Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-06-24
The Combat as Seen by En-
sign Frank Chad
wick.
two BREEZY letters
The Writer a Nephew of Eu-
gene N. Laird. Of Little
Falls.

Following are extracts from letter s
written by Ensign Chadwick: of the
cruiser Raleigh, nephew OF Eugene
Laird OF Little Falls, to his mother
and sister. Ensign Chadwick was in
charge Of five inch gun on the
cruiser during the battle OF Manila,
and his account OF the combat is
therefore accurate as we'll as inter-
esting.
The Raleigh.
Ny DEAR MOTHER:
Long before this reaches you-yes,
long before it starts for San Francisco
YOU will know thai we made a call on
the Spaniards down here IN Manila Bay
Sunday morning, and have revised their
navy list to very considerable extent.
Now that the thing is over, don't know
that | can write you any sort OF a de-
scription-iust wait until | get home
next fall, and will have a detailed ac-
count
At 1915 q. M, May l, there was a
sudden flash on Ell Fraile and we heard
the shrek OF shell as it passed between
this ship and tie Petrel We let go a
fve-inch shell to show them We were
awake, thus firing the first shot from
our feet. Our object was to keep from
being seen or heard, SO we did not stop
there. but steamed on up into the bay.
At 4:45 the flagship siynaIed ''prepare
ios general action" and turned down
towards the batteries and Spanish fleet
off Kavite, seven miles to southwest OF
Manila, while the batteries OF the town
itself opened On us. Their shots fell
short, so we paid no attention to them.
At 5 kavite and the Spanish fleet opened
on US, and the flagship started the ac-
tion with her eight guns. Our ships
were Olympia (flag), Baltimore, Raleigh,
Petrol. Concord and Boston. Our aux
iliary squadron, the McCulloch and the
two transports lay off Manila out OF
reach of the firing. Besides the heavy
batteries along Kavite shore, the Span
ish had Reina Christina (fag), Castillo,
Don Juan de Austria, Don Antonia de
Alloa, isla de Cuba, Isla de Leyon,
General Lezo, Elcano, Argos, Vetasco,
three troop ships and one transport.
We made six runs along their line be-
tween $50 aud 7:3O, and from appear
ances they were pretty we'll knocked out.
Our ships sustained only slight damage.
The Raleigh was hft but once, a shell
knocking the rail from u whale boat,
going across the deck and striking a
gIancing blow Oh a six-pounder gun.
Fortunately no one was hit. Not a
single casualty occurred on board OF u.s.
In fact the only casualties OF the i. >
fleet were Oh the Baltimore, where six.
inch shell went through her side and ex-
ploded some OF her own ammunition
Six men were slightly injured and they
are nearly al! we'll now,
The first thing the Spanit,rds did was
to send small torpedo boat close in
shore to blow up our transports. Three
OF our ships saw this at the same dine
and the small boat aforesaid was some
thing like a sieve in two minutes. They
ran her on the beach and fled.
About 6:3O the Raleigh ran dow1
towards the Castillo, and let drive {
regular hail OF shell from all our por1
battery The range was only 1900 tt
5000 yards, aud we literally smashed
her in little bits. fired one OF my tiv!
inch guns all the time and had the sat
isfaction OF seeing flame shoot from he7
side after four OF my shots. She was OF
fire everywhere, and. as we learned after
ward, lost nearly 200 men, killed an(
wounded.
Then the Isla de Cuba and the Isla d,
Leyon came out behind the point ant
had try at us. They cleft for parts
unknown and sudden" soon after-botf
being on fire. The Reina Christina hung
out best OF alE but when a shell STRUCK
her bridge and killed their admiral
executive officer, signal officer and Z
priest. and injured her captain-anc
another went into her boiler and caused
big explosion, she started for safety
We did not know the destruction ou
guns had done until later in the day
The batteries at Kavite were all de
etroyed, and but q single ship remains
one Transporting from which we are nov
coaling. The Petrel captured her. I'll
Spanish loss Is about 100 killed