Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-05-12

M III ANU AlUNA ann
myself, With Executive otticar Itnwt
Rees and Navigator Lieut calkjns
VINO cehned the ship most admiralty
We're on the forward bridge. Cant
urlhiey was in the coming tower n
u was though unsafe To risk losing M,
tie senior officers by one shell. .you
may hre when ready. Gridley." sail
Tue commodore, and at 5:41 O'clock m
a distance of $3.50 yards, the starboar,I
elght-lhch gun in the forward turre,
roared forth a compliment to the Span
lsh Iofts. Precisely similar guns from
the baltimore ana the Boston sent 80
pound shells hurting toward the Gas.
tilla II the Reina Christina for nc.
curacy. The Spaniards seemed on
Outraged to fire faster, knowing ex-
actly our distance, while we had 10
guess theirs. Their ship ana shore
guns We're making things hot for Us.
Il piercing scream Of shot was varied
often by the
bursting Of Time-FuSe Shells,
fragments of which would lash the
water like sharpnel or cut our hun ana
rigging. one large Shell that was
coming straight at the Olympia's for
VAR bridge fortunately fell within
less than 100 feet away. one frag-
ment cut the rigging exactly over the
heads Of Lamberton, Rees ana myseif.
Another struck the bridge gratings i'm
Inc with IL. A third passed lust under
Commodore Dewey and gouged a hoie
i'll the deck. Incidents like these were
plentiful. Still, the flagship Steered for
the center Of the Spanish line. and as
our ships were astern. the Olympia re-
ceiYed most Of the Spaniard's atten-
ton. Owing to our deep draught Com
modore Dewey felt constrained To
change his course AT a distance of 400
yards and run parallel To the Spanish
column. Open with all guns" he said.
and the ship brought her port broad,
side bearing. The roar of the flag,
ships five-inch rapid-irers was fol
lowed by a deep ~diapason of her tur-
ret eight-inchers. Soon Il other YES.
sells We're equally hard at work and
we could see that our shells were max
ing Cavite harbor hotter for the Span
iards than they had made the APP
prOaclI for us. Protected by their
shore batteries and made safe from
close attack by shallow water, the
Spaniards were in "A strong position.
They put up a gallant fight. One shot
struck the Baltimore and
Passed Clean Through Her,
fortunately hitting no one. Another
ripped up her main deck, disabled Il
siX-inch gun and exploded IA box OF
three-pounder ammunition, ,wOunding
eight men. The OLYMPIA was struck
abreast the gun in the wardrOOni,
which burst outside, doing little dam
age. The signal halyards We're cut
from Lieut.. Brumby'S hand on the
after bridge. A shell entered the Bos,
tons port quarter and burst in En-
sign Dodridge's stateroom, creating a
hot fire, and fire was aisC caused by
a shell which burst in the port ham
mock netting. Both these fires were
quickly put out. Another shell passed
through the BostOn's foremost just in
'front.' Of Capt. Wildes on the bridge.
The flagship started over the course
for the fifth time, running within 1000
yards of the Spanish vessels. At this
range even siX-pounders We're effective
and the storm of shells poured upon
the unfortunate Spanish began to show
marked results. Three of the enemy's
vessels were seen burning and their
fire slackened. On finishing this run
Commodore Dewey decided to give the
ME breakfast. as they had been at the
guns two hours with only u cup OF
coffee to sustain them.
Action ceased Temporarily
at 1876 o'clock, the other ships passing
the flagship and cheering Justify. Our
ships remained beyond range Of the
enemy's guns until 1880 O'Clock, when
the signal for close action again went
up. The Baltimore had the place OF
honor in the lead. with the f1agshlp
following her and the other ships as
before. The Baltimore began firing at
the Spanish ships and batteries at
11:1G O'Clock, making a series or hits
as If at target practice. The Spaniards
replied very slowly and the Comma
dore signalled the Raleigh, the Boston,
the Concord and the Petrol to go INTO
the inner harbor and destroy all the
enemy's ships. BY her light draught
the little Petrol was enabled to move
within 1000 yards. Here, firing swift
ly but accurately, she commanded eV-
erything still flying the Spanish nag.
Other ships were also doing their
whole duty, and soon not one
Red and yellow ENSIGN
remained afioat except on Il battery up
the coast. The Spanish flagship and
the Castillo had long been burning
fiercely, and the last vessel TO be aDan-
doned was the Don Antonio de Uiloa'
which lurched over and sank. Then
The spanish flag on the arsenal stan
w~as.hauled down, and at 1870 a white
flag was hoisted there. Signal was
made TO the Petral to destroy all the
vessels in the inner harbor, and Lieut..
Hughes. with an armed boats crew, set
Are 70 the Don Juan de Austria, Mar
oujs Duero. the Isla de Cuba and the
Correo. The large transport Manila
and many tugboats and small craIt
fell into our hands.
Capture or destroy Spanish squad
ron" were Dewey's orders. Never were
instructions more effectually carried
ont. Within seven hours after arriv-
ing ON the scene Of action nothing re
mai.ed to De- done.
Manila Is HELPLESS.