The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-12
SIRE As SHOOTING
Manila Bay Justifes That An
Gent Comparison.
HOW DEWEY PARLEYEO
And the Spaniards KnuckIed
When They Had TO,
HOW DEWEY PARLEYEO

gunner on Commodore DeWeys agsh.p,
the Olympia, written two days after the
battle Of Manila His account of me bat
tie is as follows:
AT $40 a. m. we all took our stations
at the guns, magazines and shell rooms.
! The transports steamed upon our port
beam to be covered by US and out Of the
line of fire. when we were off to victory
or death, we knew not which. l was
! stationed in an S-luch shell roOmaft, 20
fet below the water line and directly
| above me was the hatch or opening,
about six fetsquare. which led to the
! spar deck through which the shells were
! hoisted- Before going down l looked up
ward. It was just breaking day and as
1 glanced up / saw our battle flag going
up the yard arm on the mzzen mast.
! Two bells and Jingle and as it went up
| / heard three good stout yankee cheers
! and then the bal was open.
The enemy from ashore and anoat
! opened fire upon us before the last cher
| left the brave lads mouths and from that
! time on until 7:l6 there was a continuous
laundering Of guns, from the smaller mil
meters CHotchkis) to the big 1O-inch
rifles throwing projectiles weighing 1872
! pounds. | must confes the prespiratiOn
ran down my bare back Qor the heat
registered in my she'll room l27 degrees
and clothing would only have aggravated
thhe case) in rivulets. To be honest, l
think it would have ben the same case
had the shell room been encased in an
iceberg. But after the first fire. or ten
did not have time to think of my preca-
rious condition in room with fifty tons
Of shells that a FOUNDER would have
touched off like a fash and sent me and
my comrades and the good ship Olympia
on cruise that would have had an eter-
nal ending.
The call was continually for shells of
various kinds, such as sarpnel, armor
piercing or common, and l want to tell
you, it kept my time wei occupied select
ing the shells. dragging them to the hoist
and hooking them to the tackle. These
shells only weigh from go to 26O pounds,
and before 1 was relieved to take my
place at my gun, 1 thought they weighed
about LOCO pounds apiece.
1T was 6:2S when I took my place with
No. 81 gun crew, stationed on port side
berth deck about midships. This gun IS
known as a Hotcchkiss 6-pounder-that
is, it fires a 6-pound projectile and can
be handled so easily that it is almost as
acurate as a common Springfield rife.
l was second gun captain. The first gun
captain was doing the firing at that time.
IT was my duty to eject the exploded
shell case, drive home a new shell. close
the brech plug and adjust the sight to the
range called out every two minutes from
range finder by sentries stationed for that
purpose. One cal would be g. 900 yards off
port beam, then there would come 1900
yards off port beam, then there would
come 1920 yards off port beam, 1,500 yards
off quarter. and so on.
II adjusted tn gun for some twenty
five or thirty shells. Then the first cap
tain dropped a shell passer and went to
first captain. The man who passed shells
for me took my former place of second
captin and / got my first view of matters
happening outside. The smoke was quite
dense when l threw my beautiful orbs
out that gun port, but in about two min
utes l saw a clearing with a ship in it
about the size of the Concord. The range
said give it to her and the officer stand
ing near me, Mr.. Upton. said that was
a beauty" 7 aimed for the water line
amidship knowing that if ! got ashot
into her steaming machinery it would
count.
Before had time 10 fire a second shot
the word came Torpedo boat 900 yards
starboard quarter" I was ready ana
waiting to set aglimpse Of her through
the smoke, and just as she showed up in
my quarter she was blown clear out of /
the water by a shot from one of the S |
inch guns in the forward turrets
While on duty a that gun I saw the /
most wonderful shooting on record. The !
Castillo, armored cruiser. came out from /
behind a n embankment of masonry and /
fairly left the callers mouth before two !
S-inch, seven 5-inch. ten 6-pounders and /
Twenty-Five 1-pounders blazed away a;
her. She attempted TO turn around. and /
when broads.de Of us one Of the S-inch I
forward turets ared upon her and pIsnk- /
ed a shell square anidships at the water /
line. The shot went clear through her /
and swung her stern . us. Bang went ;
the other S-jnch in the same turet and .
50 help me- this shell tore lis way clear /
through her from stern 70 stem and she (
was over 500 fet long The boilers burst (
and within ten seconds she was aflame /
clear forward ana aft. In five minutes .
more she sank. Il is reported that 22) /
men and al of her officers persisted. / !
suppose that most of the men were killed /
by our first fire and finished with the two 1
S-inch
BY this time Ii was 7.l6.The smoke was /
50 dense that we could not Sc % yards .
ahead of Us. We went out Of range and 4
breakfas, was p.ped. All we had to drink .
and eat was black coffee and hard;aek .
"a nsel food as the sailors ca, it, Au; il 4
tasted out of sight. / tel you. after Our /
nights vigil and our early mornings /
work. and especially after an inventory
Of the various ships companies and find I
Ing ,hat not q man was killed o. even
wounded on our side Il was indeed a
miracle and II seemed As though Divine .
Providence was watching over Uncle 4
Sans boys
After rest Of three hours We again /
drew up IN line ard sailed ONTO them .
again Il was now JOS The second en-
sagemeut was bug a repetition OF our !
former one
we were struck quite often but not 4
in vital p.aces-It SENS that the enemy /
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