The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-29
A DEWEY PET
NOW IN PORT
The Doughty Cutter McCullOGl is
a Harb0r Visitor.
SHE EARNED FAME In MANILA
Fired the First Shot for sthe Am
erican Eavy-Conveyed News
of the Victory.
SHE EARNED FAME IN MANILA

| The smoke from steamer away Oh
TO westward at noon yesterday was the
cause of many conjectures along the
| front, until drawing closer, it was
found to come from the United States
revenue cutter McCulloch, on her way
to San Francisco from Yokohama. At
half past two o'clock she was anchored
on the Waikiki side of the gunboat
Bennington and Capt. G. l.. Hooper.
commanding the now famous little cut
ter, gave audience to the local report
ers who were early on board
1t was the MsCullooh that fired the
first shots of the battle of Manila-in
deed the first of the Spanish-American
war When Admiral Deweys feet was
entering Manila harbor just at the en-
trance-from the ramparts of Ell Frayle
doomed the alarm gun that notified the
other batteries at Ell Caballo and Cor
regidor of the Yankees coming. The
sparks from the McCulloch's smoke
stack had discovered them. 1T was
the poor COAL" unused Chief Engineer
Chalker, on board yesterday, that
caused all this. We had taken it on at
Hongkong and it was poor stuff, but
the best that could be obtained at the
time. 1t was our luck to fire up just
at that time" The McCulloch's for
ward gun spit back at Ell Frayle, but
by that time the batteries were passed
by the United STATES fleet, the McCul-
lOch being stationed in the line Of col
umn we'll behind, third from the last,
the plucky Boston, whose commander,
Capt. Wildes, passed through Honolu-
In few weeks ago for the East on
leave of absence, bringing up the rear.
During the battle the McCulloch was
anchored close to the action and soon
as Admiral Dewey's victory was accom-
plished took the cablegram to Hong
kong announcing the fact to the United
States Government.
1t was the irony of fate that the Nc
Culloch, n few weeks before leaving
Manila last month, should have been
detailed by Admiral Dewey to destroy
the battery of Ell Frayle, which had
fired on her, as narrated, and also the
forts of Ell Caballo and Corregidor.
They were all dismantled, the guns
some of them new S-inch Armstrong
breech loading cannon of the latest i'm
proved pattern-were taken out to sea
and sunk This was done to prevent
them falling into the hands of a pos
81 bic foe-the Filipinos-and tens OF
thousands of dollars worth Of valuable
armament were buried beneath the
| waves. While on Corregidor the rea-
| son was discovered as to why that bat
terry did not open on the Yankee fleet
as it entered the harbor-the Spanish
commandant was drunk! This, on the
authority of the stray Filipinos who
| were in readiness to occupy the de-
| serted fort.
Ell F'rayle. Ell Caballo and CorregidO1
destroyed, the McCulloch steamed bacl
to the fleet at anchor off Manila anC
was then sent on the voyage which
was to bring her to this port. Sh
sailed from Manila on the morning o
November 18th, arriving in HOngkoni
five days later. sailing thence to Annoy
Admiral Dewey has a way of sendin
the United States vessels to the port
along the China coast to "shOw th
flag" That was Commander Wilde
mission when the Boston was sen
north cruising about the China sea-
From Annoy to Shanghai sailed tn
NcCuuoch. leaving the latter port De
cember 1st for Nagasaki, where sh
coaled on the 4th inst The Unite
States collier Nero had sailed from ths
port a few days previous. The McCu
loch arrived in Kobe December Tth an
in Yokohama the 9th inst, sailing aftt
a weeks stay in that harbOT on Decen
Der 10Th for Honolulu.
The trip has been uneventful-
pleasant one throughout. Just fou
teen days with fair weather all II
| way, with the exception Of some Hgl
head winds the last two days.
OF course the McCulloch is full
war stories All the officers, exceptiT
Capt Hooper and Chief Engine
f, Chalker, took part in the battle
Manila. and the crew, with the exec
ton of ten men. were all participant
Mounted on the forward deck are tv
} Spanish 5-inch bronze guns, taken {
the Reina Christina and destined to
cast in the statues to adorn the collos
Maine monument. They are centuri