The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-05-05
COMMODORE fNEYS MAGNIFICENT VICTORY
SDain'S ASiatiC Fleet Almost En-
tirely Destroyed.
TWO Of HER BEST SHIPS BURNED and ONE BLOWN UP.
The Others Rendered Unfit for Fighting
Utter Defeat Admitted at Madrid.
Loss of Life Heavy.
ENGLAND AMAZED AT THE PLUCK OF THE AMERICANS

LONDON, May2.-The daring feat of
Commodore Dewey, commander of
the American fleet in the Philippines,
in engaging the Spanish fleet under
the guns of the Notifications in and
around Manila, is the subject of all
admiring comment of all English
men to-day.
They stand amazed at the pluck of
the Americans, who, running past
heavy shore batteries and into har-
Dor heavily mined, compelled the
Spanish admiral to fight.
That the Americans have won a
complete victory as the result of that
battle is not doubted here, although
the dispatches, all from Spanish
sources, in every other line, speak of
the glorious valor of Spanish arms.
First reports from Madrid came to
hand at six o'clock last night, and,
while did not say the Americans had
been repulsed, they gave the impress
sion that the Spanish had held their
own, which would mean virtual vic
tory for Spain.
Fragmentary dispatches followed,
containing the admission that this
and that ship had been lost, that
Spain had sustained serious but hons
orable losses, and finally that several
ships had been sunk by their crews
to prevent them from falling into the
hands of the Americans. Then the
truth dawned ON London.
The belief now is that the Spanish
fleet has been practically annihilated
and that Manila will fall to-day.
The fact that Dewey remained in the
harbor is thought to indicate that his
ships have sustained no serious dam
age, and that he has the place COM
pletely at his mercy. That he did
not Immediately follow up his adj
vantage is explained by the fact that
his men were exhausted after nearly
five hours of continuous fighting, and
he therefore wished to give them a
chance to recuperate before under
taking the reductions of the land for
tifications. The American account OF
the naval battle is eagerly awaited.
Everybody is anxious to know the
details of the first great naval battle
since that of the Yalu.
The Spanish account of the fight
stripped of the usualSpanish boasting
stated that the American fleet ap-
peared off the harbor just before dawn
and with the flagship Olympia and
cruiser Raleigh leading, ran by the
shore batteries, regardless of the guns
in them, or the torpedoes and mines
with which the entrance to the bay
was supposedly thickly planted.
The cruisers Baltimore and Boston
and the gunboats Concord and Petre
quickly followed. Daylight had
broken when the American fleet got
inside and had headed for the Span
ish fleet, which was drawn up in bat
tie line with the flagship ReinaChrist-
lana holding the centre and the other
nine vessels on either wing.
The batteries of Cavite, the strong
est in the islands, opened
the fight with shot from one of its
big guns. The Olympia Immediately
replied, but her metal was hurled al
the flagship Of the enemy, which she
at once engaged. Both fleets were
soon at it, while the forts took hand
in the melee, keeping up a steady fire
at the American ships.
Dewey manoeuvred his ships con
tinuously, thus rendering the marks
manship of the Spanish gunners les'
effective. Thick clouds of smoke al
times almost obscured the opposing
fleets from each other. The Spanish
fought bravely, but gradually they
succumbed to the superior shooting
and weight Of metal thrown by the
American guns and gunners.
The iron cruiser Don Juan de Aus
tria, vessel of 1,153 tons, was the
first to go under. A well directed
shot reached her and she blew up