The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-05-13
yards of the enemy, when the real bat

yards of the enemy, when the real bat
tie began.
The Reina Cristina, Castillo, Don An
tonic de Ulloa, Isla de Cuba, Isla de
Luzon and the Mindanano were in line
of battle outside of Cavite at that
time, with four gunboats and the tor
pedo boats inside the harbor.
The American ships then passed
backwards and forwards six times
across the front of the SPaniards, pour
ing in upon the latter a perfect hail OF
shot and shell. Every American shot
seemed to tell, while almost every
Spanish shot missed the mark.
After having thus scattered death
and decentralization among the Span
ish fleet and in the Spanish batteries,
the American fleet retired for break
fast, and, incidentally, n council of war
was held on board the Olympia.
BY this time the Spanish ships were
in desperate condition.
The flagship Reina Cristina was rid
died with shot and shell, one of her
steam pipes had brust, and she was be-
lieved to be on fire. The Castillo was
certainly on fire, and soon afterwards
worse, until they were eventually
burned to the waters edge.
The Don Antonio de Ulloa made
most magnificent show of desperate
bravery. When her commander found
she was so torn by the American shells
that he could not keep her afioat, he
nailed her colors TO the mast and she
sank with all hands fighting to the
last. Her hull was completely riddled
and her upper deck had been swept
clean by the awful fire of the Ameri-
can guns, but the Spaniards, though
their vessel was sinking beneath
them, continued working the guns on
her lower deck until she sank beneath
the waters.
During the engagement a Spanish
torpedo boat crept along the shore and
round the Offing in an attempt to at
tack the American store ships, but she
was promptly discovered, was driven
ashore and was actually blown to
pieces.
The MindananO had in the mean
while been run ashore To save her from
sinking, and the Spanish small craft
had sought shelter from the steel storm
behind the breakwater.
The battle, which was started at
about $50 a. IN, and adjourned at $50
a. m, was resumed about noon, when
Commodore Dewey started in TO put
the finishing touches on his glorious
work. There was not much fight left
in the Spaniards by that time, and at
p. IN. the Petrol and Concord had
shot the Cavitc batteries into silence,
leaving them heaps of ruins and float
ing the white flag.
The Spanish gunboats were then
scuttled, the arsenal was on fire, and
the explosion of Il Spanish magazine
caused further mortality among the
defenders of Spain on shore.
On the water the burning, sunllen or
destroyed Spanish vessels could be
seen, while only the cruiser Baltimore
had suffered in any way from the fire
of the enemy. \ shot which struck
her exploded some ammunition near
one of her guns and slightly injured
half dozen of the crew.
Several shots passed dangerously
close to Commodore Dewey, but little
or no damage was done on board the
flagship.
On the other hand, about $50 men
are said to have been killed on board
the Spanish flagship, which was to-
tally destroyed. Admiral MOntcio, the
Spanish commander, transferred his
flag to the Isla de Cuba. when his ship
caught fire, but the latter was also de-
strOyed in due course of time.
The Reina Cristina lost her captain,
a lieutenant, her chaplain and mid
shiPman by one shot which struck her
bridge. About 100 men were killed
and 60 wounded on board the Castillo.
Indeed, some estimates place the num-
Der of Spanish wounded during the en-
gagement at over 900 men.
The Olympia was struck five times
about her upper works, and whale
boat of the Raleigh was smashed
Although the Krupp guns on the |
esplanade of Manila were fired con-
tinuOusly during the engagement. |
Commodore Dewey did not reply to
them, and the battery afterward |
hoisted a white flag in token of sur
render