The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-05-11

short or going wide OF the marx.
When the American fleet entered
the bay, coming through the south
| ern channel between Caballo and
Frile islets, the following was the
order The flsgship Olympia, Balti-
more. Raleigh. Concord. Boston, Pet
rel and Mccullough. with the two
store ships, the Nanshan and Zafro,
bringing up the rear, and in that
order they swept grandly before the
city aud faced the enemy in column
line.
Though the Spaniards had opened
Ere at 5000 yards. the Americans re
served their fire until within 1000
yards of the enemy. when the real
battle began.
The Relna Cristina, Castillo, Don
Antonio de Ulloa, Isla de Cuba, lsla
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.
The American ships then passed
backward aud forwarded six timee across
the front of the Spaniards, pouring in
upon the latter perfect hail Of shot
and Shell Every American SEQ,
seemed to tell, while almost every
Spanish shot missed the mark After
having thus scattered death and de-
uora!;zation among the Spanish feet
and the Spanish batteries, the Ame.i-
can feet retired for breakfast, sod in
cideotally council Of war vas held ou
board che Olympia.
By this time the Spanish ships we're
in desperate condition The flagship
Reina Crissina was riddled with shot
6nd she'll. one of her steam pipes had
burst aud che was believed to be on
6re. The Castillo was certainly on
Gre. They we're eventually burned to
the waters edge.
The Dou Anton;a de Ulloa made
magnificent show of desperate bravery.
When her commander found she was
so torn BY the American shells that he
could not keep her afoat, be nailed her
colors to the mast, aud she went down
With all hands fighting to the last.
Her bull vas completely riddled and
her upper desk had been swept clean
by the awful FIRE of the American guos,
but the Spaniards. though their vessel
vas sinking beneath shem, consiAued
working the guns on her lower deck
until she sapk.
During the engagement Spanish
torpedo boat crept along che shore and
round the ofing. in 40 attempt to at.
tack the American store ships, but she
was promptly discovered, and was
driven ashore and shot to pieces.
The Mindanao had 10 the meanwhile
been run ashore to save her from sink
log and the Spanish snail craft had
sought shelter from the steel storm be
hind the breakwater.
The battle. which was started at
about $50 M, and adjourned at $3.50
a. m. ;, vas resumed about noon. when
Commodore Dewey started in to put
the faishing touches Of his glorious
work There was not much fight left
in the Spaniards by that time. aDd at Q
o. N the Petrol aud Concord had shot
the Cavi,e batteries into silence. leav-
ing them heaps of ruins and floating
the white flag
The Spanish gunboats were then
scuttled, the arsenal vas on FIRE. aud
the explosion Of Spanish magazine
caused further mortality among the
defenders Of Spain on shore.
Go the water the burning. sanken or,
destroyed Spanish vessels could be
seen. while only the cruiser Baltimore
had suffered 10 any way from the fire
of the enemy. A sbos which s:rack
her exploded some ammuoitioo near
one of her guns. and slightly iojured
half dozen of the crew
Several shots passed dangerously
close to Commodore Dewey, bat little
or DO damage was done on board the
flagship
On the other hand. about one huo-
dred and dfty men are said to have
been killed ou board the Reina Girls
tina, which wae totally destroyed Aa-
miral Mootejo, the Spanish command
or. transferred his flag to the Iala de
Cubs when bis ship cacgbs Ere. but the
latter was destroyed also in due course
of tine.
The Reina Christina lost her captain.
lieuseoaot. her chaplain and mid
shipmaa by one shot. which struck her
bridge. About one hundred men we're
killed and sixty wounded on board the
Castillo Indeed. some estimates place
the number of Spanish wounded during
the engagement at over thousand
men
The Olympus vas s.rack Eve times
about her upper works, and a whale