The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-05-09
By,AssociatedlPress.

Hong Kong, May 9.-Among naval
men, military men and civilians, Eu-
ropeans and natives here there is only
one subject of discussion, the brilliant,
dashing, annihilating victory of the
American feet under Commodore
Dewey over the Spanish fleet COM
manded by Admiral Montejo in Ma
Mia bay on May day.
Commodore Deweys orders were to
capture or destroy the Spanish fleet,
and never were instructions executed
in so complete fashion. At the end of
seven hours there was absolutely
nothing left of the Spanish fleet but
few relics. The American commander
had most skillfully arranged every de-
tail of the action, and even the ap-
parently most insignificant features
were carried out with perfect punctual-
ity and in railroad timetable order.
At the end of the action Commo-
dore Dewey anchored his fleet in the
bay, before Manila, and sent a mes
sage to the governor general, General
August, announcing the Inauguration
of the blockade and adding that If a
shot was fired against his ships he
would destroy every battery about Ma
nila.
The Spaniards' Enormous Advantage.
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
Spaniards lost over 600 men in killed
and wounded, that all their ships,
amounting to about A. were destroyed,
and that their naval arsenal at Cavite
was also destroyed, with its defenses,
it will become apparent that the vic
tory of the American commodore is
one of the most complete and wonder
full achievements in the history of
naval warfare.
Not a 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 generalship of Com
nodore Dewey as to the fact that the
American gunners, ships and guns are
superior to anything in the same line
afloat anywhere. Credit must also be
| given to the fullest extent to the off
! GERS under Commodore Dewey, for, to
man, they seconded their gallant
commander in every way possible and
thus helped him earn the laurels which
are so justly his.
! When the squadron left here it
touched first at a point in the Philip
pine Islands near Bolinao, as Commo-
dore Dewey wished the insurgent
agents to disembark there, ascertain
the strength and disposition of the
insurgent forces, arrange to prevent
needless blOodshed and inform the in.
surgents of his intention to change the
! government of the Philippine Islands
the commodore strongly objecting tC
giving the rebels a chance to commit
eXcesses. The insurgent leaders, now.
ever, refused to disembark under any
consideration, and the American ships
Coasted in search of the Spanish ships,
but failed to find them. Commodore
Dewey arrived at Subig bay, about 80
miles north of Manila bay, on Satur-
day, April 30, and sent the Baltimore
and Concord to reconnoiter the enemy
They found no Spanish ships at the
entrance of the bay, and so the com
modore decided to risk the mines and
proceed that same night after dark
into Manila bay, which he did.
The order of battle taken up by the
Spaniards was with all the small Graf
inside the stone and timber break
waters of Cavite harbor. The larger
ships of Spain cruised off Cayite anC
Manila.
Our Fleet Entered with Ease.
The American fleet entered Manila
bay on Saturday night with the great
est of ease, The Spaniards had no
established a patrol, and there were
no searchlights at the entrance of thu
bay. In fact, the American shipi
would probably have passed inside thu
bay without any challenge had it no
been that some sparks flew from tht
McCulloch's funnel. Thereupon few
Continued on Second Page.l