Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-10

Rear Admiral and is Voted a
Sword and Medal.
Washington, May 9.-The President
to-day sent the following message to
Congress:
ITO the Congress Of the United States:
ION the oath of April l directed the
Secretary of the Navy to telegraph or
ders to Commodore George Dewey, of
the Asiatic squadron, then lying in the
port of Hong Kong, to proceed forth
with to the Philippine Islands, there
to commence operations and to engage
the assembled Spanish feet.
Promptly obeying that order, the
United States squadron, consisting OF
the flagship Olympia, Baltimore, Raj
eign, Boston, Concord and Petrol, with
the revenue cutter McCulloch as an
auxiliary dispatch boat, entered the
harbor of Manila at daybreak on the
first of May and Immediately engaged
the entire Spanish feet Of eleven ships,
which were under the protection of
the fire of land forts. After stub
born fight, in which the enemy suf-
fered great loss, these vessels were de-
stroyed or completely disabled and
the water battery at Cavite silenced.
Of our brave officers and men no one
was lost and only eight injured, and
those slightly. All of cur ships es
capped any serious damage.
by the 4th of May Commodore
Dewey had taken possession OF the
naval station at Cavite, destroying the
Notifications there and at the entrance
of the bay and paroling their garri-
sons The waters of the bay are under
mis- complete control. He has estab-
lished hospitals within the American
lines, where $50 of the Spanish sick
and wounded are assisted and pro-
tected
"The magnitude of this victory can
hardly be measured by the ordinary
standards CT naval warfare Out
weighing any material advantage is
the moral effect of this initial success.
At this unsurpassed achievement the
great heart of our nation throbs, not
with Boosting or with greed of con-
quest, but with deep gratitude that
this triumph has come in a just cause
and that by the grace of God an eff
fective step has thus been taken to-
ward the attainment cf tAe wished for
peace To those whose skill, courage
and devotion have won the fight, to
the gallant commander and the brave
officers and men who aided him, our
country owes an incalculable debt.
Feeling as cur people feel, and
speaking in their name, l at once sent
a message to Commodore Dewey,
thanking him and his officers and
men for their splendid achievement
and overwhelming victory, and inform
ing him that l had appointed him an
acting rear admiral.
Il now recommend that, following
our national presidents. and express
ing the fervent gratitude of every pa
triotic heart, the thanks of Congress be
given Acting Rear Admiral George
Dewey, Of the United States navy for
highly distinguished conduct in con-
fiict with the enemy, and to the Off
GERS and men under his command for
their gallantry in the destruction of the
enemy's fleet and the capture of the
enemy's Notifications in the bay of
Manila.
[Signed "WM. MKINLEY.
Executive Mansion, May 8, 1898"
Senator Hale and Representative
Boutelle, chairmen respectively of the
Senate and House Committees on Naval
Affairs, were called to the White
House during the Cabinet session to
consider the resolution of thanks recon-
mended in the Presidents message.
They spent but few minutes, and the
two chairmen subsequently met at the
Capitol and decided upon the form of
legislation for making Commodore
Dewey a Rear Admiral, to be intro
duced simultaneously.
The Congressional resolution is as
follows:
The following joint resolution was
introduced in the House Immediately
after the reading of the President s
message:
Joint resolution rendering the
thanks of Congress to Commodore
George Dewey, of the United States
Navy, and to the officers and men of
the squadron under his command
Resolved, BY the Senate and House
of Representative Of the United States
of America in congress assembled,
that in pursuance of the recommends
ton of the President, made in accord
! ance with the provisions of section
1903 of the revised statutes, the thanks
Of Congress and of the American people
are hereby rendered to Commodore
George Dewey, United States Navy,