Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-09-29
TIL HE~CITIZEN.
SPANISH STORY OF MANILA.

SPANISH STORY OF MANILA.
Admiral Montojo's Account OF his Defeat
bv Dewey.
The Hong Kong Papers contained inter-
esting matter in regard to the battle OF
Manila. which was not sent by cable.
Il seems that the Spanish were in
tensely disgusted that Admiral Dewey
should not have given formal warning
that he was going to enter Manila har-
Dor and that he should have entered
It by the broad channel instead Of by
the narrow channel, which had been
mined. The few shots which Admiral
Dewey's ships fired at the Corregidor
forts on the night they entered the
harbor killed forty-two men, although
the only target the American gunners
had were the flashes of the Spanish
cannon.
The correspondent of the Hong Kong
China Mail, who went to Manila on the
British steamer EsmeraIda, arrived on
the day after the battle. on May he
had an interview with the Spanish Ad-
miral, Montojo, and obtained his YER
sion Of the battle. Il contains some
novel and interesting facts. The cor
respondent describes the Admiral as
''an old man about 65 years Of age,
slight in stature, and in appearance
everything but warlike. He realized
my ideal of an old Spanish grandee.
was cordialitv itself, and talked with
Franlrra-r Of fair+ ~ Ai-
miral Montoio said his intention was
to go to Subig Bay and fortify it, but
he found that 1t would require at least
a month. So after spending a week
there he returned to Manila on April
80. Had Dewey started one day earlier
he would thus have caught the Span
ish feet outside Manila harbor.
Admiral Montojo said he had re-
Questioned Madrid FOR ships and tor
pedoes, but had received neither, so
he laid the blame of his defeat on the
Spanish Government In describing
the fight Admiral Montojo said:
THE Reina Cristira and Don Juan
d'Austria, as you know. were old cruis-
ers: the Castella was a wooden cruiser,
but was unable to steam owing TO the
breaking down OF her engines. The
Don Antonio d'UlIoa and the Velasco
were helpless and were undergoing re-
pairs off the arsenal. The Olympia,
Baltimore, Raleigh and Boston en-
gagged my flagship in turn about $50,
attracted by my flag. 1 recognized the
necessity of getting under way and
slipped both anchors, ordering the
other ships to follow my example. Al
though We recognized the hopelessness
of fighting the American ships we were
busy returning their fire. The Reina
Cristina was hit repeatedly.
Shortly after $50 I observed fire on
my ship forward and our steering gear
was damaged, rendering the vessel un-
manageable We were subjected to
terrific hail Of shell and shot. The en-
gines were struck and We estimated we
had seventy hits about our hull and
superstructure. The boilers were not
hit, but the pipe to the condenser was
destroyed. A few moments later / OBJ
served that the after part of the ship
was on fire. A shell from an American
ship had penetrated and burst with
My Flag Lieutenant said to me:
1.-The ship is in flames. 1t is i'm
possible to stay on the Cristina any
longer
HE signalled Co the gunboat Isia
de Cuba and / and my staff were
transferred to her and my flag was
hoisted. Before leaving the Cristina
my flag was hauled down. My flagship
was now one mass OF flames. 1 ordered
away all boats 1 could to save the
crew. Many of the men jumped over
board without clothing and succeeded
in reaching shore, several hundred
yards away. Only a few men were
drowned the majority being picked up
by the boats.
Before jumping overheard Capt.
Cadarse's son, a Lieutenant on board
the Cristina, saw his father alive ON
deck, but others say that as the Cap
tain was about to leave a shell burst
over the ship and killed him. We es-
innate that So men were killed on
board the Cristina and about $50
wounded. The chaplain was killed aad
the assistant physician. the chief en-
gineer and three officers were wound !
ed. The boatswain and chief gunner
were both killed. In the Castella only
about Is men were killed, but there
were many wounded both on the Cas-
tella and the Don Juan aAustria, on
which 13 men were killed. Altogether.
so far as we know at present, 400 men
were killed and wounded on our ships.
AS soon as l translated myself from
the Reina Cristina to the Isla de Cuba.
all the American shots were directed
upon the Isla de Cuba, following my
flag. We sought shelter behind the
pier at Cavite, and, recognizing the
futility of fighting more, 1 prepared to
disembark, and gave orders for the
evacuation of the remainder of the
ships The Castella had been on fire
from end to end for some time, and
was Of course, already abandoned. The
Ulloa was also burning My last sig
nal to the capttlins OF all the vess els
was 'Scuttle and abandon your Ships"
He said: The Captain Of the Boston
said to my chief Of staff, Capt. Boado.
You have corabatted with us four very
never seen drawer fighting under such
unequal conditions. 1t Is a great pity
you exposed your rves In vessels not
fit for fighting.' Commodore Dewey
also sent me a message by the Eng
lish consul yesterday, saying that.
peace or war, ne would have great
pleasure in clasping me by the hand
and congratulating me on the gallant
manner in which we fought"
The Bicycle in Warfare.
A new use for the bicycle in warfare
was developed during the recent bonn
bardment Of San Juan. An account of
the bombardment from within the city
says that volunteer corps of bicy-
clists greatly aided the Spanish com
mander by acting as messengers be-
tween the forts.
Sick stomach means sick man (or |
Why not be well?
Sick stomach comes from poor food. l