The herald., 1898-05-09


fore the city and faced the enemy in column
line. Though the Spaniards had opened
fire at 5000 yards. the Americans reserved
their fire until within 1000 yards of the
enemy. when the real battle began. The
Relna Christina, Castillo, Don Antonio de
Ulloa. Isle de Cuba, Isle de Luzon and the
Mindano were in line of battle outside of
Cavite at that time with four gunboats and
the torpedo boats inside the harbor.
The American ships then passed back
wards and forwards six times across tn
front of the Spaniards, pouring in upon the
latter a perfect hail OF shot and shell.
Every American shot seemed to tell, while
almost every Spanish shot missed the
mark.
After having thus scattered death and
Generalization among the Spanish fleet and
In the Spanish batteries, the American flee,
retired for breakfast and incidentally a
council of war was held on board the Olym
pia. BY this time the Spanish ships were
In desperate condition. The flagship Re-
ina Christina was riddled with shot and
shell, one of her steam pipes had burst,
and she was believed to be on fire. The
Castillo was certainly on fire, and soon
after the fire became worse, until eventu-
ally she was burned to the waters edge.
The Don Ulloa made a most magnificent
display Of bravery. When her commander
found she was SO torn by American shells
that he could not keep her afioat, he nailed
her colors to her mast and she sank with
all hands fighting to the last. She was
completely riddled and her upper deck had
been swept clear by the awful fire of the
A 1n,,t 1,o Gno mi ~lc ,r1,
their vessel was sinking beneath them, con-
tinued working the guns on her lower
deck until she sank beneath the waters
During the engagement a Spanish torpedo
boat crept along the shore and around the
citing In an attempt to attack the Ameri-
can store ships, but she was promptly dis
covered, was driven ashore, and was actu-
ally blown to pieces
The Mindano had in the meanwhile been
run ashore to save her from sinking and
the Spanish small craft had sought shelter
from the steel storm behind the breakwater.
The battle, which was started at about
$50 a. M, and adjourned at $3.50 a. M, was
resumed about noon, when Commodore
Dewey started in to put the finishing
touches on his furious work. There was
not much fight left in the Spaniards by
that time. At p. m. the Petrol and Con.
cord had shot the Cavite batteries into
silence, leaving them heaps of ruins and
floating the white flag.
The Spanish gunboats were then scuttled,
the arsenal was on fire and the explosion Of
Spanish magazine caused further NOR
tally to the defenders of Spain on shore.
On the water, the burning. sunken or
destroyed Spanish vessels could be seen,
while only the cruiser Baltimore had sui
fered in any way from the fire of the
enemy. A shot which struck her exploded
some ammunition near one of her guns and
slightly injured half dozen of her crew.
Shots passed close to Commander Dewey
but little or no damage was done on board
the flagship. On the other hand. about 1'O
men are said to have been killed on board
the Spanish flagship, which was totally de-
stroyed. Admiral Montijo the Spanish
transferred his flag to the Isle
de Cuba, when his ship caught fire, but the
latter was also destroyed in due course of
time.
The Reina Christina lost her captain,
lieutenant. her chaplain and midshipman
by one shot which struck her bridge. About
100 men were killed and sixty wounded on
hoard the Castillo. Indeed, some estimates
place the number of Spanish wounded dur
ing the engagement at over 1000 men.
The Olympia was struck five times about
her upper works, and whaleboat of the
Raleigh was smashed.
Although the Krupp guns on the Esplana-
da of Manila were fired continuously during
the engagement, Commodore Dewey did
not reply to them, and the battery after
wards hoisted white flag In token of sur
render The terms of the capitulation
were still unsettled when the McCulloch
left Manila. but 1t was said Commodore
Dewey feared rioting upon the part of the
insurgents II he attempted bombardmert
Of the remaining Notifications at Manila.
The forts at the entrance of the bay were
lismantled on Wednesday after they had
capitulated. 1t is said the commodore
ordered the cable to be cut because the
Spaniards refused to permit him to use it
pending the complete surrender of the
city.
Instructions to Dewey
Hong Kong, May s. The United States
gunboat McCulloch, which arrived here on
Friday with dispatch from Commodore
Dewey officially announcing his great vic
tory over the Spanish, left here at three
O. clock this afternoon, Greenwich time, on
her return to Manila. 1t Is understood
she received many urgent dispatches from
But 1t is believed the Nc
Culloch will first go to Mrs Bay to await
here final instructions for Admiral Dewey
IS to how he is to deal with the Philip
pine islands.
According to reports current here the
American admiral will insist by force, If
necessary upon the Spanfards accepting
at least temporary protectorate of the
United States, the desire being, 1t is al |
legged, to avoid disturbing the present adj
as the insurgents of the
hilippines are quite unfit to participate in |
he government 1t is believed here that |
If the Spaniards do not meet the views of |
in the matter Dewey will take |
prompt steps to administer the islands for |
the United States as soon as he receives |
the necessary troops and supplies from San |
Francisco.
1t is said that the Spanish ships did not |
get under steam until after the alarm was |
given. 1t is said also that the Spanish |
commander informed the governor general |
hat 1t was advisable to surrender in the /
interests of humanity, as it was impossible |
TO resist successfully, but that he and his |