challenge
had it not been that some sparks flew
up from the McCullooh's funnel.
ThereupOn few shots were exohang-
ed with the batteries on Oorregidor
leland; but the feat did not slow
Gown and soon took up q position
near Cayite, ewatang dawn IN order
t0 commence hoStilities.
The early hOuTS a. TIE morning 10