Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-05-12
Spanish Navy Utterly Destroyed
and Land Batteries Reduced.
Not an American Sailor Killed, and
but Half a Dozen Slightly Hurt
Owing to Bad Marksman-
ship Of the Spaniards.
Fourteen Of the Enemy's Vessels Destroyed
and Not an American Ship Injured
A Peremptory Message to
Gov.-0en. Augusta

AOlo A4S0f n&1I ~
men, militery men and civilians, Ed
ropeans and natives here to-day, there
Ia only n subject Of discussion, the
brilliant, dazzling, annihilating victory
Of the American feet under Commodore
Dewey over the Spanish feet COM
manded by Admiral Montejo In Ma
mia bay on Sunday last.
Owing to the fact that the cable be-
tween this port and the Philippine ISL
ands was not In working order, hav-
ing been cut, 1t Is said, some distance
from the capital Of the islands, there
has been delay In obtaining q detailed
account Of the battle, and the facts In
the case were only available when the
United States gunboat Hugh McCul-
loch arrived here Saturday, and even
then the tremendous pressure Of bust
ness 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 were instructions executed
In SO complete a fashion. At the end
of seven hours there was absolutely
nothing left Of the Spanish feet but a
few relics.
The American commander had most
skilfully arranged every detail of the
action, and even the apparently most
insignificant features were carried u
with punctiliousness and in railroad
timetable order.
At the end of the action Commodore
Dewey anchored his feet in the bay
before Manila, and Sent a message to
Gov.-Gen. August announcing the in
auguration Of the blockade, and adding
that If a shot was fired against his
ships he would destroy every battery
about ManilA.
The position occupied by the Span
tards, the support which their ships
received from the land batteries and
the big guns they had ashore gave
them an enormous advantage. There
fore, when 1t is considered that the
Spaniards lost over 900 killed and
wounded, that all their ships, amount
ing to about fourteen, were destroyed
end that their naval arsenal at
Cavite was also destroyed with
Its defenses, 1t will become
hpphrcht budt tne SlCIOTy VI tnt AUlcIs
lean commodore is n Of the most
complete and wonderful achievements
In the history Of naval warfare.
Not q man on board the American
feet vas killed, not Q ship was dam
aged to any extent, and only six men
were injured slightly on board the
Baltimore
This grand achievement is quite as
much due to the g~ensralship OF Com
modore Dewey as to the fact that
American gunners, ships and guns are
superior to anything in the same line
afoat anywhere. Great credit must
also be given to the fullest extent to
the officers under Commodore Dewey,
for, to a man, they seconded their gal
liant commander in every way possible,
which are justly his.
The order Of battle taken up by the
Hpapiards was with all the small craft
inside the stone and timber breakwa-
ters Of Oavite harbor. The larger
ships of Spain bruised of Cavite and
Manila.
The American feet entered Manila
bay On Saturday night with the great
est of ease. The spaniards had not es-
tablished a patrol, and there was no
searchliEhts at the entrance Of the bay.
In fact the American ships would prob
sbly have passed inside the bay with
out any challenge had 1t not been that
some sparks few up from the McCul-
loch's funnel. Thereupon a few shota
were exchanged with the batteries on
C~orregidor island, but the fleet did not
slow down, and soon took q position
near Cavite, awaiting dawn in order to
commence hostilities
The early hours of the morning re-
vesied the opposing ships to each 9TH
er, and the Spanish flagship opened
fire. Her action was followed by some
Of the larger Spanish wal ships, and
then the .Cavite forts opened up. The
Spanish vessels brought their guns into
play. The squadron which had been
led into the bay through the channel
by the flagship Olympia, did not reply,
though the shells Of the spaniards be-
gan to strike the water around them,
but moved rnajestieally onward. When
neasing Baker bay . sudden upheaval
Of wster q short distance ahead Of the
Olympia showed that the S~paniards
.H.