Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-05-12
DETAILS OF DBWEY,s FIsHE
How He Won the Great Naval Battle a
Mapiln.

How He Won the Great Naval Battle at
Manila.
Hongkong. May9.--,Among naval mon.
military men and civilians. Europeans
and natives here there is only one topic
Of discussion---the brilliant, dashing. an
nihilating victory Of the American fleet
under Commodore Dewey over the
Spanish fleet commanded by Admiral
Montojo in Manila bay on Sunday,
May 1.
Owing to the fact that the cable be-
tween this port and the Philippine is
lands was not in working order having
been cut, 1t is said some distance from
the capital of the islands, there has
been delay in obtaining a detailed ac-
count Of the battle and facts in the case
were only available when the United
States gunboat Hugh McCulloch arriv-
ed here Saturday, and even then the
tremendous pressure of business sud-
denly thrown upon the cable company
necessarily made the earlier accounts
of the engagement brief and fragmen-
tary.
Commodore Dewey's orders were to
apture or destroy the Spanish fleet.
and never were instructions executed
in SO complete a fashion. AT the end
nothing left of the Spanish fleet hut a
few relics.
The American commander had most
slSillfully arranged every detail of the
action, and even the apparently most
insignificant features We're carried out
with perfect punctuality and railroad
time table order. ..
At the end of the action Commodore
Dewey anchored his fleet In the bay be-
| fore Manila and sent a message to the
| governor general, General Augusti, an
nounclng the inauguration of the block
ade and adding that If shot vas fired
| against his ships he would destroy ev-
| cry battery about Manila.
spain's Enormous Advantage.
The position occupied by the Span
| iards, the support which their ships re-
ceived from the land batteries, and the
| big guns they had ashore gave them an
enormous advantage. Therefore when
| 1t Is considered that the Spaniards lost
| over 800 men in killed and wounded,
that all their ships, II in number. were
destroyed and that their naval arsenal
at Cavite was also destroyed with its
defenses it will become apparent that
the victory of the American commodore
| Is one of the most complete and Won
| derful in the history of naval warfare.
Not a man on board the American
| fleet was killed, not a ship was dam
aged to any extent, and only six men
were injured slightly--on board the Bal
tinlore.
This grand achievement is quite as
| much due to the generalship of Com
! modore Dewey as to the fact thatG the
American gunners ships and guns are
superior to anything in the same line
afloat anywhere. Credit must also be
| given to the fullest extent to the Off
GERS under Commodore Dewey. for to n
| man they seconded their gallant COM
mander in every way possible and thus
| helped him earn the laurels which are
so justly his.
| The order of battle taken up by the
| Spaniards was with all the small craft
inside the stone and timber breakwaters
of Cavite hnrbor, The larger ships of
Spain cruised off Cavite and Manila.
The American fleet entered Munllu
bay on Saturday night with the great
est Of case. The Spanlards had not es-
tablished q patrol and there we're no
searchligbts at the entrance Of the hay.
In fact, the American ships woulI rrt b.
ably have passed inside the hay with
out any challenge had It not been that
Eams SPARKS AeH, ". from the -AeSul-