The evening times., 1898-07-09
LIFE IN DEWEY's FLEET
An Interesting Letter From
Lieutenant Mccormick.
NO TROUBLE ANTICIPATED
The Rainy Season Rcgins and Miti-
gates the Observation-Disclosures in Ma
niIa-American Chivalry ENempIi-
fed AEnin-Graphic Description of
the Great Naval Victory.

The following letter was received yes
terday by William c. Mccormick, Of Bal
timore, from his brother, Lieut.. Charles
M. Mccormick. of the cruiser Concord,
which took part in the battle of Manila:
"On board the Concord, off Manila,
May al do not know when this letter
will be sent. but this afternoon is fairly
cool, so l will write you a little, trusting
TO have a means of communica tion be-
fore long. Since i wrote you last the
rainy season appears to have set in, and
the weather has cooled off a great deal,
rendering life more bearable.
We hope for mail tomorrow morning
from our dispatch boat at Hong Kong.
and it is the hope of all that we can
soon clear out of here, but this 1 doubt
very much. The last telegram (un-
oificiaD states that the President intend
ed to sell these islands to some European
power to pay war indemnity. If this is
so, it may take long time, for there are
2o.0Co soldiers on shore, and these would
have to be gathered in directly or indi-
rectly, first.
"A few morning ago 4 pretty little
Spanish gunboat from the Caroline ISL
ands came into the harbor and evidently
thought ours was the Spanish fleet, and
hoisted her number Of course there was
nothing TO do but surrender when we
opened fire upon her. The last mail the
gunboat (Callao) had was five months
ago. and SO you can imagine the surprise
Of all on board to find themselves prs-
oners. They We're paroled and given a
boat to take themselves and their private
property to Manila.
1t is very quiet on shore, but all the
same We keep lookout and guard boats,
and have our guns loaded all the time,
making it particularly hard night duty,
but we do not care to be blown up by a
torpedo. The people ashore have been
notified if pistol shot is fired at us Ma
Mia will be Immediately destroyed. We
do not anticipate trouble, but are on
guard just the same.
"A few natives in canoes occasionally
come alongside with bananas mangroves
and chickens, but we are practically liv-
ing on sea stores.
Fortunately the average health of the
squadron remains good, in spite of tie ex-
posure- We heard nothing about the res
olutlon OF the natives, and | do not be-
heVe they are capable of making any kind
of resolution. l understand the City of
Pekin is to bring out load of army peo-
pie and their equipments, and that the
United States steamer Charleston is TO
TO find them turning up at any time soon.
j only hope the vessels east will succeed
in capturing all the Spanish vessels before
they can do any damage TO our coast. /
anxiously await the news.
1--WE took on board just before leaving
Hong Kong, two excellent Cinnamon,
who do washing, and in this climate they
have proved very valuable. Before COM
ing they consulted Chinese astro,oCers.
inf
that they could come with safety, that
the Americans would win. Sand that chev
the China men) would not be hurt. Our
Chinese servant behaves excellen;ly and
the Chinese washermen handle powder
as if that was what they had shipped
for.
We fired, the day of the engagement, a
little over four tons of powder. Doing
pretty well for gunboat.
May 20. we learn by the mail that ar
rived yesterday. that We are in for 4 long
stay here and that 5000 troops. under
Gen. Merritt. were to be sent to US. The
letter mail was small, but it brought one
from you. with enclosures.
Am very sorry the prospect fer fruit is
so poor. Condition around Manila the
same, but food is getting very scarce
owing TO the blockade.
The insurgents are apparently doing
nothing. This letter will go to Hong
Kong tomorrow by japanese man-of-
war We see by the papers a great rush
is being put on all producers of war ma
tertal'
IN a letter to his brother Lieut.. Nc
Cormick says:
I'VE are so much out of the world that
we are almost leading separate exist
ence- Since the first instant we have
been busy keeping guard, chasing strange
vessels, blockading the city. etc. All
nghts are out at night and ships cleared |
FOR action. What with numerous false |
alarms, sea stores for food and no fresh I
provisions, heat and loss of Sleep we are |
longing to be on the east coast where |
there would be something doing. We |
learn that an army is to be sent here and |
that we are to take possession of the ISL |
ands. OF course we could whip things |
without the army, for the city is at our
mercy, but without shore force there
would be anarchy, which would be yery
disgraceful. We have the navy yard, and |
The vessels take turns in guarding It. but |
We have not hoisted the flag over it. The |
navy yard has an enormous amount of |
stores in II that have enabled the fleet to |
rent. The ordnance stores, as a rule, are |
different from ours, so they are valueless |
to us at present. / suppose things will |
hang on SO until the army arrives unless |
the Spaniards should make an attack up
on US and then Manila is doomed
Il must say if it came to a pinch, / !
thing we could take these Islands with |
out an army by arming all the natives |
We will send a transport to the neighbor- |
hood of Hong Kong tomorrow for stores |
and trust it will bring good news from |
the fleet east. After this thing is over |
You will see the United States has a
navy
II inclose a translation from a Manila
paper. As regards accuracy 1t is of little
value. 1t will never be known how many
they had killed or wounded. There never
was force taken more by surprise They
deemed themselves invincible and planted
a great number of torpedoes, but I sup
pose lack of mechanical ingenuity was re-
sponsible for their not being effective
We captured all the official papers of the
admiral. and according to his own figures
there were 2500 men manning the ships |
and tenders at the time of the battle. OF |
these from one-half to one-third We're
killed or wounded, which. usually in the
here, means the same thing"
The paper referred to in the letter to
Mr.. William NJ. Mccormick is as follows: !
When the enemy's squadron was sight
ed in perfect line of battle through the
clouds of misty dawn on the morning OF
the first of May, gloom and surprise were
general among the people of Manila. At
last these ships had strained their bold
ness to the point Of appearing on our
coasts and defying our batteries, which
showed more courage and valor than ef-
feet when they opened on the squadron.
1t needs Something more than courage to
make projectiles penetrate-indeed, 1t
doesi
The inequality of our batteries when
with those of the squadron
which alarmed the inhabitants of Manila
At In the morning was enough to trans
'orm the tranquil character of our tropi-