The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-05-02
SPANISH STATEMENT.
An Effort to Extract Comfort From
a Signal Defeat.
AMERICAN SHIPS REITERATED ?
According to the official Report They "Took
Refuge Behind tin Merchant Ships in the
Harbor"-Two Spanish Vessels Sunk and
Spanish Commanders Killed.

Spanish Commanders Killed.
Madrid, May 2.-Advices from Manila
say that the American squadron, under
Commodore Dewey, appeared off the
Bay of Manila at o'clock Saturday
morning and opened a strong cannon
ade against the Spanish squadron and
forts protecting the harbor. The Span
ish second class cruiser Don Juan de
Austria was severely damaged and her
commander killed. The American
squadron retired, having also sustained
severe damage. A second naval en-
gagement followed in which the Amer
lean squadron again suffered consider
able loss and the Spanish warship
Mindano and Ulloa were slightly dam
aged.
The following is the text Of the Of
ficial dispatch from the governor gem
eral of the Philippines to the minister
of war, Lieutenant General Correa, as
to the engagement off Manila:
Saturday night, April 30, the bat
teries at the entrance to the fort an
nounced the arrival of the enemy's
squadron, forcing a passage in the
obscurty of the night. At daybreak
the enemy took up positions, opening
with a strong fire against Fort Cavite
and the arsenal.
"Our fleet engaged the enemy in a
brilliant combat, protected by the
Cavite and Manila forts. They Obliged
the enemy, with heavy loss, to man
euver repeatedly. At 9 o'clock the
American squadron took refuge behind
the foreign merchant shipping, on the
east side of the bay.
"Our fleet, considering the enemys
superiority, naturally suffered a Sc
we're loss. The cruiser Reina Maria
Christina was destroyed by fire, as was
the cruiser Castillo. The other ships
retired from the combat, some being
sunk to avoid their falling into the
enemy's hands.
There was considerable loss OF life
| Captain Cadasso, commanding the
Maria Christiana, is among the killed
1 cannot now give further details. The
spirit of the army, navy and volunteers
| is excellent"
Ell Heraldo de Madrid says that Ad-
miral Montojo changed his flagship tC
the gunboat Isla de Cuba during the en-
| gagement, or between two encounters
in order to better direct the maneuvers
In this way he escaped the fate of the
| commander of the Reina Maria Chris
tina.
The second engagement, according tC
Ell Heraldo, was apparently begun by
| the Americans, after landing theiI
wounded on the west side of the bay
In the latter engagement the Spanish
! warships Mindanao and Ulloa suffered
heavily.
During the second engagement the
Cavite forts maintained a steadier anC
stronger fire upon the American
squadron than in the first engagement
Admiral Bermejo, the minister OF
marine, has expressed himself a:
highly pleased with the heroism Of tn,
Spanish marines, and has telegrapheC
congratulations to Admiral MontejC
and the valorous crews of the Spanish
squadron under fire OF superior ships
Notwithstanding the severe damag'
the Spanish ships sustained, naval of
ficers here consider that further opera
tions by the American squadron viii
be conducted with great difficulty
owing to their having no base wher'
they could repair and re-coal or Obtain
fresh supplies of ammunition.
The United States vessels engaged
were: Olympia, first class, protected
cruiser, $500 tons; Baltimore, seconC
rate, 4,600 tons: Boston, second rate
3,1S9 tons; Raleigh, second class; Con
cord, third rate, LOO tons; Petrol
fourth rate, $50 tons; McCulloch, reve
nue. cutter: Nashan, collier: Zafiro
supply vessel.
The Spanish ships: Reina Mari
Christina, $500 tons; Castillo, 3,342 tons
Velasco, 1,152 tons; Don Antonio d
Ulloa and Don Juan de Austria, eacl
1,130 tons; General Lezo and El Cano
gun vessels, 524 tons: Marques De
Duero, dispatch boat 500 tons; ISL
de Cuba and the Isla de Luzon, botl
small gunboats of 1,030 tons displace
ment lsla de Mndarao, Compani
Transatlantica of Cadiz, armed a
cruiser, gross tons Abs.