Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-05-13

MADRID, SPAIN, May =.
am now able to give the first con-
secutive account of the greatest naval
battle since the ironclad was invented /;
the greatest naval fight and the most
overwhelming naval victory in the
annals OF the United States.
As my information is wholly from
Spanish sources, and chiefly from gov
ernment telegrams, the facts in favor
of the Americans doubtless are far be-
low the truth.
The sailing of the American fleet
from Hongkong, April q, was prompt
ly cabled to Manila, and, despite all
that the authorities could do to pre-
vent it, was soon known throughout
the island.
Many of the better class Immediately
hurried aboard merchant vessels with
their valuables and fled.
Those left behind took no courage
from the confident boastings of the
Spanish army and navy officers, but
gave way to panic from fear OF what
would happen when the natives were
encouraged to practice the lessons in
savagery Spain has been so long and
so carefully teaching them.
1t was known to the Spanish author
tiles that the American fleet would be
almost certain to arrive in the evening
of Saturday.
The Spanish fleet-which the Gov
ernor-General had been overpersuaded
by Admiral Montojo to order to sea to
meet and destroy the cowardly
Yankee pigs" there-was recalled Sat-
urday afternoon and lined up seven
miles down the bay from Manila, at
Cavite, where the arsenal, dry docks
and naval workshops are defended by
a long line of earthworks.
These works had been greatly
strengthened Of late, notably by the
addition of several big modern guns.
They were regarded as very formid.
able by the old-fashioned Spanish
military engineers.
The fort on Corregidor Island, the
battery on CaballO Island and the
works on the mainland points to the
north and south of those islands were
all in readiness, and the chain of
mines which guarded both channels
was prepared to blow up each Ameri-
can ship as it passed.
Saturday night fell with the Span
iards on land and water quite cheerful
over the coming engagement.
Shortly after midnight, the darkness
being intense, one Of the guns on Cor
regidor suddenly doomed out.
All the other guns about the en-
trance to the bay took up the cry.
The anxious people of Manila,
twenty miles up the bay, poured into
the streets. They thought the battle
had begun in reality.
The American feet was already
past the entrance and was on its way
up the opposite side OF the bay.
How the Americans got past the
forts is not yet known.
1t is believed they did not have to
fire gun, and it is said that the loca-
ton of the mines was known to them
and that Admiral Dewey daringly re-
solved to run the chances of being
misinformed.
1t was night of terror in Manila.
The women and the children fled to
the churches, while tine men rushed to
and fro in the streets.
Dismay seized upon the Spanish
soldiers. They had not believed that
the Americans could ever get past the
entrance batteries and mines.
Long before dawn the panic became
frenzy because of the reports that
came in from the interior of the island
that the natives were massing for a
descent upon the city, a pillage and q
massacre.
When day broke the tens of thou
sands watching on all sides of the
vast and beautiful harbor saw the en-
emy in line of battle about ten miles
out, directly in front of Manila.
There were nine vessels in all, as
follows:
The second-class protected cruiser
Olympia, $500 tons, a swift commerce
destroyer carrying four terrible S-inch
guns and ten deadly 5-inch quick
firers.
The second.class protected cruiser
Baltimore, scarcely less formidable
than the Olympia, with four S-inch
guns and six 6-inch rapid-firers.
The second-class protected cruiser
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