The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-06-14
LETTER FROM LIEUT.. HOWARD
NEW HAVEN MIN DESCRIBES BAT-
TIE OF MANILA BAY.

One of the Commanding Officers of the
Protected Cruiser Boston During the
Entire Action-IIad No Sleep Exceptu n
couple OF Hours in Several Dnys-Au
Hands All Night at Their Qaartrrs
Officers Fought I'm Their undershfrt.
and Duck Trousers.
Appended are extracts from a letter
written by Lieutenant w. L. Howard.
U. S. NJ, who is with Dewey at Manila
on the protected cruiser Boston. The
letter gives interesting details of the
world-famous fight at Manila. It was
received yesterday by his wife, who re-
sides on Temple street and is a daugh-
ter OF the late Dexter Alden, who was
for many years prominent and high
ly esteemed New Haven merchant ana
capitalist. Lieutenant Howard is q
Connecticut man hailing from Norwich,
which was his former home.
Appended also is a letter which refers
to the grand ball given at Hong Kong
by Prince Henry. brother OF the Em-
peror Of Germany, commandant Of the
German Asiatic squadron. This was
the ball connected with the banquet
from which Admiral Dewey retired, re-
senting the neglect shown in not plac-
ing the United States in a proper posi-
ton in the list Of toasts. Lieutenant
Howard also tells in another letter be-
low of a notable and private dinner,
which will be found Of general as well
as Of personal interest to his large cir
Gle of friends. Lieutenant Howard says
of the fight at Manila:
i have had no sleep except a couple
of hours in several days past, and have
| no idea when 7 ate. we came down
from Subic bay under slow speed.
passed the forts without being seen ana
| made for the shore. This move brought
| fire from the forts and the Concord and
Boston replied to them.
I'VE steamed as slow as we could.
with all hands all night at their quar-
ters, and many of the men had no sleep.
All the officers sat up all night We.
| sighted nine Spanish mem of-war at
anchor. Cavite is a peninsula three
miles long. After we had come in the
shore batteries opened fire on us, but
did no damage. They gave us a May
| day greeting and we exchanged one
| shot for luck 1t was a most beautiful
| May morning.
| 'The Spanish ships were at anchor
| under the guns of the forts. When our
| flagship rounded the bay and bore down
| on them we could only see nine ships at
| anchor, but found later five more,
which fired over the lowlands Of the
| peninsula. We steamed in a column.
| They opened fire when we were about
four miles away. We made no reply
but steamed slowly and within one and
one-half miles of the Spanish boats:
"The Olympia opened fire and each Of
us did our best. We steamed up and
down past them about one and one-haIf
miles distant, taking the fire Of the
forts, to which we paid no attention.
but concentrated our fire on the fleet.
| To say we were tired would be putt
ting 1T mildly. From 5,40 to TAO We
| were constantly in action: then we
| drew off to cool our guns and have q
| bite to eat.
1 During the two hours Of the first
half Of the engagement we had burned
that is, set fire to and sunk every
boat of the Spanish fleet. While we
| were resting the commodore had all
the captains on his ship and we decided
to finish the forts. The Baltimore
| steamed in first, the Olympia second.
the Boston next, while the others stay.
| ed outside We went close up to the
shore, about three-quarters of a mile
| off,
| "The Spaniards fired the mines, but
we escaped them, and in a half hour
had silenced everything and sunk and
burned everything afoat and drew off
| at 12:40. Meanwhile the Concord went
after big transport steamer which
was up the bay and fired at us After
short engagement she was set on
fire. The Spanish ships burned all
night, with every now and then an ex-
plosion when a magazine was reached.
To-day, the I'd Of May, the Spanish
admiral came over to us and made an
! absolute surrender of the naval station
and all af1oat. The general Of the forts
would not surrender, saying we had
whipped the navy, but not forced Ca-
vite. Commodore Dewey gave him an
hour to evacuate and surrender, or we
would lombard the arsenal.
1.-THE general said, What can do? I
have no ammunition Commodore
Dewey said: That is a fortune of war.
You can go to Spain, to Manila or any
where, but you can't stay The white
flag was floating over all the forts and
in the town before the hour was up.
The officers fought in their undershirts
and white duck trousers, while the men
were stripped to the waist
1--WE will never know the Spanish
loss. On the Castillo about one hum
dred were killed. 1t was a most phe-
nomenal victory that we fought four
teen ships with but six and lost no one.
The Boston was hit five times. One
of the shots set fire to the room of one
of the officers, but it was quickly ex-
tinguished. Some Of the pieces flew
into my room. We fear splinters all
most as much as pieces of shell.
During the action the decks of all
the ships were flooded, the fire hose
was brought out, in many cases turn
ed on, and every precaution taken to
prevent fire. Next to the Olympia the
Boston was under the heaviest fire.
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