New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-10
ruE BATTLE OF MANILA BAY.
.xorurR ACCOUNT OF DEwEY's GREAT
VICTORY.

xo,eouyer, b. C., June ?-Mail brought from
Kong by the steamer Empress Of Japan
..s,e-day is full Of interesting details Of the
80 s.,,. Of Manila One report. commenting on
,~.uov's Nell-Jimed arrival. says:
.,Trs great victory Of the United States Asiatlc
Avon Is of course. due In a great measure
~. splendid craftsmanship Of the American
s,,rrcrs. but more particularly to The tact and
e..a,srv OF Commodore Dewey, in command Of
- nset Late on Saturday night. April 80. his
"" ",a entered the channel leading to Manila Bay
10, shots were fred a: them from the bat
.",s. At the entrance. but none Of them struck
w. sb,ps. The whole squadron got safely into
-. Raw OF Manila. and when the sun rose over
". c,,v the American ships cruising
.-opnd in front. When they were discovered
Manila batteries opened fusllade on the
u,,s of a range Of about Ave miles. and as
s.,,sral shots had been falling around the Bos =
che opened fire. but the order to cease firing
..ss ho,sted by Commodore Dewey on the flag
nj, and the erratic firing CT the town batteries
,,oceeded without interruption
-. ,a-ee number Of British mercantile vessels
10 wing In the harbor but no traces were
..,.,h,e Of the Spanish feet. The American
.a,.dron proceeded in line ahead TO the naVa!
9.s,,on az Cavite and there found the Spanish
49,, wing in four or five fathoms or water
NV. spaniards were drawn up IN line. the
-.oasn hulk Castillo being moored fore and art
rs,s was the strongest possible position that
-. n,et could have occupied in the bay. They
-.-s supported by the forts at Cavlte. and the
sbaIIow water around Cavite rendered II
,,,bIa for the American ships to approach
.~.,, closely At a range Of 5000 yards the
snan,sh ships and forts opened fire on the
I,,,,sd States feet, but the shells fell far out
=, range OF the United States boats. The United
s,a,es feet drew slowly nearer TO the spanish
.ouadron. undeterred by the tremendous fusillade
=, the Standards When the range had been les
ssr.d from 5000 TO 5000 yards. the flagship
o,v,nn,a opened Are. and as the Baltimore ana
o,ber ships fled past they maintained s'eaoy
Are from their 6-inch and S-inch guns
The American ships manCeuvred In line ana sent
hrosas,de after broadside into the Spanish Meet
About 7:3O O'Clock. the fire from the Spaniards
having been considerably ouieted. the order
xas hoisted to stop nring.
THE ATTACK RENEWED.
"r,om about $50 o'clock the previous evening
~, then the men had been on duty at the guns
and had received no refreshment but cups
=, coree Al II o'clock the American fleet re-
viewed the attack. and in about an hour and
a
tighter draught vessels and pinnaces OF the
american feet and a large number Of tugboats
and launches captured In the harbor steamed
into Cav,te Harbor shortly after the surrender
erd the wounded men who were LETT behind In
sb,ns and others picked up out Of the water were
conveved IN the hospitals at Cavite and also TO
Manila City
The Spanish had taken away most OF their
6esd and buried some Of them. but next day
while parties were searching around the nava'
arsenal at Cavite their attention was drawn by
the dreadful stencil 10 a large heap Of putrefy-
ing bodies. some OF which had been horribly
mangled by American shells.
The Olympia had a narrow escape from tor
pedo attack Two torpedo launches which lay
in wait of Cavite attempted to run In with
torpedoes against the Olympia, and there were
some trying moments for the crew OF that SHIP
The shells from the big guns were unable 10
reach such small objects as they rapidly ap-
preached. When within 800 yards of the nag
ship the second batteries Of the Olympia sent in
a perfect hail Of 8-pound shells. smashing Up
the leading launch and killing all on board and
driving the second launch back on the beach
with twelve shotno,es through her. Her boat
was afterward found covered with blood
THE SPANISH LOSSES
The Petrol and the Concord being Of light
er draught than the remainder OF the fleet
sailed into shallow water and sunk or destroyed
all the small gunboats which remained OF the
Spanish fleet There were eleven Spanish war
vessels and two torpedo boats sunk or destroyed
at Cayite and the loss OF life is variously stated
An far as can re learned. however, fair esti-
mats puts the Spanish losses at 400 dead and
about 600 wounded. After the American ships
had retired from action ringing cheers were
raised from each Of the ships.
Notwithstanding the VIGOROUSLY oad gunnery
OF the Spanish. there must have been many
shot. in the vigorous cannonade which got pretty
near their mark, and many stories are told re-
garding the number Of shells that struck the
different vessels The aim OF the Spaniaros
smaller guns was more within range than the
guns OF heavier calibre. The flagship olympia
was pierced by numerous 7-pound shots
Had the firing Of the big guns been &c accurate
as that Of the United States ships, which are no'
arnored vessels. they would have Jared rather
badly.
The wardroon OF the Olympia was turned
into sick bay and the chaplain and some otners
who were on duty there had narrow escape
They were watching the progress or the heh'
through large portfolios when '-pouho
shot. fired at 1900 yards range. exploded aeaihs'
the side OF the ship. The chaplain received
few scratches At range OF 2.OOO yards this
shell would have exploded In the wardroom ano
done tremendous damage.
The day Of the fight was a perfectly beautifu
Sunday. an ideal May !. The sky was
clear the sun vas pouring down its scorchihs
rays and the bay waa like a large blue lagoon
AS the sun went down IN the west IT showed
Up the poor battered bulls and withered runhess
and nasts Of Spanish ships. Far away on
Bacoor shore the LEILA de Mindao, destroyed
by the Concord. sent UP huge column OF sHiohe
broken from time 10 time by myriads OF sparks
and long tongues OF fame as bulKheaa Al'ei
eulkhead collapsed and the fire spread IRON
stem to stern. At Cavite the wooden null Oh the
Old Castillo burned and smoudered long ii'o
the night, sending up into the midnight air