The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-05-22

disabled that they retired slowly and
took no further part in the fight
Again the guns at Cavite roar.d out
4 steady bass chorus 70 the water eight.
and the EuRners appeared to have So
cured better range upon the American
fleet. for Dewey ordered a general
change OF base and the nghting was
forced In the direction OF Manila. Mon
teJo had by this time recovered his
presence OF mind and reassembled his
shattered line. presenting n bold but
battered front to the enemy. He en-
deavored TO put heart into his men.
but the fight had been taken out OF the
Spaniards and they seemed TO feel that
there was not the slightest chance Of
their winning. Montejo's ofhcers and
most OF his men behaved splendidly for
the first hour and stood by their guns
with desperate bravery. but II was clear
to the foreign warships In Manila har-
Dor that they were outclassed as gun
ners as their commanders were as sea-
men. The last half hour OF fighting
had no heart in II so far as the Span
lards were concerned. and the Duzon,
Velaseo and Cuba were the only ships
which really made any show Of stand
Ing up TO the Americans. At IL o'clock
the work OF the American feet was
shown to be more effective than was At
first supposed. for In the hay toward
Manila three other sunken Spanish
ships were seen The names could not
be ascertained. The Spanish govern
ment oacials claimed that these ves-
sells were sunk by Admiral Monteio 20
keep them from falling into the enc
my's hands, but the Americans deny
/ this and say that they were sunk by
shots from Dewey's feet. The Cebu. q
/ Spanish transport loaded with coal and
ammunition. was set on Ere BY Ameri-
can shells and sank OF cavite. The
Cavite batteries continued the aght for
some time after the hre Of the Spanish
ships slackened. but they. too. became
silent about $50. A Spanish lieuten-
ant. who was badly wounded on the
Reina Mercedes and was landed near
CavIte with load Of other victims.
many OF them dead OF dying. said:
The greatest naval battle OF the world
occurred today. We were defeated. but
no wonder when one considers the
heavy armament Of the Yankee ships.
The Spanish navy was ignorant OF the
power OF the feet against which Il was
pltted. Our boats. many as they were.
were no match for the enemy. but the
honor OF Spain Is intact"
when Commodore Dewey found he
had his adversary az such q disAd-
vantage he detached the Baltimore.
Concord and Boston to a point nearly
opposite Cavite point with orders TO
shell the batteries there. Knowing
the danger Of risking his boats even
at this advanced stage OF victory too
near the stationary guns OF the land
battery. he instructed them TO use the
greatest caution in the undertaking.
for they had not only to face the cavite
guns. but those Of Mount Manila. Par
anaue and Las Pinas. on the inland
shore OF Bakor bay. which overlooked
that body Of water as well as the Ca
vite peninsula. and commanded a wide
sweep OF Manila bay itself. He did
not know the strength OF those batter
les. but he had the seaman's caution OF
risking a fight with a land fertilization.
He had at the same time TO beware OF
the still stronger fortincations farther
up the shore. the particular defenses oi
Manila. The Baltimore and Concord
stood down the bay for a mile or two
and began n heavy eannonading upon
the Cavite batteries. lasting twenty
seven minutes.
Their work vas effective from the
start and the Spanish reply was shori
and ineffective. The cruisers ran IN
quite close 10 the shore and the Worl
OF their gunners dismounted severa
Spanish cannon and killed large mum.
Der OF men. The position OF the Amer.
lean ships prevented the forts on n,
hills behind Bakor bay from keepinl
up anything but n desultory FIRE. ant
even some Of this was so badly man
aged that Il dropped into the cavitl
battery. From the very FIRST shot o.
the battle Manila was in q panic
The stream OF people who began u
leave last week turned into . river an<
that river into q food. and when th'
foreign once here last heard all wa
confusion In the city and its suburbs
Also there was word that the insur
gents bad moved up TO within nftssI