The San Francisco call., 1898-07-08
HOW DEWEY
 VAS GUIDED
 TO MANILA Fitzpatrick Says He Was PiIoted. STEERED BY A BRITISHER CAPTAIN TAYLOR OF THE ES- MERALDA DENIES IT. Two Accounts of the Famous Entry Into the Island Bay Before
 the Great Naval
 Battle.
sTEERED BY A BRITISHER
CAPTAIN TAYLOR OF THE ES-
 MERALDA DENIES IT.

When history reviews the great fight of Manila Bay on May l, 1898, and sums up the elemental particulars of Dewey's great naval victory, more than one para graph will be devoted to the passage of the ships through the tortuous channels into the harbor where the battle was fought. The steamer Rio de Janeiro, which arrived yesterday, had passenger on board who tells story bearing on the entrance of the American fleet into Ma nila Bay and which has never before been published.
 The name of the passenger on the Rio de Janeiro Is Fitzpatrick, and he is con- nected with the Jardine- -Mathieson Mer- cantile Company in the capacity of sugar expert. He has lived in the Philippine Islands for some time, located at Luzon, a small town about forty miles from Ma nila. e
 Just prior to the battle of May 1 Kilpat- rick left Manila on the steamer Esmer- aida, bound for Hongkong. As his story runs the Esmeralda, a steamer running between Manila and Hongkong under Captain Taylor, had just passed the last landmarks of the shore when it came into sight of the American fleet under Commodore Dewey. The Esmeraida was flying a British flag, but it was, never theless, ordered by signal from the Olympia, Deweys flagship, to heave to. Captain Taylor answered the signal Of the Americans, and after a lapse of few minutes a launch was lowered from the Olympia The Esmeralda had completely stopped its onward progress by this time and awaited the coming of the launch manned by American sailors. Captain Taylor then left his ship and went away in the Olympia's launch. This happened on April 30 He did not return until the morning of May 1. When leaving his ship or1n q ha e. meralda should anchor just outside the harbor and await his return. The thun- der of the battle reached the ears Of the Esmeralda's passengers soon after Cap tain Taylor had returned to his ship, and the order to hoist anchors hao peen
 Captain Taylor knows the channel lead ing into the bay as if 1t were a clear, written book. For years he has plloted his ship past Cavite and into the harpor. Not a bar, projecting rock or mine but was known to him. He 1t was, accord ing to the statement of kllpatrick, who steered Dewey through the harbor past the dangers of subterranean mines and placed him in a position to begin the battle which has proved the greatest water fight in the history od T. the worda. rIps, rhIIpat. nilot for the eventful passage through the channel In no other way can he explain Taylorss absence during the & night or April
 Kilpatrick's version is as follows;
 "I am a sugar expert and was sent to Luzon about forty miles af ,aogye aTdy from from utely into the affairs of the plantation at that place. I was representing the Jar dine -Mathieson Mercantile Company.
 'rrhe steamer Esmerada, which has been running between Manila and Hong kong for many years past was at Manila and had taken on cargo preparatory to went aboard on the last day of April. The Esmeralda put to sea in the afternoon and started through the circuitous chan nel on her way to Hongkong.
 "We were going along at a good rate of speed when we sighted the American squadron hanging away off port. At first there was no apparent notice paid to the before the signal flags of the Flagship Olympia called the Esmeralda to a halt Captain Taylor arrived on deck and in a cool and deliberate manner began to give orders for the slackening of speed of the Esmeralda- An answer new from the mast of the steamer and, In short time, launch from the Olympia arrived along side. Without saying a word and all the while puffing away at hisscigar. che cap tain got into the lauch and was soon on the meantime been given the next officer in command to hover off port until he should return to his ship.
 "Captain Taylor then went aboard the Olympia and that is the last thing we saw of him until early next morning. When he got aboard the Esmeralda again anchors were weighed lmmedlately, and we were off for Hongkong just as the first shots of the engagement at Manila were being fired. All steam was put on, and the Esmeralda soon lost sight of Manila
 "Where was Captain Taylor during the night? Well, he was only piloting the American fleet, with the Olympia in the in and out of the channel for years. and no one knows the surroundings as well as he. Do you wonder none of the mines no doubt, well paid. No other man could have steered that fleet through the rocks and sand as Captain Taylor did in the darkness of the morning. When the work was done he got into launch again and