The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-05-09

their nre until within 4,OUo yards or
the enemy, when the real battle began.
The Reina Christina, Castillo, Don An
tonic de Ulloa, Isla de Cuba, Isla de
LuZon and the Mindanoa 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 backwards and for
wards six times across the 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 decentralization among the Spanish
fleet and in the Spanish batteries, the
American fleet retired for breakfast.
and incidentally council of war was
held on board the Olympia. By this
time the Spanish ships were in a des-
perate condition. The flagship Reina
Christina was riddled with shot and
she'll one of her steam pipes hal
burst and she was believed to be on
fire The Castillo was certainly on fire,
and soon after the fire became worse
and worse, until eventually they were
burned to the waters edge.
The Don Ulloa made a most magnifi-
cent display of bravery. When her
commander found she was so torn ~
American shells that he could not keep
her afloat he nailed her colors to her
mast and she sank with all hands fight
ing to the last. She was completely rid
died, and her upper deck had been
swept clear by the awful fire of the
American guns, but the Spaniards,
though their vessel was sinking be-
meath them, continued working the
guns on her lower deck until she sank
beneath the waters. During the en-
gagement a Spanish torpedo boat crept
along the shore and round the offing in
an attempt to attack the American
covered, was driven ashore, and was
actually blown to pieces.
The Mindinao had in the meanwhile
been run ashore to save her from sink
ing, and the Spanish small craft had
sought shelter from the steel storm be-
hind the breakwater The battle, which
was started at about $50 a. m. and
adjourned at $50 a. M, was resumed
about noon, when Commodore Dewey
started in to put the finishing touches
much fight left in the Spaniards by
that time. At p. m. the Petrol and
Concord 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 a Spanish magazine
caused further mortality to the defend
ers of Spain on shore.
On the water the burning, sunken or
destroyed Spanish vessels could be
seen, While only the cruiser Baltimore
had suffered 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 a
dozen of the crew.
Shots passed dangerously close to
Commodore Dewey. but little or no
/ damage was done on board the flagship.
On the other hand, about 80 men are
said to have been killed on board the
Spanish flagship which was totally de-
stroyed. Admiral Montejo, the Spanish
commander, transferred his flag to the
Isla de Cuba, when his ship caught fire,
but the latter was also destroyed in
due course of time. The Reina Chris
tina lost her Captain, a Lieutenant, her
Chaplain and a midshipman by one
shot which struck her bridge. About
100 men were killed and sixty wounded
on board the Castillo Indeed, some
estimates place the number of Span
ish wounded during the engagement at
over a thousand men,
The Olympia was struck five times
about her upper works, and whale
boat of the Raleigh was smashed.
Although the Krupp guns on the es-
planade of Manila were fired continu-
ously during the engagement, Com
modore Dewey did not reply to them,
and the battery afterward hoisted a
white flag in token of surrender. The
terms of the capitulation were still I'M
decided when the McCulloch left Ma
Mia, but it was said Commodore Dewey
feared rioting upon the part Of the in
surgents if he attempted lombard
ment of the remaining Notifications at
Manila The forts at the entrance of
the bay were dismantled on Wednesday
after they had capitulated.
HONGKONG. May SIT is said that
the Spanish ships did not get under
steam until after the alarm was given.
1t is said also that the Spanish COM
mander informed the Governor General
that it was advisable to surrender IN
the interests of humanity as it was
| impossible to resist successfully, but
that he and his men were willing
enough to fight and die. Even when
the Spanish flagship was shot half
away, her commander, though wound
ed refused to leave the bridge till the
ship was burning and sinking, her stern
shattered by a cannon shell and her
steam pipe burst.
AS yet, there is no further details of
the fighting. After it was over, Com
modore Dewey sent an ultimatum TO
the city battery ordering it to cease
firing or he would lombard.
The Petrol chased a gunboat up the
River Pasig, and the Spanish Captain
came in a boat TO negotiate conditions
of surrender The American Captain
replied: Unconditional surrender or
! fight"
To this the Spaniard answered: I'VE
are willing to fight Please allow US to
send for ammunition, because our store
/ is exhausted"
On proposal to the existing author
! tiles to continue temporarily under the
! AiIlSIiCdH nag, peHulHS the teIilllild-
ton of the war, the Spanish delayed
their decision and kept wiring to Ma
drid. The Americans asked the privilege
of using the wire, and when this was
refused they cut the cable
The Esmeralda arrived in the middle
of the battle. During the adjournment
for breakfast an American cruiser was
detached to meet her, as it was be-
| lieved she might be a Spaniard. When
it was found that the new arrival was