Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-05-12

COuSiusIdtlOL, anu CuC AnctICdu Sulpo
coasted in search of the Spanish ships,
but failed to find them. Commodore
Dewey arrived at Subig bay. about 80
miles north of Manila bay, on Satur-
day, April 80, and sent the Baltimore
and Concord to reconnoiter the enemy
They found no Spanish ships at the
entrance of the bay, and so the COM
modore decided to risk the mines and
proceed that same night alter dark
into Manila bay, which he did.
The order of battle taken up by the
Spaniards was with all the small craft
inside the stone and timber break
waters of Cavite harbor. The larger
ships of Spain cruised off Cavite and
Manila.
Our Fleet Entered with Ease.
The American feet entered Manila
bay on Saturday night with the great
est of ease. The Spaniards had not
established patrol, and there were
no searchlights at the entrance of the
bay. In fact. the American ships
would probably have passed inside the
bay without any challenge had it not
been that some sparks flew from the
McCulloch's funnel. Thereupon a few
shots were exchanged with the bat
teries on Corregidor Island, but the
feet did not slow down, and soon took
UP a position near Cavite, awaiting
dawn in order to commence hostili-
ties.
The early hours of the morning re-
vealed the opposing ships to each
other and the Spanish flagship opened
fire. Her action was followed by some
of the larger Spanish warships, and
then the Cavite forts opened up and
the smaller Spanish vessels brought
their guns into play.
The American squadron, which had
been led into the bay and through the
channel by the flagship Olympia, did
not reply, though the shells of the
Spaniards began to strike the water
around them, but moved majesticalIy
onward. When nearing Baker bay a
sudden upheaval of water a short dis
tance ahead of the Olympia showed
that the Spaniards had exploded a
mine or torpedo. This was followed
by a second and similar explosion.
They were both utterly unsuccessful.
The American feet was then drawing
nearer and nearer to the Spaniards,
whose gunnery was very poor, the
shots from the Cavite batteries and
from the Spanish ships being equally
badly aimed, either falling short or go
ing wide of the mark.
When the American feet entered the
bay, coming through the southern
channel between Caballo and Frile ISL
cts, the following was their order:
The flagship Olympia, the Baltimore,
the Raleigh, Concord, Boston, Petrol
and McCulloch, with two storeships,
the Nanshan and Zafiro, bringing uu
the rear And in that order they swept
grandly before the city and faced the
enemy in column line.
Dewey Reserved His Fire.
Though the Spaniards had opened
fire at 5000 yards, the Americans re-
served their fire until within 1900
yards of the enemy, when the real
battle began.
The Reina Christina, Castillo, Dor
Antonio Ulloa, Isla de Cuba, Isla de
Luzon and the Mindanao were in line
of battle outside of Cavite at that time
with four gunboats and the torpedo
boats inside the harbor
The American ships then passed back
wards and forwards six times across
the front of the Spaniards, pouring in
upon the latter a perfect hail of shot
and shell. Every American shot seem
ed to tell, while almost every Spanish
shot missed the mark.
After having thus scattered death
and Decentralization among the Spanish
feet and the Spanish batteries, the
American fleet retired for breakfast
and incidentally council of war was
held on board the Olympia.
BY this time the Spanish ships were
in desperate condition. The flagship
Reina Christina was riddled with shot
and shell, one of her steam pipes had
burst and she was believed to be on
fire. The Castillo was certainly OH
fire, and soon afterward their condition
became worse and worse, until they
were eventually burned to the waters
edge.
The Don Antonio de Ulloa made a
most magnificent show of desperate
bravery. When her commander found
she was so torn by the American shells
that he could not keep her afioat he
nailed her colors to the mast and she
sank with all hands fighting to the
last. Her hull was completely rid
died and her upper deck had been
swept clean by the awful fire of the
American guns, but the Spaniards
though their vessels were sinking be-
meath them, continued working the
guns on her lower deck until she sank
beneath the waters.
Torpedo Boat Shot to Pieces.
During the engagement a Spanish
torpedo boat crept along the shore and
round the ofing in an attempt to at
tack the American ships, but she was
promptly discovered, was driven ashore
and was actually shot to pieces.
The Mindanao had in the meanwhile
been run ashore to save her from sink
ing, and the Spanish small craft had
sought shelter from the steel storm be.
hind the breaKwater.
The battle, which was started al
about 81 80 a. m. and adjourned at g.. sc
a. M. was resumed about noon, when
Commodore Dewey started in to put
the finishing touches of his glorious
work. There was not much fight left
In the Spaniards by this time, and
at q D. m. the Petrol and Concord had
shot the Cavite batteries into silence
leaving them heaps of ruins and float
ing the white flag.
The Spanish gunboats were then
scuttled, the arsenal was on fire. ano
the explosion of a Spanish magazine
caused further mortality among the
defenders of Spain on shore.
On the water the burning, sunken OIL
destroyed Spanish vessels could be seen
while only the cruiser Baltimore had
suffered in any way from the fire of the
enemy. A shot which struck her ex-
ploded some ammunition near one OF
her guns and slightly injured half a
dozen of the crew. Several shots pass
ed dangerously close to Commodore
n i