Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-05-12
.DENEY'S GREAT VICTORY.
Full Particulars of the Wonderful
Engagement in Ma
Mia Bay.
GREATEST NAVAL BATTLE EVER FOUGHT.
Only the Hand of Providence Could Have
Produced Such Results-Spanish Navy
Utterly Destroyed and Land Batteries
Reduced-Not an American Sailor
Killed, and but Six Slightly Injured.
Copyright. 1898, by the Associated Press

Hone KoNG, May 9.-Among naval
| men, military men and civilians, El-
| ropeans and natives here to-day, there
is only one subject of discussion, the
| brilliant, dashing, annihilating victory
of the American feet under Commodore
| Dewey over the Spanish fleet com
manded by Admiral Monteio in Ma
| Mia bay on Sunday last.
Owing to the fact that the cable be-
| tween this port and the Philippine ISL
ands was not in working order, hav-
| ing been cut, it is said, some distance
| from the capital of the islands, there
has been delay in obtaining a detailed
account of the battle. and the facts in
| the case were only available when the
United States gunboat Hugh McCul-
loch arrived here Saturday, and even
| then the tremendous pressure of bust
ness suddenly thrown upon the cable
company necessarily made the earlier
accounts of the engagement somewhat
| brief.
Commodore Dewey's orders were to
| capture or destroy the Spanish fleet,
and never were instructions executed
in SO complete fashion. At the end
of seven hours there was absolutely
nothing left of the Spanish feet but
few relics.
| The American commander had most
| skilfu1ly arranged every detail of the
action, and even the apparently most
| insignificant features were carried out
with punctiliousness and in railroad
| time table order.
At the end of the action Commodore
| Dewey anchored his feet in the bay
| before Manila, and sent message to
| Gov.-Gen. August announcing the in
auguration of the blockade, and adding
| that if a shot was fired 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 guns they had ashore gave
| them an enormous advantage. There
fore, when it is considered that the
| Spaniards lost over 600 killed and
| wounded, that all their ships, amount
ing to about fourteen, were destroyed
and that their naval arsenal at
Cavite was also de>-,..Ted with
it's defen5cs, it VIII become
apparent that the victory of the Amer
complete and wonderful achievements
in the history of naval warfare.
Not man on board the American
fleet was killed, not ship was dam
aged to any extent, and only six men
were injured slightly on board the
Baltimore.
This grand achievement is quite as
much due to the generalship of Com
modore Dewey as to the fact that
American gunners, ships and guns are
superior to anything in the same line
af1oat anywhere. Great credit must
also be given to the fullest extent to
the officers under Commodore Dewey,
for, to man. they seconded their gal
liant commander in every way possible,
and thus helped him win the laurels
which are justly his.
The order of battle taken up by the
Spaniards was with all the small craft
inside the stone and timber breakwa
tiers of Cavite harbor. The larger
ships of Spain cruised off Cavite and
Manila.
The American fleet entered Manila
bay on Saturday night with the great
est of ease. The Spaniards had not es-
tablished a patrol, and there was no
searchlights at the entrance of the bay.
In fact the American ships would prob
ably have passed inside the bay with
out any challenge had it not been that
some sparks flew up from the McCul-
loch's funnel. Thereupon a few shots
were exchanged with the batteries on
Corregidor island, but the fleet did not
slow down, and soon took position
near Cavite. awaiting dawn in order to
commence hostilities.
The early hours of the morning re-
vealed the opposing ships to each 9TH
er, and the Spanish flagship opened
ire Her action was followed by some
of the larger Spanish war ships, and
then the Cavite forts opened up. The
Spanish vessels brought their guns into
play The squadron which had been
led into the bay through the channel
by the flagship Olympia, did not reply,
though the shells of the Spaniards be-
gan to strike the water around them,
but moved majestically onward. When
nearing Baker bay sudden upheaval
of water short distance ahead of the
Olympia showed that the Spaniards
had exploded a mine or a torpedo.
This was followed by second and
similar explosion. They were both ut
terly unsuccessful.
The American fleet was then draw
ing nearer and nearer to the Span
iards, whose gunnery was very poor,
the shots from the Cavite batteries and
from the Spanish ships being equally
badly aimed, either falling short or
going from the mark.
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 Baltimore, the
Raleigh, the Concord. the Boston. the
Petrol and the McCulloch, with the
two store ships, the Nanshan and the
Zatiro, bringing up the rear. And in
that order they swept grandly before
the city and faced the enemy in column
line.
Though the Spaniards had opened
fire at 5000 yards, the Americans re-
served their fire until within 1000
yards of the enemy, when the real bat
tie began.
The Reina Cristina, Castillo, Don An
tonic de Ulloa. Isla de Cuba, Isla de
Luzon and the Mindanano were in line
of battle outside of Cavite at that
time, with four gunboats and the tor
pedo boats inside the harbor
The American ships then passed
backwards and forwards six times
across the front of the Spaniards, pour
ing in upon the latter a perfect hail of
shot and she'll Evarr An,ar;oan shot