The Yale expositor., 1898-05-13
|JENEY'S GLORIOUS VICTORY
Reports that He Utterly Destroyed
SPANS Philippine Fleet
HAS MANILA IN HIS POWER.


| hero. The report was carried from
Manila to Hong Kong by the U. S. dis
patch boat McCulloch and then trans
mitted to the navy department at
| Washington. The distance from Ma
Mia to Hong Kong prevented an earlier
rep TT being received from Dewey.
The portion of the first report made
public by the navy department IS as
| follows:
Manila: Squadron arrived at Manila
at daybreak. Immediately engaged
] the enemy and destroyed the following
| Spanish vessels: Reina Christina, Don
| Antonio de Ulloa, Isla de Luzon, Isla
de Cuba. General Leo, Marquis de
| Duero. Correo, VelaSco, Isla de Min
! diano, transport, and water battery
at Cavite. The squadron is uninjured,
and only few men are slightly
wounded. Only means of telegraphing
is to American consul at Hong Kong.
l shall communicate with him.
A second report given is out is as
follows:
Cavite: 1 have taken possession of
| the naval station at Cavite, Philippine
! Islands. and destroyed its Notifications.
| Have destroyed Notifications at the
bay entrance (Corregidore islands), pa
! rolling the garrison. | control the bay
completely and can take the city at
any time. The squadron in excellent
health and spirits. The Spanish loss
not fully known, but very heavy; $50
| killed, including the captain of the
| Reina Christina. am assisting in pro-
! tecting the Spanish sick and wounded.
| Two hundred and fifty sick and
wounded in hospital within our lines.
Much excitement in Manila. VIII pro-
! tect foreign residents. DEWEY.
These reports, although brief and
lacking in details, caused the most in
at Washington. The destruction of
ten warships. and the silencing of a
score of shore batteries without the
loss of ship or u man. is feat so stu
| pcndous that the most experienced
naval officers could hardly believe their
eyes when they read Dewey's terse and
graphic message. No parallel is to be
found in history for this remarkable
accomplishment. and to Dewcy's credit
is placed the first demonstration of the
terrible effectiveness of the modern
warship manned by brave men and
commanded by cool and skillful officers.
The Spanish surrendered everything
they had left TO surrender outside of
Manila. Admiral Montejo fled to Ma
Mia with all of his staff and such Off
GERS as had not been killed. Admiral
Dewey sent his marines ashore to cap
ture Cavite. and then cut the cable so
that the Spaniards could not summon
succor. And when all noses had been
counted. not man was missed from
the fighting fleet, though the chief en-
gineer on the McCulloch had died from
heart disease, an attack TO lght on by
excitement. Some estimates place the
number OF Spanish wounded during
the engagement at over 1000 men.
Commodore Dcwey's orders were to
capture or destroy the Spanish fleet and
never were instructions executed in so
complete fashion. At the end of
seven hours there was absolutely moth
ing left of the Spanish fleet but few
relics. Only the cruiser Baltimore had
suffered in any way from the fire of the
enemy. a shot which struck her eX-
plodcd some ammunition near one of
her guns and slightly injured eight of
the crew. The Olympia was struck five
times about her upper works and sew
eral shots passed dangerously close to
Commodore Dewey, but little or no
| damage was done. A whalcboat of the
Raleigh was smashed. Although the
Krupp guns on the esplanade of Manila
were fred continuously during the en-
gagement. Commodore Dewey did not
reply to them, and the artery after
ward hoisted white flag in token of
surrender.
The terms Of capitulation were still
unsettled when the McCulloch left
Manila, and it was said that Commo-
dore Dewey feared rioting upon the
part of the insurgents if he attempted
"a bombardment of the remaining forti-
fcations at Manila. The forts at the
entrance of the bay were dismantled
after they had surrendered. 1t is said
the American commodore ordered the
cable to be cut because the Spaniards
refused to permit him to use it pend
ing the complete surrender of the city
and also to prevent foreign govern
ments from ordering their consuls to
protest against the bombardment or
blockade of Manila.
The Nations Gratitude to Dewey
The reply sent by Secretary of the
Navy Long TO Commodore Dewey was
as follows:
Dewey, Manila.-The President, in
the name of the American people,
thanks you and your officers and men
for your splendid achievement and
overwhelming victory. In recognition
he has appointed you acting admiral,
and will recommend vote of thanks
to you by congress. Lone.
Upon hearing of the Spanish loss at
Manila the pope was almost overcome
and SAID he wished he could have died
before this war was begun.
Secretary Long says that Dewey will
be made an acting admiral at once and
later his nomination to be rear admiral
will be sent to the Senate.