The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1898-07-21
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The Battle Of Manila. 5
One Of the Greatest Naval Battles of
Modern Times.



landing there and the governor general
had a. force of $500 men there to pre-
vent a junction between the insurgents
and the Americans. That the latter
would have the temerity to enter the
mine-sowed bay and give him battle
in front of Manila never entered his
/ head.
With the rapidity for which he is
noted Admiral Montejo formed his line.
1t Is not known yet what his exact for
nation was. 1t Is a mistake, however,
to say that the Castillo was part Of the
formation. That cruiser ran aground
Friday morning and could not be dis
lodged. She was therefore improvised
as part Of the land batteries, although
a good portion of her armament, COM
prising the movable guns, was remov-
ed to shore Saturday. Later she wa
riddled with American shells, some of
which set her on fire, and she burned
nearly to the waters edge.
The American feet forced the fight
ing from the first. Captain Wildes of
the Boston was ordered to run out
ahead and his ship had the honor of
firing the first shot. The effect was
not noticed, for the battle began almost
Immediately afterward on both sides,
the fire of the Spanish feet being aug
mented by that of the Cavite batteries.
Under orders the American boats de-
ployed to the right and left until or
dered back for the formation and ad-
vance which finally destroyed the
Spanish fleet. Admiral Montejo direct
ed the movement of his fleet from the
deck of the Reina Maria Christina dur
ing the early part Of the fight, and
Commodore Dewey never left the
Olympia until 1t was all over.
The Boston and Baltimore were in
advance Of the American line and the
roar of their guns was incessant. But
presently the commodore's. flagship
came up as though envious Of the part
the others were playing. Her main
battery of eight-inch guns was soon
laundering away, while the cannon of
the Concord and Raleigh were making
it interesting for the remainder of the
Spanish boats. The Petrol was not
idle, nor was the McCulloch, which
lodged in and out among. the feet,
doing its work of dispatch boat. The
noise of the bombardment was deafen-
ing on both sides, and the firing. con-
sidering the dense smoke which soon
arose and obscured the fleets from each
other, was well nigh continuous, al
though every shot was. intended to
count. The noise vas plainly heard at
Manila, each shot being easily noted,
although, Of course, the result was not.
known.
Suddenly a Spanish ship, which
proved afterward to be the Don Juan
de Austria, ran down the Spanish line
under a mistaken signal from the ,ad-
miral. It was struck at least three
times by the American shells, one of
which was plainly seen to hit one Of its
guns, disabling it. 1t fired as It went,
but a shot from an eight-pounder on
the Olympia struck the Spanish boat
near the waterline. Watchers saw the
Don Juan CULVER as a horse does when
shot in battle. Then in a sudden ces-
sation of firing on both sides, which
seemed almost for the purpose. Of
watching what followed, the Spanish
cruiser exploded with a noise which
made all the cannonading that had
gone before sound like the popping Of
so many corks. The tearing Of steel,
the splitting Of timbers, even the
shrieks Of the wounded could be plain
ly heard following this awful noise.
Dead bodies Of men were seen flying
through the air, while the survivors
were noticed jumping from the decks.
The Don Juan careened over to port.
righted again and dipped once more
and began to sink rapidly. Hardly a
seconds time elapsed between the
striking Of the fatal shot and the ex-
plosion, but 1t seemed to the watchers
that it was Ave minutes.
The shot undoubtedly penetrated
and exploded the Don Juan's maya
zines. The Americans had an oppor-
tunity to see this, for at that moment
the dense clouds of smoke had settled
in the direction of the Spanish line,
while the American ships were COM
paratively free. The vice consul's re-
port says: "The VIGOROUSLY bad
craftsmanship Of the Spaniards was
apparent from the start. The fleet was
managed with daring and skill, but al
though numerically stronger than its
enemy, it was no match for it in gun
merry. The latter was splendid, and
much regret is expressed that our naval
! representatives were not given a better