The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-09
AS Additional Details of the Marvel
GUS Achievement of Admiral
Dewey Are Received.
SIX CYCLONE CIRCLES
Every Detail of His Plans Carried Out With Ex=
actness Absolutely MISUNDERSTANDING In
surgents Also Feel the Iron Hand.

Copyright 1898 by the Associated Press
Hong Kong. May S.-Among naval men
military men and civilians, Europeans and
natives, here today there IS only one sub.
ject Of discussion, the brilliant. dashing
annihnating victory of the American feet
under Commod ore Dewey over the Spanish
feet. commanded by Admiral Montejo in
Manila bay on Sunday last.
Owing 10 the facr that the cable between
this port and the Philippine Islands was
not in working order, having been cut. it
is said, some distance from the capital of
the islands, there has been delay in OBJ
tanning a detailed account of the battle,
and facts in the case were only available
when the United States gunboat Hugh Nc
CuHoch arrived here yesterday, and even
then the Tremendous pressure Of business.
suddenly thrown upon the cable company,
necessarily made the earlier accounts of
the engagement somewhat brief.
COMMODORE DEWEY's ORDERS
WERE TO CAPTURE OR DESTROY
THE SPANISH FLEET, AND NEVER
WE'RE INSTRUCTIONS EXECUTED IN
so COMPLETE \ FASHION. AT THE
END OF SEVEN HOURS THERE WAS
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LEFT OF
THE SPANISH FLEET BUT A FEW
RELICS.
The American commander had most
skilfully arranged every detail Of the ac-
ton, and even the apparently most in
significant features were carried out with
perfect punctuaHty and in railroad time
table order.
At the end of the action Commodore
Dewey anchored his fleet in the bay before
Manila and sent a message to Governor
General August announcing the inaug-
uration of the blockade and adding that
if a shot was fired against his ships he
would destroy every battery about Ma
Mia.
The position occupied by the Spaniards.
the support which their ships received
from the land batteries, and the big guns
they had ashore gave them an enormous
advantage. Therefore. when it is con-
sidered that the Spaniards lost 900 men in
killed and wounded, that all their ships,
amounting TO about fourteen, were de-
stroyed and that their naval arsenal at
Cavite was also destroyed, with its de-
lenses, il will become apparent that the
victory of the American commodore is one
of the most complete and wonderful
achievements in the history of naval war
fare
Not a man on board the American fleet
was killed. not a ship was damaged to any
extent. and only six men were injured.
slightly on board the Baltimore
This grand achievement is quite as much
due TO the generalship of Commodore
Dewey as to the fact that American gun
nerS. ships and guns are superior TO any
thing in the same line afioat anywhere
Great credit must also be given TO the full
lest eNtendt TO the officers under Commo-
dore Dewey. for, to a man. they seconded
their gallant commodore in every way pos
sible and thus helped him win the laurels
which are justly his.
The order OF battle taken I'D by the
Spaniards was with all the small craft
inside the stone and timber breakwaters
of Cavite harbor The larger ships Of
Spain cruised off Cavite and Manila.
The American feet entered Manila bay
on Saturday night with the greatest of
ease. The Spaniards mad not established
a patrol and there were no searchhghts
al the entrance OF the bay In fact. the
American ships would probably have pass
ed inside the bay without any challenge
had il not been that some sparks few IN
from the McCullough's funnel Thereupon
a few shots were exchanged with the bat
ferries on Corregidor Island: but the fleet
did not slow down and soon took upu
position near Caviie. awaiting dawn in
order 10 commence hosulitieS
The arly hours Of the morning reveled
the opposing ships to each other and the
Spanish flagship opened fire. Her action
was followed by some Of the larger Span
ish warships ard then the Cavite forts
opened up and the smaller Spanish vessels
brought their guns to play.
The American squadron which had been
led into the bay through the channe, bv
the flagship Olympia. ii ndot rcnly. though
the shells Of the Spanards began 10 strike
the water around them. but moved ma
pestcally onward. When nearing Baker
bay sudden upheaval Of water a short
distance showed shat the Snanards had
exploded a mine or torpedo This was fol-
lowed by a second and similar explosion.
They We're both utterly unsuccessful.
The American feet was then drawing
nearer and nearer 90 the Spaniards. whose
gunnery was very poor. the sho,s from
the CaNite batteries and from the Spanish
strips being equally badly aimed. either
falling short or going wide Of The mark.
When The American fleet entered the
bay. coming through -the southern chanel
beteween Cablalo FrHe inlets. the follow
ins was their order: The flagship Olvm-
pia. ,he Baltimore. the Raleigh. the Con
cord. the Boston. the Petrol and che Nc
Cuaoca, with The TWO stree ships. The
Nanshan and the Seadre. bringing IN +ae
rear And in that order they swent grand
" before the city and faced the enemy in
column line.
The Reina Christina. Castillo. Don An
tonic de Ulloa. Isia de Cuba. Isia de Iu
zon and he Mindanao were in line Of bat
tleoutside 81 Cavite * tina; time. With four
gunooats and the torpedo boats inside
the haroor. The American ships then
passed backwards and forwards six times
across the front of the Spaniards. pouring
in upon the latter a perfect hail Of shot
and shell. Every American shot seemed
90 tell. while almost every Spanish shot
missed the mark
After having thus scattered death and
Generalization among the Spanish feet
and in the Spanish batteries. the American
feet retired for breakfast and incidentally
q council Of war was held on hoard the
Olympia