Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-05-09


ing behind all their personal property
and valuables.
The only loss on the American ves-
sells was of the chief engineer OF the
McCulloch. who died of heat and
apoplexy as the squadron was entering
the harbor. He was buried at sea.
When the McCulloch left Manila
the forts were maintaining a desultory
but effective fire on the squadron.
Meantime the insurgents. acting in CO.
operation with the American fleet, had
surrounded Manila ON the land side
and were exchanging brisk fire with
the Spanish garrison. The city Is said
| to be starving,
The Hongkong correspondent of the
Times, describing the fight at Manila,
says "The cable from the bay to Ma
Mia having been cut by the rebels. the
city was taken by surprise by the APP
pearance of the American fleet. The
Spanish flagship got up steam and ad-
vanced out of line to meet the Olym-
pia. Commodore Dewey had issued an
order for his fleet to concentrate It's
guns on the Spanish flagship, and the
signal was obeyed with telling effect.
The flagship retired. The olympia
fired an eight-inch shell, which raked
the Reina Maria Christina throug-
out her length and caused her boilers
to explode, killing her captain and
sixty men. She drifted away on fire.
| Altogether about $40 men were killed
and about the same number were
wounded.
!, admiral Montijo transferred his
nag to the Castillo, which was sunk
| shortly afterward by a storm of shot.
AT quarter of the olympia sig
nailed to cease firing. The Americans
| were exhausted, having been at quar-
tiers since 10 o'clock of the previous
night. A conference of captains was
heid and II was found that no one had
| been killed, but that several had been
slightly wounded by the splinters.
1.-Two torpedo launches attacked the
olympia. The shells from her big
! guns wer unable to strike SO small an
object, but hail of siX-pound shells
sank the leading launch, all on board
being killed. The other launch was
reached with twelve shotholes and the
boat was covered with blood
Half an hour after noon a white
| nag was holsted at Cavite and the
Spanish crews deserted their ships.
taking away their dead. Admiral Mon
teJo fled to Manila with his two aides
| de-camp."
| The Hongkong correspondent of the
Daily. Mail gives the following addi-
| tional details: There was an act of
| treachery on the part of the Spanish
ship which lowered her flag and then
fired at boats crew sent to take pos
|
| boat but our guns We're turned on her
and tore her to pieces. She went to
| the bottom with all on board. Several
| vessels close In shore behaved in the
same way and shared her fate.
THE Spaniards fought to their last
| gasp and none surrendered. They had
been announcing that the Americans
would kill everyone In Cavite, and
when we landed, a long procession of
| priests and Sisters of Mercy met the
boat from the Petrol and begged our
| men not to injure the wounded in the
hospitals. AS matter of fact. the
| Americans rescued some two hundred
Spaniards and sent them ashore. All
the Spanish vessels are destroyed, with
two thousand men. The Spanish esti-
mate. gives their loss as one thousand
killed and wounded. In the Reina
Maria Christina. 200 men are believed
| to have been killed or drowned.
THE officers of the gunboat McCul-
| loch. with whom l conversed today,
bear testimony to the bravery of the
Spaniards. They particularly praised
the gallant crew of the Castillo, whom
they describe as the 'bravest men ever
sacrificed in battle They consider the
result of the fight a remarkable in
stance of the advantage of long-range
firing TO the side which is better in
artillery and craftsmanship.
| Private papers captured at Cavlte
show that 1t was intended that the
| Spanish fleet should engage the Amerl-
cans outside the bay before the fight.
No explanation is forthcoming of the
| change of plans.
| MY informant told me a landing was
not effected at Manila. where food is
scarce, as Commodore Dewey could not
undertake any responsibility. Still. I
! do not think there is any danger of the
insurgents massacreing the population
at Manila. II they begin to do so Com
l mOdDrp I1nwpv
| stop them.
THE American commander has wired
for instructions regarding Manila, not
! caring to take the citv on his own re-
sponsibility. Supplies are being stopped
| by the insurgents at Manila and Cavite,
where the hospital has been plundered
for food. The Americans landed sup
piles for the Spanish wounded. The
| Olympia was hit thirteen times dur
| ing the engagement"
| The comment on the battle at Man
| liza. as the details come in, is univer-
sally fattering to Commodore Dewey
and the American navy.
| The Times says: THE destruction of
the Spanish fleet.was complete, as COM
| plete as any achievement recorded in
naval annals, Commodore Dewey show
| ing himself worthy alike of the great
traditions OF the United States navy
and. of his kinshlp with the race that
produced Nelson"
| Inc standard says: Commodore
Dewey has evidently taken as his
model for dispatch writing that laconic
| British sailor of famous memory, who
rorortcd decisive naval victory thus:
| Engaged enemy yesterday; captured
ships as per margin"
| The Daily News says: Commodore
Dcwey's dispatches, In their concise
| ness and modesty, are In accordance
! with the best naval traditions. The
battle establishes n record among con-
tests of the kind, for one of the COM
| batants destroyed the whole fleet of
the other without himself suffering any
| loss whatever. The victors carried the
whole job through in n thoroughly
| workmanlike manner. 1t IL especially
worth noting that the discipline of the
American ships Is reported to have
been perfect. for generally Spanish au-
thorities and some independent critics
| thought that this might be weak
point ON the American side. The excel
| lence OF the American tactics and the
/ superiority of workmanship are likely
| 10 he a permanent factor in this war.
| The chief lesson which the battle OF
I Manila enforces Is that which every
body knew before, namely. that under
modern conditions of warfare, no
amount OF personal bravery can posi-
by make up deficiency In weight and
! large metal"
The Hongkong corresuondent of the
DAILY Chronicle says: Manila is help
| less and is surrounded by the insur-