The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-15
Dewey's Glorious Fight.

COL G. A. Loud, acting paymaster
on the despatch boat Mccullough, al
rived last week at San Francisco. Col.
Loud gives a good story OF Dewey's
| fight which he was in a position to
watch carefully by the aid of good
glass. He said:
"After leaving Hong Kong we steered
straight for the Philippines. and as we ap-
| preached the coast the Baltimore, Boston
and Concord were told off to go on in front
to see if they could discover anything of the
enemy.
No enemy, however was seen, but in Subic
Bay the Kite came across couple Of small
| schooners, whose occupants were questioned
as to the whereabouts Of the Spanish fleet,
but without satisfaction, they even pretend
| ing not to know where Manila is.
1t was about six O'Clock on Saturday
evening when We left Subc Bay. We ex-
pected to sight the Spaniards every minute,
| and accordingly steamed slowly along. A
sharp lookout was kept and everything was
ready for action. Still nothing hove in
sight, and late in the evening we arrived
outside Manila Bay, entering the broad
channel in regular battle order.
THE vessels steamed slowly by Corregi-
dor island, which divides the entrance to
Manila harbor into two channels. There
| was a bright moon, but the ships had nearly
all passed the forts there without being dis
covered. No lights were permitted on any
of the ships with the exception Of stern
| light, to enable the vessels to keep in line.
The dull gray color Of the ships evidently
helped to conceal them from view. There
was perfect stiffness on each ship OF the
feet. The men were at quarters, and every
thing was in perfect readiness as they
| steamed slowly through the wide channel
to the south or Corregidor island. Six OF
the ships bad passed through unnoticed
when rafting fire from the shore batteries
told that the feet had been sighted. The
shots dropped near the Boston and McCul-
| loch. The McCulloch answered with three
| shots and the Boston also fired several
shots. None OF the projectiles damaged any
OF the vessels, and, after the shots from the
| Boston and McCulloch, no further attention
was paid TO the fire from the forts. The
feet slowly advanced up the bay to Manila,
and arrived opposite the city about 4: 30 A.
| M, when day was breaking.
1--WE first fired the port battery and then
| came around and fred the star board bat
terry. repeating this operation four or five
times. The second time we came around
the Spanish Admiral came out in the Reina
Cristina and calamity assailed us. We re-
ceived him warmly. and do not know how
In the world he escaped with his life. While
the old Admiral was standing on the bridge
shot from one OF our vessels blew the
bridge clean over, but the Admiral some
how escaped, for we saw him afterward
he could do no good, he turned TO get back
into the harbor, but before he could take
shelter an eight.inch shell from the Boston
struck his vessel in the stern and set her on
fire. Later she sank with some 200 men.
The Admiral was among those who escaped.
The Castillo was next TO take fire and the
Don Antonio d'Ulloa followed. Two torpe-
do launches, which lay in wait off Cavite,
attempted to run in with torpedoes against
the Olympia, and there were some trying
| anti Tor al.A lAIIu H..
big guas did not succeed in hitting such
small objects az they rapidly approached.
men wsnia sU ya6as Of me flagship me
q perfect hail OF six pound shells, smashing
up the leading boar, killing all on board,
and driving the second launch back on the
beach with twelve shot holes in her. This
boat was afterward found covered with
blood.
By this breakfast time had arrived, and
the Commodore gave q signal TO haul off
short distance, not going 10 anchor, how
! ever, and the commanding officers had q