The gold leaf., 1898-05-19


witnessed by him from the Com
modore's flag ship:
1t was just 8 O'Clock, a bright
moonlight night, but the flagship
passed Corregidor Island without a
sign being given that the Spaniards
were aware Of its approach.
THE FIRST SPANISH SHOT FIRED.
Not until the flagship was mile
beyond Corregidor was a gun fired
Then one heavy shot went screaming
over the Raleigh and the Olympia,
followed by second, which fell far
| astern.
The Raleigh, the Concord and the
Boston replied, the Concord's shells
exploding, apparently Y, exactly inside
the shore battery, which fired no
more. Our squadron slowed down
to barely stecrage way and the men
were allowed to sleep alongside their
guns.
Commodore Dewey had timed our
arrival so that we were within five
miles of the city of Manila at day
| break
We then cited the Spanish squad
ron, Rear Admiral Montejo, com
manding. off Cavite, pronounced
kahveetay, with the accent on the
''vec.") Here the Spaniards had a
weIl-e4ulpped navy yard called Ca
| vitc arsenal.
Admiral Montejo's flag was flying on
the 3,5OO-ton protected cruiser Reina
= st Inn @nl
tIlla, OF 5000 tons, was moored
ahead, and astern to the port battery
and to scaward were the cruisers
Don Juan de Austria. Don Antonio de
| Clloa, lsla de Cuba. Isla de Luzon,
Quiros, Marquis del Duero and Cen
eral Leo. These ships and the flag
ship remained under way during most
of the action.
SHIPS BEGIN THE ATTACK.
With the United Stated flag flying
at all their masthcads, our ships
moved to the attack in line ahead,
with speed of eight knots, first
| passing in front of Manila, where the
action was begun by three batteries
mounting guns powerful enough to
send a shell over us at Il distance of
five miles
The Concord's guns doomed out a
reply to these batteries with two
shots. No more were fired, because
Commodore Dewey could not engage
with these batteries without sending
death and destruction into the crowd
ed city.
| SPANIARDS Explode TWO MINES
As we neared Cavite two very pow
erful submarine mines were ex-
ploded ahead of the flagship.
The Spaniards evidently had mis-
judged our position. Immense vol
nmes OF water were thrown high in
the air by these destroyers, but no
harm was done to our ships.
Commodore Dewey had fought with
Farragut at New Orleans and Mobile
| bay. where he had his first experience
with torpedoes. Not knowing how
many more mines there might be
ahead, he still kept on without falter-
ing No other mines exploded,
however.
Only few minutes later the shore
battery at Cavite Point sent over the
liagshlp shot that nearly hit the
battery in Manila, but soon the guns
got a better range and the shells be-
gan to strike near us or burst close
aboard from both the batteries and
the Spanish vessels
'REMEMBER THE MAINE''
Suddenly shell burst directly
over us.
From the boatswain's mate at the
after fivc-lnch gun came hoarse cry.
''Remember the Maine," arose from
the throats of 500 men at the guns.
This watchword was caupht up in
turretS and iirerooms, wherever sea-
man or fireman stood at his post.
"Remember the Maine,'' had runp
out for defiance and revenge. Its
utterance seemed unprecedented.
but was evidently in every mans
mind, and now that the moment had
come to make adequate reply to the
killing of the Names crew. every
man shouted what was in his heart.
As the Olympia drew nearer all
was as silent on board as if the ship
had been empty. except for the whir
engines.
Our men naturally chafed at being
exposed without returning fire from
all our guns, but laughed at danger
and chatted good-humoredlv.
Still the flagship steered for the
centre of the Spanish line. and. as
our other ships were astern. the
Olympia received most of the Span
lards' attention.
''f"r MAY FIRE WHEN READY. GRID
me olympia was now ready to be-
gin the fight.
Commodore Dewey. his chief of
staff, Commander Lamberton an
aide and myself with Executive
oilcer Lieutenant ReeS and Naviga-
tor 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 she'll
"1ou may fire when ready. Grid
ley. said the Commodore. and the
starboard eight-inch guns in the for
ward turret roared forth a compli-
ment to the Spanish forts.
The roar of the lagships ive-inch
rapld-hrers was followed bv a deem
dlapason of her after turret eight
lnchers. soon our other vessels were
equally hard at work, and we could
see that our shells were maxine |
Cavlte harbor hotter for the Span,
lards than they had made the ap-
proach for us.
Protected by their shore batteries
and made safe from close attacks by
shallow water. the Spaniards were in
strong position. They put up a |
gallant tiuht The Spap;sb Sh;,, |