The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-10

d 4
Az copyER, q. c., June EMAIL
.iadyices brought from Hong Kong by the
steamer Empress of Japan yesterday
ore full OF interesting details OF the bat
iStle OF Manila. oneireport commenting
4 ON Dewey,s we'll timed arrival, says;
.ssThe great victory OF the United states
Asiatic squadron Is, Of course, due in a
n great measure to the splendid marks.
manship OF the American gunners. but
more, particularly TO the tact and STRAIT
( egy Of Commodore Dewey in command
I Of the. fleet. Lutte on Saturday night
\ April 50. his ships entered the channel
leading to Manila bay. Several shots
were fired at them from the batteries at
!, The, entrance, but none Of them struck
the ships. The whole squadron got
safely into the bay OF Manila and when
the sun rose over the city the American
i ships were cruising around In 'front.'
{ When they were discovered the Manila
batteries opened O fusilade on The ships
y ut n range ofrabout five miles, and as
several shots had been falling around
= the Boston, she opened fire, but the or
4 der to cease firing, was holsted by Com
nodore Dewey on the flagship, and the
erratic firing OF the town batteries pro-
& ceeded without Interruption. ~
s va Aylarge number of British mercantile
vessels were lying in the ,harbor. but no
traces were visible OF the Spanish fleet.
The American squadron proceeded ina
\ line ahead Of the naval station at Ca
! vite and there found the Spanish fleet
lying In: four or five fathoms of wat ter.
4 The, Spanlards were drawn up In line,
thefWooden hulk Castillo being smoored
fore and aft This was the strongest
I possible position that the fleet could
have occupied In the bay. They were
supported by the forts at Cavite and the
( Very shallow water around Cavite rem
Sdered Il impossible for the American
chips to approach them closely. AT a
! range OF 5000 yards the Spanish ships
and forts opened fire on Sthe United
Z States fleet, but the shells fell far out OF
range of the United States boats, The
3 United States fleet drew slowly nearer
ITO, the Spanish squadron, undeterred by
) the tremendous fusilade of the Span
iards. When the range had been les
sened from 5000 10 5000 yards the Tag
z ship Olympia OPENED fire, Yand as the
Baltimore and other ships filed past
they maintained; a steady fire, from their
Ssix-inch and eight-inch guns. The
American ships manoeuvred in line and
Z sent broadslde after broadside into the
Spanish feet About ,hGlfpast Z O'Clock
4 the fire from the Sparlards having been
( very considerably Gu.eted, the order was
hoisted to stop firing.
From about half past Q o'clock the
previous evening TIL then the men hcd
been on duty ut the guns and had re-
Ssoeived mo -refrcshment. but5thei cups OF
coffee. At II O'clock the American fleet
renewed the attack and In about an
9:,hour and half white ensign was
hoisted at Cavitc. The lighter draught
vessels and plnnaces Of the American
fleet and a large number of tug boats
and launches captured in the harbor
Steamed into Cavite harbor shortly aft
ter the surrender and the wounded men
who were left behind in the ships and
!. others picked up out of the water were
y conveyed to the hospitals at Cavlte and
also to Manila city,. gr,
The Spanish had taken away most
y of their dead and buried some OF them,
Z but next day while parties were search
+ Ing around the naval arsenal at Cavite
their attention was drawn by the dread
full stencil to large heap OF purifying
bodies, some Of which had been horribly
3 mangled bysAmerican shells.
The Olympia had narrow, escape
i from torpedo attack. Two torpedo
launches which lay in wait of Cavitc
attempted 10 run in with ttorpedoes
against the Olympia and there were
some trying moments for the crew OF
that ship. The shells from the big guns
were unable to reach such small objects
i as they rapidly approached. When
within 500 yards of the flagship the sec.
ond batteries OF the Olympia sent In q
perfect hall Of six-pound shells, smash