The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-13
SPANISH TEARS SHED
Story of Manila Told From
the Other Side
HEROES AND MARTYRS"
Were Not Whipped but SIM
ply 0verpOwered.

News direct from Manila, which came
in letter full of heretofore unpublished
facts about Rear Admiral Dewey's great
victory, was read with keen relish yes
terday by the sailor boys on the receiving
ship Richmond. at the League Island
navy yard. The letter was received by
"A. C. Shiliington, who is a second-class
apprentice on the Richmond and was sent
by relative, who is a gunner on the
United States cruiser Baltimore, which is
attached to Deweys fleet, and took an i'm
portant part in the Manila battles. The
recipient of the letter is a brother of a
young sailor VINO lost his life in the eX-
plosion that wrecked the Maine.
Nearly six weeks the letter was on its
way from Manila, having been written on
May q, after things had Quilted down and
the men aboard the war vessels had some
time they could call their own. Accord
ing to the writer. the cry when the men
of the American fleet first sighted the
enemy was Remember our shipmates of
the Maine" and the following lines were
written on the Baltimore after the great
battle day:
When the din of battle was Ger,
Revenged were the boys of the Maine;
We had made the enemy lower
The flag of ancient Spain.
MAYORS WRITING PAPER.
The letter is written on paper that was
used before the fall of Cavite by the
mayor of that place, and in the upper
Ieft-hand corner of each sheet of note
paper is the following "Junta Admins
tradva del Arsenal de Cavite-Presiden-
cia-" Written in is "Harbor Of Manila,
May %, 1898. After stating that he had
just received a letter from home, dated
April l which was carried from Hong
kong in "our dispatch boat which makes
a trip every week to get the news and
provisions for the squadron the gunner
writes about how the feet proceeded from
HongkoAg to Manila and then he de-
scribes the two battles.
BAND PLAYED NATIONAL AIRS.
1--WE got up anchor, and with the band
playing all the national airs, we formed
in line after the flagship and proceeded
10 Manila" writes the gunner. THE
plan was to run by the forts that guarded
the entrance to the channel and be in the
bay at the breaking of daylight. The
general opinion was that if we didn't
run on any torpedoes and got past those
dangerous forts with heavy modern guns
we would have a picnic. Special orders
had been given to not have light of any
description on board ship and to make no
unnecessary noise. We were nearing the
entrance when the word was passed for
general quarters, and every man was a his
station waiting for the first shot, and
the guns crew were straining their eyes
10 see where it would come from. But
luck and American intelligence were with
us, and we went past with but one shot
from the shores being fired at us and that
came right over the stern of the Balti-
more. We could see the signals going
up and could imagine what a reception
was in store for us in the morning when
we would meet the feet inside the bay.
AMERICAN FLAGS UNFURLED.
when the darkness lifted we steamed
full speed ahead into a beautiful bay, with
the city of Manila on one side and on
the other the navy yard. the forts and the
city of Cavite. with he Spanish fleet I'M
der the protection OF their guns and a
small fleet of merchant vessels by the
city. Just at the break of day, after be-
ing by our guns al night with nothing
TO eat nor drink, and after we had been
fired on by the forts for about five min
utes. il was thrilling sight to see three
big and beautiful American ensigns I'M
fold themselves to the Spaniards from the
highest peak on the mast of every ship
of the fleet. and nearly all at the same
time. as everything had been done so
far as if we were at drill When our
flags broke and revealed to US their
beauty our captain, y. NJ Dyer. with his
gray hairs uncovered and standing on the
bridge. with hand pointed upward and
eyes on the flags said:
Now. men. show what You can do
under that flag. We have empty stomachs
but full hearts
PRAISED THE BALTIMORE
"The way We started in fully demon
strated that we could do all that any man
could do in time of battle. and that is
his individual duty. It took us just TWO
hours 10 put nine Spanish ships of war
on the bottom and 10 silence some Of the
forts, there being six in all The estimated
number of Spauiards killed is 1000 After
we had done that we retired out of range
TO get a mouthful to eat. l had a can OF
condensed milk and a loaf Of bakers
bread bought in Honskong About u
o'clock the beginning Of the end started.
when the Baltimore. which ship had taken
off the honnvG NJ ha s,,r
The place Of honor at the head Of The
column in the second attack
When th~ signal was given our cap
tain put on an the steam ne had and
forced Jht ship away from the rest OF the
feet and then We were fighting about
twenty minutes before the balance of the
vessels came UP, and We had si.enced
-nearly ali The noise ashore When the
rest of the fleet came up all cheered Us.
and the admiral (now) said: Wen done
Baltimore" The small gunboats which
do not draw much water. were sent in
close then and finished up what was Left.
Thus ended the first real battle in the war
with Spain.
ONE MORE FIGHT EXPECTED.
I'VE now expect 5000 troops out here
soon. and when they come the American
nag VIII fly over Manila, but think one
more fight is in store for Us. as there are
about 10000 Spanish soldiers here. and they
have several good forts around Manila.
which the ships viii have 10 look out for.
and as they have some large, good guns.
may not prove an easy task. We have
the rebels with Us, though. and a. soon
as we make move on one side they viii
cut of all escape on the other. Our dis
match hoar hrof-~hr tho ~aF,sl ,rsef g..