Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-05-11
SPANISH DEFEAT.
The United States is Now
Rated One of the Lead
ing Powers.
Sampson is Now Near Puerto
Rico With the Atlantic
Squadron.

Squadron.
Commander cow, by unanimous vote
Of congress, Admiral Dewey has, with
tue support OF the brain, Drawn and
muscles of the rank and file of his feet,
through his victory at Manila, placed
the navy of the United States in the
front rank of the navies of the world,
not only of modern but of ancient days.
The intense energy and consuming
patriotism OF American citizenship and
sovereignty has again prevailed, and
right and humanity are triumphant.
Not one Spanish ship floats. bat as
our prize, in the harbor of Manila; not
oae man or one ship Of the United
States dead or sunk. Surely the god
of battles is with us. Two hundred
Spanish sailors killed.. 600 wounded
Entering Manila bay at daybreak, ths
Olympia, Baltimore, Raleigh, Petrol.
Concord and B oston, in the order named,
passed, without detection, a mile beyond
the island of Conegidor, at the entrance
to the bay, before the Spanish fired a
shot. The surprise was complete. Our
men slept alongside their guns. At
daybresk they we're a few miles from
Manila. At Cavite the Spanish fleet
was sighted. At a speed OF eight knots
our fleet moved to the attack. The
batteries of Manila spoke, and our Con-
cord replied with two shots only, not
desiring to hurl death aud suffering
in the ranks of her population. The
Spsniards exploded mines, prematurely,
10 injury to our ships resulting. The
heat Of the combat was intense. Our
men stripped to the waist Remember
the Mainep' was the cry. The Olympia,
baltimore and Boston belched forth
their 250-pound shells. The Spaniards,
knowing the distance, fred faster. Fuse
shells, exploding, lashed the water
Shrapnel cut our hull and rigging.
One large shell fell 100 feet from the
Olympia's bridge. Just under Dewey
one shell gouged hole in the deck.
But our men laughed and chatted mer'
rily. The Olympia flagship started for
the Spanish center. "Open with the
gcnsl' said Dewey. One Spanish shot
passed clean through our Baltimore
Then three of the Spanish ships were
seen to be on fire. At 1850 a. m
Dewey gave the signal for close action.
At 1890 the Spaniards hoisted the
white flag. Dewey's orders were, Gap
ture or destroy the Spanish squadron
Never was an order so fully obeyed
Within seven hours from arrival, no
Spanish ship longer held aloft the ban
ner of rapine and cruelty. The enemy
were ours. Humanity had triumphed
over barbarism.
Yesterday tuesday it was officially
admitted that Captain Sampson was one
days run from Puerto Rico The Span
ish fleet had not been located. We
hope to bottle up her fleet in the harbor
of San Juan. 1t may be at Cadiz.
Very probable Sampson will sail to pro-
tect the Oregon before attacking Puerto
Rico.
The final decision of the president
and the board of strategy is that the
Cuban campaign shall be short and de-
cisive. The work is not easy. The
necessary 10000 troops would require
300 transports. The national guard or
volunteer portion of the army will not
be called out for active service by state
organization, but is directed to immedi-
ately organize and fully equip by regi-
ments. Orders were received yesterday
for two Wisconsin regiments, fully
equipped, to proceed south. One third
or 10000 of the national guards already
called out will, like the regulars, serve
in Cuba and the Philippines. Then
relieving the regular army, one-third
will be assigned to coast duty and the
remaining third form a reserve, though
it is hoped the war will be over before
they are needed.
Orders from Madrid are that the
Spsniards, at Manila, shall fight to the
bitter end. But Manila is helpless,
surrounded by insurgents and our block
ade impenetrable. We shall hold the
Philippine Islands for the present. In
this the European powers would oppose
US if they dared, but as the Milwaukee
Sentinel, of Tuesday morning, says,
"Why is it possible, without rsshness,
to say they will not? Because Great
Britain, whose relations are now more
cordial than they have ever been tefore,
would come to our assistance. They
are convinced that an attack upon the
United States would fuse the United
States and Great Britain into such a
fighting force as the world as never
seen" Thus has it come about that
Dewey's historical victory has for all
time, for veal or woe, placed us in the
front ranks of the nations of the old and
new worlds.
TUESDAY AFTERNOON TELEGRAMs.
MADRID, May 10.-All the loaded
warehouses at Aliconte have been burned
by rioters.