The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-05-13
The Battle of Manila.

ships have gone d"Wn under IRE OF
the warships under comman of Com
modore Dewey. The fleet of Admiral
Montejo was simply swept of the
face of the earth. Two hundred and
tifty-seven Spaniard- lost their lives
and SIS we're wounded in the three
engagements that took place between
the American and Spanish squa'ironS.
That the loss of the Americans is
t"ifiing adds to the glory of the vict"-
~ without lessening its value. fhr
only one of the Americans to receive
any serious injury, and perhaps = rlous
is too strong a word, was the Ralii
more. In the second engagement she
was hit by several shot and her ma
chinery was damaged enough TO cau>c
her to withdraw from the eng cement
for about an hour in order that tenn
porary repairs might be made. She
returned to the fight, however, and
after the victory had been won her
machlnists were soon able to make
the necessary repairs.
On the night of April 80 the Amer
lean fleet quickly approached the
opening of the harbor reconnoitered,
and then passed in. Every American
vessel succeeded in getting by the
shore batteries, apparently without
being noticed until the last one, the
McCulloch came along, and unfortu-
nately sparks emitting from her
smokestacks attracted the attention OF
the Spaniards.
1t was ten minutes after s and a
bright moonlight night when the first
shot from Corregidor island was fired
and bomb went screaming over the
Raleigh and Olympia, followed by
second which went further astern.
The Olympia, Boston, Concord and
Raleigh replied, the Concord's shells
exploding apparently exactly inside
of the shore battery, which fired no
more. The American squadron then
slowed down and no more shots were
fired until daylight. The SOU adron
was then five miles from Manila.
The Spanish squadron was sighted
off Cavite with steam up steering to-
wards the American fleet. The Amer
lean ships moved to attack IN the fol-
lowing order: Olympia, Baltimore,
Raleigh, Petrol, Concord. and Boston.
The McCulloch remained in the rear.
The American ships moved into
the fight at speed of eight knots,
passing in front of Manila, where the
action was begun by three batteries,
mounting guns powerful enough to
send shells over the American feet at
a distance of five miles. The guns on
Concord doomed out reply to these
batteries with two shots. Then, not
desiring to destroy the city, Command
er Dewey decided not to further en-
gage with these batteries at that time.
AS the American fleet neared Ca
vlte two submarine mines were explod-
ed ahead of the ships. The Spaniards
mlsjudged the position of the Ameri-
can vessels. and their mines did no
damage. A few minutes later. the
shore battery at Cavite point sent a
shot over the Olympia that nearly hit
the battery in Manila, but soon the
guns got a range and shells began to
strike near the American boats, sever
al bursting close aboard from the
Spanish vessels.
1t was intensely hot, and the Ameri-
cans were obliged to strip off all their
clothing except their trousers. As
the Olympia drew nearer, all was silent
on board. as if the ship had been
empty, except for the whlrr of the
blowers and the clang of the engines.
Suddenly shell burst over her, and
from the bOatswain's mate at one of
The aft guns came the hoarse cry, "Re-
member the Maine" This was quick
ly taken up by all the Americans on
board and afterward they seemed pos
sessed by devils.
"You may fire when ready, and let
them go lively" said Comm .dore
Dewey to his chief of staff, and at 6 80
O'Clock, at distance of 5000 yards,
the starboard eight-inch gun in the
forward turret roared forth a compli-
ment to the Spanish TO is. This Was
quickly followed by the guns from the
Baltimore and Boston, that sent $50
pound shells toward the Castillo aud
Relna Christina. The Spanish ships
and shore guns we're making 1t hot for
the Americans. One large shell was
coming straight at the Olympia's for
ward bridge, but fell when less than
IOO feet away. One fragment cut the
rigging exactly over the heads of
l4leuts. Lamberton and Reeves. An
other struck the bridge gratings in a
line with them. A third passed just
under Commodore Dewey and gouged