The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-10

can ships coasted in search OF the
Spanish ships. but failed TO find them
bay, about thirty miles north Of Manila
bay, on Saturday. April 3oth, and sent
the Baltimore and the Concord 10 re-
connoitre the enemy They found no
Spanish ships at the entrance OF the
bay, and SO the commodore decided to
risk the mines and proceed that same
night after dark into the bay OF Ma
Mia, which he did.
The order Of battle taken up by the
Spaniards was with all the small craft
inside the stone and timber break
waters of Cavite harbor. The larger
ships Of Spain cruised off Cavite and
Manila
ENTERING THE BAY AT NIGHT.
The American fleet entered Manila
bay on Saturday night with the great
est of ease. The Spaniards had not es-
tablished a patrol and there were no
Searchlights at the entrance OF the
bay. In fact, the American ships would
probably have passed inside the bay
without any challenge had il not been
that some sparks flew from the Nc
Culloch's funnel. Thereupon a few
shots were exchanged with the batter
les on Corregidor island, but the fleet
did not slow down, and soon took up
a position near Cavite, awaiting dawn
in order to commence hostilities.
The early hours of the morning re-
vealed the opposing ships to each 9TH
er and the Spanish flagship opened
fire. Her action was followed by some
of the larger Spanish warships and
then the Cavite forts opened up and
the smaller Spanish vessels brought
their guns into play. The American
squadron which had been led into the
bay and through the channel by the
flagship Olympia, did not reply, though
the shells of the Spaniards began to
strike the water around them. The
ships moved majestically onward.
When nearing Baker bay. sudden un-
heaval of water a short distance ahead
of the Olympia showed that the Span
iards had exploded a mine or tor
pedo. This was followed by a second
and similar explosion. They were both
utterly unsuccessful. The American
fleet was then drawing nearer and
nearer to the Spaniards, whose gunnery
was very poor, the shots from the Ca
vite batteries and from the Spanish
ships being equally badly aimed, eth
er falling short or going wide of the
mark.
When the American fleet entered the
bay, coming through the southern
channel between the Caballo Frile
islets, the following was their order:
The flagship Olympia, Baltimore, Ra-
leigh, Concord, Boston, Petrol and Nc
Culloch, with the two store ships. the
Nanshan and Zafiro, bringing up the
rear. And in that order they swept
grandly before the city and faced the
enemy in column line.
Though the SpaniardS had opened
fire at 5000 yards, the Americans re-
served their fire until within 1000 yards
of the enemy, when the real battle be-
gan. The Reina Christina, Castillo,
Don Antonio de Ulloa, Isle de Cuba,
Isla de LuZon, and the Mindanao were
in line of battle outside of Cavite at
that time, with four gunboats and the
torpedo boats inside the harbor.
A HAIL OF SHOT AND SHELL.
The American ships then passed
backward and forward six times across
the front of the Spaniards, pouring in
upon the latter a perfect hail of shot
and shell. Every American shot SEEM
ed to tell, while almost every Spanish
shot missed the mark. After having
thus scattered death and demoraliza-
ton among the Spanish fleet and in the
Spanish batteries. the American fleet
retired for breakfast and. incidentally.
a council of war was held on board the
Olympia.
WENT DOWN WITH COLORS FLY
ING
By this time the Spanish ships were
in a desperate condition. The flagship
Reina Christina was riddled with shot
and shell, one of her steam pipes had
bursted and she was believed to be on
fire. The Castillo was certainly on
fire, and soon afterwards they were
entirely burned to the waters edge.
The Don Antonio de Ulloa made a mag
nifcant show Of desperate bravery.
When her commander found she was
SO torn by the American shells that
he could not keep her afioat, he nailed
her colors to the mast and she went
down with all hands fighting to the
last. Her hull was completely riddled
and her upper deck had been swept
clean by the awful fire Of the American
guns, but the Spaniards. though their
vessels were sinking beneath them,
continued working the guns on her
lower deck until she sank.
During the engagement a Spanish
torpedo boat crept along the shore and
around the offing, in an attempt to at
tack the American storeships. but she
was promptly discovered, was driven
ashore and shot to pieces.
The Mindanao had in the meanwhile
been run ashore to save her from sink
ing and the Spanish small craft had
sought shelter from the steel storm
behind the breakwater.
THE FINISHING TOUCHES.
The battle. which was started at
about $50 o'clock a. m, and adjourned
at $50 o'clock a. m, was resumed
about noon, when Commodore Dewey
started in to put on the finishing
touches of his glorious work. There
was not much fight left in the Span
iards by that time and at o'clock p.
m, the Petrol and the Concord had
shot the Cavite batteries into silence,
leaving them heaps of ruins and float
ing the hite flag. The Spanish gum
boats were then scuttled, the arsenal
was on fire and the explosion of a
Spanish magazine caused further NOR
tality among the defenders Of Spain
Cn shore.
THE ONLY INJURY TO THE AMER
ICANS.
On the water the burning, sunken or
destroyed Spanish vessels could be seen
while only the cruiser Baltimore had
suffered in any way from the fire of
the enemy. A shot which struck her
oxrln