The Paducah daily sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1896-1898, 1898-05-09

ship, Olympia, and gives the follow
ing graphic description:
Manila, Philippines Islands, May
II, Via Hong Kong, May 7.-(Spe-
cial Cable. Mot one Spanish flag
flies in Manila bay today. Not one
Spanish warship floats except as our
prize. More than two hundred Span
iards dead and five hundred to seven
hundred wounded attest the accuracy
Of the American fire.
Commodore Dewey arrived off
Manila bay last night and decided to
enter tue bay at once.
With all its lights out the squad
ron steamed into Boca Grande with
crews at the guns. This was the or
der Of the squadron, which was kept
during the whole time OF the first
battle: The flagship Olympia, the
Baltimore, the Raleigh, the Petrol,
the Concord, the Boston.
1t was just 9 o'clock, bright
moonlight night. But the flagship
passed Corregidor Island without a
sign being given that the Spaniards
were aware of its approach. Not I'M
til the flagship was a mile beyond
Corregidor was a gun fired. Then
one heavy shot went screaming
over the Raleigh and the Olympia,
followed by q second, which fell far
Their astern. The Raleigh, the Con-
cord and the Boston replied, the
Con cords shells exploding apparent
ly exactly inside the shore battery,
which fred no more.
Our squadron slowed down to
barely steerags way and the men
were allowed to sleep alongside their
guns.
Commodore Dewey had timed our
arrival so that We we're within five
miles of the city of Manila at day
break. We then sighted the Span
ish squadron, Rear Admiral Montejo
Commander, off Cayite.
Here the Spaniards had a we'll
equipped navy yard. called Cavite
arsenal. Admiral Montejo's flag
was flying on the $500 ton pro-
tected cruiser Reins Christina. The
protected cruiser Castillo, Of 5000
tons, was moored ahead and astern
to the port battery, and to seward
were the cruisers Don Juan De Aus
tria, Don Antonio De UllOa, Isla De
Cuba, Isla De Luzon Quiros, Mar.
quis Del Onero and Gen. LEGO.
Those ships and the flagship re-
NAMED under way during most of
the action.
With the United States flag flying
at all their mastheads, our ships
moved to the attack in line ahead,
with a speed Of eight knots, first
passing in front OF Manila, where the
action was begun by three batteries
guns powerful enough to
,end shell over us al a distance Of
i've miles.
The Concord's guns doomed out
eply to these batteries with two
hots. No more were Rred, because
Dewey could not engage
With these batteries without sending
leath and destruction into the
city.
As we neared Cavite two yery
'owerful submarine mines were ex-
'loded ahead OF the flagship. This
vas six minutes past 8 O'Clock.
The Spaniards evidently had 4.
our position. Immense
olumes of water were thrown
Ugh into the air by those destroyers,
,ut no harm was done to our ships.
No other mines exploded, howe' er, i
nd it is believed that the Spaniards
al only these two in place.
Only few minutes later the shore
artery at Cavite Point sent over the q
agship a shot that nearly hit the n
artery in Manila, but soon the guns
OF a better range, and the shells be-
an to strike near us or burst close h
board from both the batteries and q
lie Spanish vessels. Up
The heat was intense. Men a
ripped off all clothing except their =
ousers.
As the Olympia drew nearer all Z
IS as silent on board as il the ships
ID been empty, except for the whir
blowers and the throb Of the u
gines. re
Suddenly q shell burst directly IN
er us. ..
From the boatswain's mate at the -
ter five-inch gun came hoarse
Y. Remember the Maine - "Re-
smbes the Msine!" arose from the
roats o. 500 men at the guns.
The Olympia was now ready to ~
gin the fight, and at forty-One "
4 49,