The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-05-11
THE BATTLE OF MANILA.
Story told by Officer who was There
Under Fire.

CHICAGO, May THE Chronicle
has the following: Hong Kong, May Z.
Commodore Dewcy's flag lieutenant.
Thomas NJ. Brumby, arrived at Hong
Kong this morning on the United
States revenue cutter Hugh McCul-
loch, with the first official news of the
greatest naval battle of modern times,
that at Manila harbor.
The official dispatches were at once
forwarded by cable to the United
States government at Washington.
The first connected story of the en-
gagement was told by the officers Of
the McCulloch, who saw it and partic-
ipated in it. They said that Spain s
feet of ten vessels was wholly dc.
stroyed.
The Reina Maria Christiana, flag
ship of the Spanish squadron, was
the center of attack at the beginning
OF the action, and under the hot fire
poured in on her from the American
ships, she was soon burning from stem
to stern.
Admiral Montejo, the Spanish ad-
miral, was compelled to escape in q
small boat to the Isla de Cuba, anoth-
er of the Spanish vessels. and as soon
as his flag was hoisted the guns of the
American feet were turned on it and
in few minutes it was destroyed.
The admiral was again forced to cs-
cape in a small boat. The defenses of
Manila and it's batteries, as we'll as
those at Cavite, were silenced aud
beaten to the ground by the rain OF
shot aud shell.
During Saturday night the vessels
of the American squadron crept inside
the bay through supposed maze of
mines aud torpedoes. They were not
observed by any of the watchers on
the Spanish garrisons until some stray
sparks were emitted from the funnel
of the dispatch boat McCulloch.
Then a few shots were exchanged
with the garrison on Corregidor Is
land, but, owing to the darkness, they
were ineffective.
There was no patrol established, nor
were any searchlights placed at the
entrance to Manila bay.
OThe vessels of the American squad
ron never stopped or slowed down un-
til they had assumed a position direct
ly opposite the city of Manila. This
was just at day break.
The order OF battle assumed by the
Spanish feet at the beginning of the
engagement was with all small craft
inside Cavite harbor, which is pro-
tected by stone and timber breakwa-
ters, and the larger ships maneuvering
off Cavite and Manila. The Ameri-
can battle line was led by the flagship
Olympia and the cruiser Raleigh. The
Boston, Baltimore, Concord and Pc
trel and the revenue cutter McCulloch
followed. The American feet in easy
speech approached the Spanish ships,
which were drawn out in two lines, the
Reina Maria Christiana, the flagship,
in the center.
AS tie dawn broke and the position
of the American squadron was discov-
cred, the Spanish feet Immediately
opened fire, supported by the Cavite
forts. The Spaniards fred the first
shot. The challenge was given by the
Reina Maria Christina.
The Olympia replied and at once the
entire American feet was in action.
The Spanish ships did not hesitate in
their fire and the Cavite batteries let
loose their heavy gus. The best
guuners in the American fleet manned
the most destructive weapons on the
ships, and the havoc wrought was
frightful. The engagement soon be-
came general. The Hugh McCulloch
remained at some distance from the
brunt of the encounter and the enc
my shells passed but did not touch
her.
The marksmanship of the Spanish
gunness seemed to be wild from the
outset Meanwhile the main ships of
the American squadron we're pouring
in deadly fire, doing great execution
both in the Spanish feet and in the
Cavite fortiications on land.
The American cruiser Baltimore at
one period of the engagement received
the brunt of the enemy s fire and suf-
fered the most of any vessel in the
American squadron. From five to ten
tons of the enemys shots took effect
on the Baltimore, but none Of her Of
GERS or crew were seriously burt.
AS soon as the Spanish admiral lett
the Reina Maria Cristina and boarded
the Isla de Cuba, the fire was directed
at the latter mercilessly, every 8.inch
gun on every ship joining those OF the
flagship. The Isla de Cuba was rid
died. After few rounds she was put
out of action, and almost before Admi-
raj Moptcjo had had time to get his
bearings he was driven out second
time.
The Spanish cruiser Castillo burst
into flames under the remarkable gun
merry of Dewey men. The American
commodore then directed hot fire
against the batteries. This was a
surprise to Admiral Montejo, who ap-
parently thought himself secure un-
der the guns of the Cavite forti6ca-
tions.
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