Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-05-13
THE BATTLE
AT MANILA.
Description Of How the Fight Was
Conducted.

SQUADRON STEAMED THROUGH
WITH THE CREWS AT THE GUNS.
THE FIRST SPANISH SHOT FIRED
Not until the flagship was a mile he
yond Corregldor was gun fired. Then
one heavy shot went screaming over tie
Raleigh and the Olympia followed by a
second, which fell further astern.
The Raleigh, the Concord and the Bos-
ton replied, the Concord's shells explod-
ing apparently exactly inside the shore
battery, which fired no more.
Our squadron slowed down to barely
steerage way and our men were allowed
to sleep al0ngside their guns
Commodore Dewey had timed our ar
rival so that we were within five miles OF
the city of Manila at daybreak.
We then sighted the Spanish squadron,
Rear Admiral Montojo commanding, of
Cavite-pronounced Kahveetay, with ac-
cent on the wee" Here the Spaniards
had well equipped navy yard called
Cavite Arsenal.
Admiral Montoio's flag was flying on
the $500 ton protected cruiser, Reina
Crstina The protected cruiser Cristilla
of 3 1900 tons, was moored ahead and astern
to the port battery and to the seaward
were the cruisers Don Juan de Austria,
Don Antonio de Ulloa, Isla de Cuba, Isla
de Luzon, Quiros, Marquis del Onero,
and General Lezox.
The ships and the flagship remained
under way during most of the action.
OUR SHIPS BEGIN THE ATTACK.
With the United States flag flying at
all their mastheads, our ships moved TO
the attack in line ahead, with u speed of
eight knots, first passing in front Of Ma
nila. where the action was begun by three
batteries mounting guns powerful enough
to send shell over us distance of five
miles
The Concords guns doomed out a reply
to these with two shots No more Were
fred, because Commodore Dewey could
not engage with these batteries without
sending death and destruction into the
crowded city.
SPANIARDS EXPLODE TWO MINES
AS we neared Cavite two very powerfu
submarine mines were exploded ahead O'
the flagship. This was at six minute
past five o'clock
The Spaniards evidently had misjudge,
our position. Immense volumes of winter
were thrown high in the air by these de.
stroyers, but no harm was done to our
ships.
Commodore Dewey had fought with
Farragut at New Orleans and Mobile Bay,
where he had his first experience with
torpedoes. Not knowing how many more
mines there might be ahead, he still kept
ON without faltering
No other mines exploded, however, and
it is believed that the Spaniards had only
those two in place.
Only few minutes later the shore bat
terry at Cavite Point sent over the flagship
a shot that nearly hit the battery in Ma
nila, but soon the guns got better range,
and the shells began to strike near us OF
burst close aboard from both the batteries
and the Spanish vessels.
The heat was intense Men stripped of
ali clothing except their trousers.
AS the Olympia drew near all was as
silent ON board the ship rs if it had been
empty, except for the whirr of blowers and
the throb of the engines.
Suddenly a she'll burst directly over us
From the .boatswain's mate at the after
5-inch gun came a hoarse cry.
REMEMBER THE MAINEr'
came from the throats of five hundred men
ut the guns. This watchword was caught
up in turrets and frerooms, wherever sea-
man or fireman stood at his post.
Remember the Mainel" had rung out
for defiance and revenge Its utterance
seemed unpremeditated, but was evldent-
ly in every mans mind, and now that the
moment had come to make adequate reply
to the murder of the Names crew, every
man shouted what was in his heart.
THE OLYMPIA READY AT LAST.
The Olympia was now ready to begin
the fight.
Commodore Dewey, his chief of staff,
Commander LambertOn, and aid and my
self, with Executive officer Lieutenant
Ress and Navigator Lieutenant Cawkins,
who conned ship admirably, were ON the
forward bridge. Captain Gridley was in
the coming tower, and at nineteen min
utes Of six o'clock, at distance of 5,50t
yards, the starboard s-inch gun IN the for
ward turret roared forth acompliment tC
the Spanish forts.
Presently similar guns from the Balti
more and the Boston sent $50 pound shells
hurtllng toward the Castllla and the
Reina Cristina for accuracy.
SPANISH GUNS HOT WORK.
The spaniards seemed encouraged t.
fire faster, knowing exactly our distance
while we had TO guess theirs. Their ship
and shore guns were making things hot
for US.
The piercing scream Of shot was varied
foften by the bursting of time fuse shells
fragments of which would lash the water
like sharpnel, or cut our hull and rigging
One large shell that was coming straight
at the Olympia's forward bridge fortunate
lly fell within less than 100 feet away. One
fragment cut the rigging exactly over the
beads of Lamberton, Rees and myself
Another struck the bridge gratings il
line with it. A third passed just under
Commodore Dewey and gouged hole IL
tho deck. Incidents like these were plen
tlful.
Our men naturally chafed at being ex
posed without exchanging fire from al
our guns, but laughed at danger anI
chatted good humoredly A few nervous
fellows could not help lodging mechanic
ally when shells would burst right owe
them or close aboard, or would strike tn