Arizona republican., 1898-05-12
WE DIDN'T KNOW.
The Maine Took Down All of Our Am
 munition

Cincinnati, May 11.-And where did Commodore Dewey obtain all of the ammunition he burned at Manila since he steamed into the bay over mines and past forts to engage the Spanish squadron? MT. Byron Williams, whose son is a lieutenant on the Balti- more, learned through a letter posted by his son at Honolulu on March 22.
 Like many other people who were embarrassed by a lack of information during the first weeks after the loss of the Maine" said Mir Williams, '1 suffered much feverish impatience and chilling apprehension. The impatience was much aggravated by the presi- dential disregard fer my desire for the immediate removal of Spain from the society of Christian nations. The reaction that followed every attempt to digest the huge heaaIines of the thirteenth edition of the afternoon news resulted in many shaky doubts about the real meaning of patriotism.
 Later events have aided restora- tion of political health. One of these helpful incidents is a personal Ob- servation of an important condition of the battle of Manila, which is an addi tion to the list of decisive battles. !"
 Said MT. Williams: "The Maine met sudden death on the night of Feb ruary 15. On that day one-third of our warships were in dock or had their machinery in repair shops The nation was short in shells and off on powder. The stealthy plot that ex- ploded the Name failed to stampede the American people. Had we run rushing off for vengeance at that time we would have stumbled into a ditch twenty times deeper than Bull Run. Instead, we unconsciously enjoyed a triumph of peace that is yet to be celebrated.
 Before the bubbles ceased to rise from the sunken battleship, ammuni- tiOn that could not be duplicated in all America was ordered on the trains that had the right of way over all that came before their swift rush to San Francisco. There these explosives, that must be handled as carefully as the mother holds a babe, were ten derly transported to the slow but steady old warship Mohican, and start ed for Honolulu.
 There Honolulu-they were again, as hastily as possible, unloaded and again restored on the beautiful but terrible Baltimore. Every solid foot of the Baltimore's magazines was filled, and 400 tons more of modern munitions were secured an her decks. She was also filled to the utmost with a quantity of coal
 "On March 22, just thirty-four days after tears began to fall for the Maine, ho off ,f Do mailed their farewell letters and start ed on the long sail of 5000 miles to Yokohama, and thence to Hong Kong, where Dewey and his intrepid blue jackets were waiting for the food of war.
 "In the meantime the depleted ar senals were refilled by agents that made the powder mills run day and night on both sides of the Atlantic, for every American had answered aye to the call for $50,O00,000. On the same day thirty-five fighting vessels were added to the brave but slender line of steel that marks our first line of defense on the restless waves. While Dewey was filling his maga- zines from the welcome stores of the Baltimore, Mckinley and Lee were calmly but safely controlling the fierce wrath of their countrymen, who were clamoring for the shooting to begin As the last obtainable ton of coal sifted down on the deeply hidden decks of his squadron Dewey hoisted the signals for sail, and steered straight for Manila.
 "All the world knows the quick and gallant fight he made,'' concluded Mr.