The representative., 1898-05-04
WIPED OUT!
Spanish Vessels Not Burned
or Sunk Will Be Easily
Captured.
Early Details Of Sundays De-
cisive Engagement at
Manila.
The Fighting Was at Close
Range and Was
Desperate.


Madrid says fuller details are coming about
the battle at Manila. So far as can now be
learned, Commodore Dewey passed the forts
az the entrance Of the bay. just before dawn
under fire from the forts to which he did
not reply. AT daybreak Fort Cavite opened
fire with her heaviest guns and at once the
Olympia fired her eight-inch forward can
non in reply. Firing now became general
Admiral Montijo in the Reina Christina,
went boldly to meet the foe and engaged
with the Olympia. He inflicted much in
jury. but his ship was set or nre and be-
gan to sink when Admiral Montijo left the
flag ship for the Isla De Cuba.
A DESPERATE DEED.
AS the admiral was leaving his captain
was shot by his side and devoted men were
falling all around him. The transfer OF
the flag was a deed of desperate daring as
all ships of Spanish fleet were under ter
rble fire.
American ships, including the Olympia and
Baltimore to withdraw to the west of the
pay, where the wounded men were sent
ashore out of range of the ships fire. TheIi
the Americans returned to the attack max.
ing straight for the crippled Spanish ships.
The Spanish gunners stood bravely by
their guns anG answered shot for shot.
The large wooden cruiser Castillo caught
ire Americans continued to pour shot in
to her and to prevent the magazine from
exploding, the Spaniards scuttled her and
the crew made for the shore in boats and
on pieces of shattered sparS.
Suddenly Don Juan Of Austria's maya
zine exploded under shot from the Ameri-
cans in a great burst of flame and the ship
sank
The Spanish, gunboat Mindanao and the
cruiser Don Antonio Ulloa sustained heavy
fo,
forts seriously injured The crews of the
Spanish gunboats showed great heroism
and seeing they were to fall into the hands
of the enemy they sank set fire to their
vessels and jumped INTO the sea.
All this time the forts were firing at the
American warships. The craftsmanship
was bad and the American squadron re-
mains in the harbor of Manila but it is
believed they not in condition to re-
new the attack today. and must retire.
SPANISH FLEET DESTROYED
The Spanish fleet has been wiped out of
existence. The vessels that have not been
sunk or burned have either been captured
or driven to seek shelter close under the
Krupp guns of the Manila batteries, where
they will be taken later.
From all accounts two battles were
fought, the first near the mouth of the bay.
and the second inside. 1t is probable that
Commander Dewey attacked the Spanish
fleet in column formation, and that they
prepared to meet him in line of battle
Dewey cut the enemy's line in the middle
and then turned all his attention to the
wings.
The Spanish wing not cut off in the first
encounter seeing the destruction wrought
upon their consOrts. made off up the bay
under q hot fire from the Americans who
by this time, were ready To deal with them
In the second encounter the Cavite forts
maintained a steadier and stronger fire on
the Americans than IN the nrst engagement
Oul vessels then had come closer to them
in order to destroy the remnants of tho
that we have captured more than one of the
Spanish war vessels. Those not captured
are either sunk aground.
FOUGHT AT CLOSE RANGE.
In the damaged condition none of them
would have sought safety by flight to sea-
From the nature of the engagement, it was
fought at close range
The American ships are none of them
armoced. Their sides easily could be pierc ed
by the smallest guns. That the Spaniards
fought well and to the death is shown by
the destruction wrought. They did not run
away until such a movement was military
necessity, even then they retired only to
the support of the batteries on shore.
Torpedoes are not mentioned in the dis
patches. The battle was won by the rapi.l
and continuous fire of the eight-inch guns
Of the larger ships but the lighter guns of
the fleet also were not idle