The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-24
NAVAL VICTORIES WON ON
SUNDAY.

Sunday seems to be a day of deeds
! for the American navy. 1t was on
Sunday. on that pleasant and historic
May morning. that Dewey sailed into
Manila and annihilated the Spanish
fleet, under Montejo, thereby clearing
the Pacific of all peril TO American
commerce from that source, and there
by placing the future destiny of the
Philippines under the control of the
United States. On that Sunday morn
ing a Spanish national fete day was
suddenly transformed into a day of
national weeping and wailing.
1t was on Sunday, while the Ameri-
can feet outside of Santiago harbor
was riding idly at anchor, that the
famous fleet of Cervera, the fleet whose
coming had been so long heralded, and
for which the promise was made that
it would destroy our commerce, bonn
bard our coast cities and strike terror
to the hearts of the American people,
was seen to be coming out of the bottle
into which Schley had put it. At first
il was not known whether it was COM
ing out to give battle or to make one
grand dash for liberty. It made dash
for liberty, only giving battle inciden-
tally. In less than an hour three cruis-
ers and two torpedo boats of this
undetermined fleet had been practical
ly annihila6ed, being riddled with shot
and she'll and beached by their officers
and crews that they might save their
lives. A few hours later and the Girls
tobal Colon, the last of the fated YES
sells, was beached and burning
wreck on the shores of Cuba. so miles
from Santiago. This was two Spanish
fleets destroyed in two months, each on
a Sunday.
In times gone by fortune has favored
the American navy on Sunday It was
on a Sunday March .. 1862 that the
Monitor met the Merrimac, that Mer-
rimac that had been destroying the
United States vessels in Hampton
Roads at will. that Merrimac that with
its slanting iron sides was like a giant
among pigmies, striking and killing
one here and another there, as the
mood took it. But when the Monitor
called her the Ericsson, recognizing her
from descriptions they had read Of
herr. after that perilous voyage in
which she had nearly foundered sailed
into Hampton Roads and took her
place quietly beside the Minnesota, the
Merrimae's career of destruction and
terror was ended, and the authorities
at Washington felt that the naval side
of the war was henceforth turned in
their favor. And that was a Sabbath
day naval event
1t was on a Sunday morning (June
10, 1864. that another great triumph
was scored fer the United States navy.
This was off the coast of France, but
few miles outside the harbor OF Cher
bourg. In that harbor there had been
lying for weeks and weeks the con-
federate commerce destroyer Alabama:
outside that harbor for weeks and
weeks had been lying the Union war.
ship Kearsarge. patiently waiting for
chance to meet the Alabama in battle.
AT last the -prayed-for chance
came Soon the word was passed from
mouth to mouth over Winslow's ship:
She's coming, She's comingr But
was she coming for fight or for flight?
They had not long TO wait for an an
swer; she was coming for fight. The
Kearsarge was stripped fer action and
everything made ready for battle. The
battle was soon on, and it was not long
before the Alabama, the confederate
commerce destroyer, the terror of the
sea for Union merchantmen, was de-
stroyed and lying ON the bottom of
the English channel.
Sunday has been a great and for
tunate day in the history of the Amer
lean navy. and well may the American
people return thanks on that day for
the good fortunes that have come to
their navy.