Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-06-10
DISASTER OVERCOME.
How Dewey Got Ammunition to
Burn at Manila.

DuTH ii stt Mdnlla.
Cincinnati special to the st. Louis
GtObe-Democrat: And where did COM
modore Dewey obtain all the ammuni-
ton he burned at Manila since he
steamed into the bay over mines and
past forts to engage the Spanish
squadron? Mr.. Byron Williams,
whose son is lieutenant on the Balti-
more, learned through letter posted
by his son at Honolulu on March 90.
"Like many other people who were
embarrassed by lack of information
during the first weeks after the loss of
the Maine," said Mr.. Williams. "I
suffered much feverish impatience and
chilling apprehension. The i'm
patience was much aggravated by the
presidential disregard for my desire for
the immediate removal OF Spain from
the society of Christian nations. The
reaction that followed every attempt
to digest the huge headlines of the
thirteenth edition of the afternoon
news resulted in many shaky doubts
about the real meaning of patriotism.
"Later events have aided restora-
tion of political health, One OF these
helpful incidents is personal obser-
vation of an important condition of
the battle at Manila, which seems
destined to be an addition to the list
of decisive battles"
Said Mr.. Williams: "The Maine met
sudden death ON the night of Feb. Is.
On that day one-third of our warships
were in dock or had their machinery
in repair shops. The nation was short
on shells and off on powder. The
stealthy plot that exploded the Maine
failed to stampede the American peo.
pie. Had he run rushing for vengeance
at that time we would have stumbled
into ditch twenty times deeper than
Bull Run. Instead, we unconsciously
enjoyed a triumph of peace that is yet
to be celebrated.
Before the bubbles ceased to rise
from the sunken battleship, ammuni-
tion that could not be duplicated in all
America was ordered on the trains
that had the right of way over oil that
came before their swift rush to San
Francisco. There these explosives,
that must be handled as carefully as
the mother holds a babe, were tenderly
transported to the slow but steady old
warship Mohican, and started for
Honolulu.
"There--at Honolulu-they were
again, as hastily as possible, unloaded
and again restored to the beautiful
but terrible Baltimore. Every solid
foot of the Baltimore's magazines was
filled, and 400 tons more of modern
munitions we're secured on her decks.
She was also filled to the utmost with
a quantity of coal.
"On March %, just thirty.four days
after tears began to fall for the Maine,
the officers and crew of the Baltimore
mailed their farewell letters and started
on the long sail of 5000 miles to Yoko-
homa, and thence to Hongkong, where
Dewey and his intrepid bluejackets
were waiting for the food OF war.
ain the meantime the depleted
arsenals were refilled by agents that
made the powder mills run night and
day on both sides of the Atlantic, for
every American had answered aye to
the call for $5O,OOO,OOO. On the same
day thirty-five fighting vessels were
added to the brave but slender line of
steel that marks our first line of de.
fense' on the restless waves.
"While Dewey was filling his
magazines from the welcome stores of
the Baltimore, Mckinley and Lee were
calmly but safely controlling the fierce
wrath of their countrymen, who were
clamoring for the shooting to begin.
As the last obtainable ton of coal
sifted down on the deeply hidden decks
of his squadron Dewey hoisted the
signals for sail, and steered straight
for Manila.
"All the world knows the quick and
gallant fight he made" concluded Mr..
Williams. "But no form of the brave
story will be complete without refer
ence to the dramatic conditions of
which have attempted brief review"
And when one comes to think of it
ALTO consider the obstacles which
were overcome-when one remembers
that nearly all of the ammunition in
the United States navy went down
with the Maine, one is constrained to
admit that there is some little wisdom
in Washington after all, and that
those who planned the war on street
corners and in grocery stores-and who
had Spain whipped before the first of
March, won their wars so easily be.
cause they did not have to transport
their powder supplies thousands of
| miles.
A REvIvALIsT in an Indiana town
asked all those present who had read q
passage in the book of Hezekiah to
rise. About dozen stood up, some of