Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-05-13

~A HAAANs enu INV tuht tOe moment mao
come TO make adequate reply to the killing
what was In his heart.
The Olympia was now ready to begin the
nght.
Commodore Dewey, his chief OF staff,
Commander Lamberton, an aide and my.
sell, with Executive Officer Lieutanant Rees
and Navigator Lieutenant Calkins. who
conned ship most admirably, were on the
forward bridge. Captain Gridley was in
the coming tower, as it was thought unsafe
to risk losing all the senior officers by one
shell.
you may fire when ready, Grldey," said
the Commodore, and at nineteen minutes of
D O'Clock, at distance of $500 yards, the
starboard eight-inch gun in the forward tur.
ret roared forth compliment to the Spanish
forts. Presently similar guns from the Bal.
timore and the Boston sent $50 pound shells
toward the Castillo and the Reina Cristina
for accuracy.
The Spaniarde seemed encouraged TO fire
iaster, knowing exactly our distance, while
we had TO guess theirs. Their ship and
shore guns were making things hot for US
The piercing scream of shot was varied
often by the bursting of time fuse shells,
fragments of which would lash the water
like shrapnel or cut our hull and rigging
One large shell that was coming straight
at the Olympias forward bridge fortunately
fell within less than 100 feet away. irag-
ment cut the rigging exactly over the heads
OF Lamberton, Rees and myself Another
struck the bridge gratings in line with it.
A third passed just under Commodore
Dewey and gouged hole In the deck. In
cidents like these were plentiful.
Our men naturally chafed at being ex-
posed without returning fire from all our
guns, but laughed at danger and chatted
good humoredly A few nervous fellows
could not help lodging mechanically when
shells would burst right over them or close
aboard, or would strike the water and
passed overhead, with the peculiar splutter-
ing roar made by tumbling rifled projectile.
Still the flagship steered for the centre OF
the Spanish line, and, as our Other ships
were astern, the Olympia received most of
the Spaniards attention.
Owing to our deep draught, Commodore
Dewey felt constrained to change his course
at distance of 1000 yards and run parallel
70 the Spanish column. "Open with all
guns" he said, and the ship brought her
port broadside bearing.
The roar of the hagship's five inch rapid
hrers was followed by deep diapason of
her after turret eightinchers. Soon our
other vessels were equally hard at work,
and we could see that our shells were max
ing Cavite harbor hotter for the Spaniards
than they had made the approach for US.
Protected by their shore batteries and
made safe from close attack by shallow wa
ter, the Spanards were in a strong position.
They put up gallant fight. The Spanish
ships were sailing back and forth behind |
the Castillo, and their fire, too, was hot
One shot struck the Baltimore and passed
clear through her, fortunately hitting no
one. Another ripped up her main deck,
disabled six inch gun and exploded a
box OF three FOUNDER ammunition, wound
ing eight men.
The Olympia was struck abreast the gun
In the wardroom by a shell which burst
outside, doing little damage.
The signal halyards were cut from Lieu
tenant Brumby's hand on the after bridge. |
A shell entered the Boston's port quarter |
and burst in Ensign Dodridge's stateroom,
starting hot fire, and fire was also caused
by shell which burst in the port hammock
netting. Both these fires were quickly put
out.
Another shell passed through the Boston's
foremost just In front of Captain Wildes, on
the bridge.
After having made four runs along the
Spanish line, finding the chart incorrect,
Lieutenant Calkins, the Olympia's navigator,
told the Commodore he believed he could I
take the ship nearer the enemy, with lead
going TO watch the depth of water. The
flagship started over the course for the fifth
time, running within 1900 yards OF the
Spanish vessels.
At this range even six FOUNDERS were eff
fective, and the storm o. shells poured upon
the unfortunate Spanish began to show
marked results.
Three of the enemy's vessels were seen
burning and their fire slackened.
On Flushing this run Commodore Dewey
decided to give the men breakfast, as they
had been at the guns two hours, with only
one cup of coffee to sustain them. Action
ceased temporarily at twenty-five minutes
Of eight O'Clock, the other ships passing the
flagship and cheering Justify.
Our ships remained beyond range of the
enemy's guns until ten minutes Of IL o'clock,
when the signal for close action again went
up. The Baltimore had the place OF honor
in the lead, with the flagship following and
the other ships as before.
The Baltimore began firing at the Spanish
ships and batteries at sixteen minutes past
II o'clock, making series of hits as if at
target practice. The Spanisrds replied
slowly, and the Commodore signalled the
Raleigh, the Boston, the Concord and the
EetIei 10 20 lutO inc inner naTOOr ana De
stroy all the enemy's ships.
By her light draught little Petrol was en-
abled to move within 1000 yards. Here,
firing swiftly but accurately, she commanded
everything still flying the Spanish flag.
Other ships were also doing their whole
duty, and soon not one red and yellow en-
sign renamed aloft, except on a battery up
the coast. The Spanish flagship and the
Castillo had long been burning fercely, and
the last vessel to be abandoned was the Don
Antonio de Ulloa, which lurched over and
sank.
Then the Spanish flag on the arsenal staff
was hauled down, and ut half past 10 o'clock
a white flag was hoisted there. Signal was
made to the Petrol destroy all the vessels in
the inner harbor, and Lieutenant Hughes,
with an armed boats crew, set fire to the
Don Juan de Austria, Marquis Duero, the
lss de Cuba and the Correo.
The large transport Manila and many
tugboats and small craft fell into our hands
Capture or destroy Spanish squadron"
were Dewey's orders. Never were instruc
tons more effectually carried out. Within
seven hours after arriving on the scene o
-. n - 1.