The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-05-13

Reduced-Not an American Sailor
KILLED, and but Six slightly Injured.
Copyright Is9s. by the Associated Press
HONG KoNG, May 9.-Among naval
men, military men and civilians, Ed
ropeans and natives here to-day. there
- only one subject of discussion, the
brilliant, dashing, annihilatIng victory
Of the American fleet under Commodore
Dewey over the Spanish fleet com
mandcd 10y Admiral Montejo in Ma
nila bay on Sunday last.
Owing 10 the fact that the cable be-
tween this port and the Philippine ISL
ands was not in working order, hav-
ing been cut, it is said, some distance
from the capital of the islands, there
has been delay in obtaining a 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 Dcwcy's orders were to
capture or destroy the Spanish fleet,
and never were instructions executed
in 50 complete a fashion. At the end
of seven hours there was absolutely
nothing left of the Spanish fleet but
few relics.
The American commander had most
sllilfully arranged every detail of the
action. and even the apparently most
insignificant features were carried out
with puuctiliou,n IS and in railroad
timetable order.
At the end of the action Commodore
Dewey anchored his fleet 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
iardS, 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 it is considered that the
SpauiardS lost over 60 killed and
wounded, that all their ships, amount
ing to about fourteen, were destroyed
and that their naval arsenal at
Cavite was also destroyed with
its dcfenscs, it will become
apparent that the victory of the Amer
lean commodore is one of the most
complete and wonderful achievements
in the history of naval warfare.
Not man on board the American
fleet was killed. not a 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 gencralship of Com
modore Dewey as to the fact that
American gunuerS, ships and guns are
superior TO anything in the same line
aioat anywhere. Great credit must
also be given to the fullest extent to
the officers under Commodore Dewey,
for, TO man, they seconded their gal
liant commander in every way possible,
and thus helped him win the laurels
which are justly his.
The order OF battle taken up by the
Spauiards was with all the small craft
inside the stone AMI timber breaIlwa-
tiers of Cavite harbor. The larger
ships of Spain cruised off Cavite and
Manila.
The American fleet entered Manila
bay on Saturday night with the great
est of ease. The SPaniards had not es-
tabliShed a patrol. and there was no
searchlightS ut the entrance of the bay.
In fact the American ships would prob
ably have passed inside the bay with
out any challenge had it not been that
some sparks flew up from the McCul-
lOchS funnel. Thcreupon a few shots
were exchanged with the batteries on
COrregidor island, but the fleet did not
slow down, and soon took position
near Cavite, awaiting dawn in order to
commence hostilitics.
The early hours of the morning re-
vealed the opposing ships to each 9TH
er, and the Spanish flagship opened
Grc- Her action was followed by some
of the larger Spanish war 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 majestically onward. When
nearing Baker bay a sudden u2heaval
Olympia showed that the Spaniards
had exploded a nine or a torpedo.
This was followed by a second and
similar explosion. They were both ut
terly unsuccessful
The American fleet was then draw
ing nearer and nearer TO the Span
iards, whose gunnery was very poor,
the shots from the Cavite batteries and
from the Spanish ships being equally
badly aimed, either falling short or
going from the mark.
When the American fleet entered the |
bay, coming through the southern |
channel between Cablalo Frile inlets, /
the following was their order: The /
flagship Olympia, the Baltimore, the |
Raleigh, the Concord, the Boston, the |
Tetrel and the McCulloch, with the |
two store ships, the Nanshan and the !
Zatiro, bringing up the rear. And in |
that order they swept grandly before /
the city and faced the enemy in column /
line.
Though the Spaniards had opened |
fire at 5000 yards, the Americans re- |
served their fire until within 1000 |