Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-22
Now Come in For Recogni-
ton as Heroes in Their
Work During the War.
The WORK OF ENSIGN WARD
went Into the Heart of tho Enemy's
Country-Wa> Arrested Once-More
Light Dewey's Orders-Mou-
tcjo's Account of the battle
of Manila.

WGSh'nston. Dec. si,-Thc official re-
ports Ct all commanding officers Of the
navy durius the war have been compiled
AMI published by the navy department.
While treating Of events that have al
rCaJy figured IN official reports that have
lcIched the ruhliC, the documents su!l
contain many minor reports that throw
side lights on Interesting phases OF the
war. An unknown hero 5 bruusht 10 light
In the person Ci Ensign IL. III. Ward, Who
ut the l., ,S,Uuias oi The war was ON duiy
in the navigation bureau, alter
mating With Lieutenant Whitile-
Soy. tie volunteered Tor secret
SerN ice duty ami his exploits, ABOUT which
rOthus has been said in tac past, may
we'll Ne placed Vn record beside those "i
I.icUt. Rowan in cuba and Lieut.. Whit
nvy in Porto Rico.
Within = week after the declaration Of
war Eusisu NaTj disguised himself ami
wCnt straight into the heart OF iho enemy 5
country. making his headquarters at Ca
diz. the principal naval station. and kept
the navy department, here informed of tho
actual strength of the Spanish naval Ncs-
sells and their movements. Then he went
to the West Indies and reported every
thing that w1S SOsnS On There OI lmpost-
auC,' to the American navy. Next ne went
III
s.t,iSc. this time 10 Hvlto kico, whore he
was arrested as \ suspect AMI a sly. by
IGrOjtuCSS he mOu0Std 10 secure his re-
lease. and escaping iTOm san Juan, caol,d
the navy department iuN account OF
the state III thC SCieuSCS there 1rd the
orvparationS making Tor Jhv rccr}'ion OF
the Spanish squadron under CNrNcTa, All
this time even the officials OF the navy
GeISIr;mSnS We're under the lmrrvsSlon
that Mr.. Ward was engaged in Installing
II system III coast signals ON the New
England coast.
Mhi.s Wari was in Porto Rico Ensign
Suck. another NliaChe NJ the navigation
bureau MAS cn the shores " The Mvdiic:-
rancan in disguise watching every move
u,e0t OF the squadron under Admiral
Camara. which started for the Philippines
hu; turned back. III the strategy noars
.;S,lc. !, Is said ,AS; is was part OF lis
duty to keep informed NJ all the move
mentS. rvSources and plans ci the Span
iSh naval fo9ccs through secret agents and
il is now known that ;hc navy was thus
informed OF all lmlsOri0n, movements. At
times. however. Information WAS con''ici-
ins ami decisions had 10 ee made as 10
which report WAS true,
Admiral Dewey WAS told long before the
.dCcl1rJt.CC q. war, N0 February -, IN
the event ~ MAR with Spain Your duty
Will b1 To see tina, the Spanish squadron
does not leave the AS.NStic coast, and then
.
Ec~p Olympia UHtll further orders The
latter order i VNplt;n,D. by the fact that
the flagship had l-Cn Or,ivr,G hack IL The
United States tor an oNr.h0OllUE- Admiral
How ell. then in the Mediterranean with
his squadron, MAS told IL wait in Vnut al
waters for orders, and the ships in lhe
South Atlantic wC9e instructed 10 move
.CortAwOrl - rs not t. excite suspicion.
TIL sepo-S> nj the famous naval battle
oi C0NttC Include one from Consul General
; WjljGu0u. - FATHER unusual thing, N rc-
! ports Oi 4 strictly naval character. hut
til,y lus,itc>j by its picturesque ana
trrU> hIUc description of Dcwcy's great
victory. FOll0w;uS II i report 10 his
: SUNt rUnent on the same ,nSas mcnt, by
, toV CVumOnIVT-.O-Chiei Oi the il.-iatci
Spanish fleet. Mon,vJa. The admiral de-
ltctS the bad condition NJ the Spanish
g fco, and dvicnc,s. He says iha; the
: cruiser Castillo Was Incapable oi manocG-
NrIns on account Of her had condition while
. the detSuCc> At the entrances 10 Snolc
bay We're NCcN Backward, With much dis
suS; he found that the guns which should
= have been mounted were delayed a month
: and u ralf and hr was no lvSS GisSustel
: To find that reliance Was had for The de-
I. fence ot the port upon a lew iorpedocS,
I NOT properly PLACED, Finding Subic bay
: GSfeucvle>s the Spanish squadron repaired
l. To the bay oi Manila 10 meet hSltlc unde Z
{ less Uui2VNrsolS conditions. The admir-
al avoided the city not wishing IN draw
r tirc uINln il. and prepared his fleet for ac-
u tiOn. lie says that the forCc OF Dewey 5
vessels, leaving OU; transports amounted
to y. tlp tons, +s.s.' horse power, lc3 guns
Imauy rapid tircl, l5SN men and an aver
q age of velocity oi l. miles, Acainst this
the power Oi hIS only nVc effective ships
n MAS l@lll tcNS, n,SsN h0s ~ power, - guns
= ivery short ~ rapid rire, 1875 >rcwS and
; MAXIMUM speed - miles, Tire admiral de-
scribeS in vivid language the ,eCriole cf'
= feet OF tho American onslaught Ou the
Il Spanish vessels, lie says;
: ''rhv Americans nrcj most rapidly
= There came upon us numerous p0ojectiles
!, the IhreN cruisers n the end OF the lin,
: devoted themselves almOs, vnurly Il
: ush1ins the ChriSIiuS. my flagship. A
. short time after the action commenced
: Cuc shell exploded in the ioreN0silc AMI
Z pat out OG action al, OF those who serves
! the rapid lire cannon. MeNntime anolhc'
i shell exploded in the OrlOp deck, setting
l. fire To the crSw'S Nag>.
r AT s;SN one shell destroyed compeleH
the steering scHr'
Another DESTROYED The mizEen, bringin.
- down my t2s and enS,sn, Another shcl
: exploded on the poop aud pu; out OF ac
: ,t,ou nine men. a fTNrSh shell exploded Il
|, the officers cabin, covering the hOSpila
!, with blood and destroying the wounded
= who werc Gesns J1VSsc1 there, Anolhe
n exploded in thc ammunition nom. l ha,
= To Hood the magazine when the cartridge;
= began 10 explode, one large shell pcnr
y trated the rirS room, putting out OF action
u one master gunner and twelve men serv
= ing the guns.
~ Another rendered us less the s,arSoar
:, bow gun. and. while the tire incrcased as
p" tern another tip, started forward fDpn
0r0ther she'll The broadSidc guns con
t,nued firing Unl,l there were only one gul
1, and one seaman remaining unhurt 10
~, serving them. The ship being out of con
; troll. the hull, smoke pipe and mast rid
!, died with shot or confused with the cGic
I of the wounded; half of the crew out O
" action. among whom were oI~crS, CAV
/ the order to sink and abandon the sh.
. before the magazines should explode
TIE SIory Ot the less OF the Castillo Wa
substantially the story Of the tcss of III
other Spanish ships and Admiral Montol
~, sums up his aconnt with this statement;
The tpeftcisncy Of the vessels whicl
- composed my little squadron, the lack O
:, all classes of the personnel Snd espeS al
!. master gunness and Seamen gunNers; III
!. tnaltttude Of some Of the provisional ma
- chiniSts, the scarcity II rapid lire cannon
;. tho strong crews Of the enemy alsd III
y unprotected character IL the grcater par
y OF cur vessels all contributed to maxi
lmucl ntOTN lgN,lCteN the SaCriflcuN which M