Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-05-13

Vhe cpdiliSu NcoSclS'
The heat was intense. Men strip
ped off all clothing except their
trousers.
AS the Olympia drew nearer all
was as silent on board as if the ship
had been empty, except for the whir
of the blowers and the throb Of the
engines.
"REMEMBER THE MAINE"
Suddenly a shell burst directly
over us.
From the boatswain's mate at the
after fve-inch gun came hoarse cry
"Remember the Mainel" arose from
the threats of 500 men at the guns.
This watchword was caught up in
turrets and frerooms, wherever
seaman or fireman stood at his post,
"Remember the Mainel" had rung
out for defiance and revenge. Its
utterance seemed unprecedented,
but was evidently in every mans
mind, and now that the moment had
come to make adequate reply to the
killing of the Names crew, every
man shouted what was in his heart.
YOU MAY FIRE WHEN READY GRIDLEY.
The olympia was now ready to
begin the fight.
Commodore Dewey, his chief of
staff, Commander Lamberton, an
aide and myself, with Executive
Officer Lieutenant Rees and Naviga-
tor Lieutenant Calkins, who conned
ship most admirably, were on the
forward bridge, Captain Gridley
was in the coming tower, as it was
thought unsafe to risk losing all the
senior officers by one shell.
"You may fire when ready, Grid
ley" said the Commodore, and at
nineteen minutes of o'clock, at a
distance of $500 yards, the starboard
eight-inch gun in the forward turret
roared forth a compliment to the
Spanish forts. Presently similar
guns from the Baltimore and the
Boston sent 250,pound shells toward
the Castillo and the Reina Crlstina
for accuracy.
SPANISH GUNS HOT WORK.
The Spaniards seemed encouraged
to fire faster, knowing exactly our
distance, while we had to guess theirs.
Their ship and shore guns were max
ing things hot for us.
The piercing scream Of shot was
varied often by the bursting of time
fuse shells, fragments of which would
dash the water like shrapnel or cut
our hull and rigging.
One shell that was coming straight
at the Olympia's forward bridge
fortunately fell within less than 100
feet away. A fragment cut the rigg-
ing exactly over the heads of Lam
berton, Rees and myself.
Another struck the bridge gratings
IN line with it. A third passed just
under Commodore Dewey aud goug-
Ell hole in the deck. Incidents
ike these were plentiful.
Our men naturally chafed at being
exposed without returning fire from
all our guns, but laughed at danger
and chatted good-humoredly. A few
nervous fellows could not help dodg-
ING mechanically when shells would
burst right over them or close aboard
or would strike the water and pass
overhead, with the peculiar splutter-
ing roar made by a tumbling rihed
projectile.
THE OLYMPIA UNDER HEAVY FIRE.
Still the flagship steerei for the
center of the Spanish line, aad, as
our other ships were astern, the
Olympia received most of the Span
iards' attention.
Owing to our deep draught, Com
modore Dewey felt constrained to
change his course at a distance of A.
900 yards and run parallel to the
Spanish column. "Open withal guns, -
he SAID, and the ship brought her
port broadside bearing.
The roar of the fagship's fve-inch
rapid fires was followed by a deep
liapason of her after turret eight
inches. Soon our other vessels were
equally hard at work, and we could
see that our shells were making
Cavite harbor hotter for the Span
ards than they had made the APP
proach for us.
Protected by their shore batteries
and made safe from close attack by
shallow water, the Spaniards were in
4 strong position. They put up a
gallant fight. The Spanish ships
we're sailing back and forth behind
The Castillo, and their fire, too, was
hot.
EXPLOSION on THE BALTIMORE.