The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-08

A1ylnkt II dolN A4hIE WVhAH AuAH tLiot
sea into land the Yankees would Ind
out how we can charge in double time
And a crouching native staring out al
the ships said, Just let them come
ashore and give us a whack at them.
On they stood OF full speed In column
OF battle heading for cavite With the
decision due to a sense OF safety and
firm assurance OF success.
THE FIGHT SEEN FROM MANILA.
For more than an hour and half the
bombardment held in suspense those
whose souls followed the unequal strug-
gle, in which the ships went down with
their glorious banuers dying.
What was going on in the waters Of
Cavlte? From Manila We saw through
glasses, the two squadrons almost min
gled together In the clouds Of smoke.
This was not far from triumph for
our side, considering the weakness oil
our batteries. For, once alongside the
enemy, the cry OF "Boarders Away"
and the dash OF cold steel might have
enabled our devoted seamen to dis
turb calm In which watches and lnstru-
ments were regulating and directing
those engines OF destruction. In the
blindness OF our rage how should We
paint the heroic deeds, the prowess, the
waves OF valor which bust forth from
our men-of-war? Those who fought
beneath the Spanish flag bore them
selves like men, as chosen sons OF our
native land who never measure forces,
nor Yield to superior force in the hands
OF an enemy: who would rather die
without ships than live in ships which
have surrendered.
To name those who distinguished
themselves in battle would require the
publication Of the entire muster-rolls OF
our ships, from captain to cabln-boy.
To these victorious seamen Of ours we
offer CONGRATULATIONS; laurels for the
living; prayers for the dead; for all, our
deepest gratitude.
Since we cannot reconstruct the
bloody scene which was exhibited last
Sunday in the waters OF CaVite, we viii
not attempt description, which would
only be a pale shadow OF great deeds
deserving a perpetual place In the pages
Of history.
When the hostile squadron turned to-
ward Cavite, the crew OF the steamer
''Isia dc Mindanao" heard the drums
beating to quarters, and answered with
enthusiasm, the three rounds OF cheers
for the king, for the queen, and Tor
Spain, which echoed along our line.
Later, until a quarter to five, absolute
silence relgned. Everything was ready.
The idea OF death was lost In ardor for
the fray and every eye was fixed on the
battle 1ags waving at our mast heads.
In perfect and majestic order-why
should we denY this?-the nine Yankee
ships advanced in battle array. The
Olympia" bearing the admiraIs mag
led the column followed by the other
ships, steering at full speed toward Ca.
vite. The Olympia" opened IRE ana
nm instant reply came from the bat
terry on the mole which kept on firing AZ
fve-minnte intervals, while the IRON
Glad shaped her course for the "Reina
Christina" and .''CastIlla." Into both
these ships she poured a steady and
rapid FIRE seconded by the ships which
followed IN her wake. Another ship
which directed heavy fire on our line
was the Baltimore" and so the can
nonade went on until quarter to eight.
AT that moment the Don Juan dc
Austria" advanced against the enemy
intending to board the olympia" and
II a tremendous brondsIde had not
stopped her self-devoted charge, both
ships might perhaps have sunk to ths
bottom
The captain Of the "Reina Christina"
seeing that the resolute attempt Of his
cousort had failed, advanced at full
speed until within about two hundred
yards OF the olympia" aiming to at
tack her Then a shower OF projectiles
swept the bridge and decks, filling the
ship with dead and wounded.
Heroes and martyrs whom the nation
will remember as long as II endures!
A dense column OF smoke from the
bow-compartment showed that an In
cendiary protectlle, such as the law OF
God and man prohibits, had set fire to
the cruiser. The ship, still keeping up
her fire on the enemy, withdrew toward
the arsenal, where she was sunk to
keep her from falling into the hands OF
the Yankees.
The desperation of the men of the
"ReIna Christina" was aggravated by
the sight OF the Castillo" also In a
blaze, from a similar use OF incendlary
projectiles.
The principal ships OF our little squad
ron having thus been put out of action,
the Yankee vessels, some Of them bad
IL crippled by the fire Of our ships. and
the batteries at Point sangIey, stood out
toward MariVeles and the entrance of
the bay ceasIng their fire and occupying
themselves in repairing injuries until 10
O'Clock, when they began a second at
tack to complete their work OF destruc-
tlon.
In this second assault the FIRE at the