The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-05-12

eeo, the 0ltoWang WaD their order:
The AaUhip Olympia, the Baltimore,
Tie Ralslgh. Concord. Boston. Petrol
and McCulloch. with two storeships.
the Nanshaa and Zallro. bringing up
the rear. And In that order they swept
grandly before the city and faced the
enemy In column line.
Though the Spaniards had opened
hre at 5000 yards. the Americans re-
served their hre until within 1000
yards Of the enemy. when the real
battle began.
Tho Reina Christina. Clstilla, Doa
Antonio Ulloa, Isla de Cuba, Isla Dc
Luxon, and the Mindanao were in line
Of battle outside Of Cavite At that time,
with four gunboats and the torpedo
boats inside the harbor.
The American ships then passed back
wards and forwards ak times across
the front Of the Spaniards. pouring in
upon the latter . perfect hail of shot
and shell. Every American shot SEEM
ed to tell. while almost every Spanish
shot missed the mark.
After having thus scattered death
and Generalization among the Spanish
feet and the Spanish batteries, the
American fest retired for breakfast,
and incidentally \ council of war was
held on board the Olympia
BY this time the Spanish ships were
In desperate condition. The flagship
Reina Christina was riddled with shot
and shell, one of her steam pipes had
burst and she was believed to be on
fire. The Castillo was certainly on
fire. and soon afterward their condition
became worse and worse, until they
were eventually burned to the waters
edge.
The Don Antonio De Ulloa made a
most magnificent show OF desperate
bravery. When her commander found
she was 30 torn by the American shells
that he could not keep her afioat he
nailed her colors to the mast and she
sank with all hands fighting to the
last. Her hull was completely rid.
died and her upper deck had been
swept clean by the awful fire of the
American guns, but the Spaniards,
though their vessels were sinking be-
meath them. continued working the
guns On her lower deck until she sank
beneath the waters.
During the engagement a Spanish
torpedo boat crept along the shore and
round the offing In an attempt to at
tack the American ships, but she was
promptly discovered. was driven ashore
and was actually shot to pieces.
The battle, which was started at
about $50 a. m. and adjourned at 8: 30
a. m, was resumed about noon, when
Commodore Dewey started in to put
the finishing touches Of his glorious
work. There was not much fight left
in the Spaniards by this time. and
at 2 p. m. the Petrol and Concord had
shot the Cavite batteries into silence
The Spanish gunboats were then
scuttled, the arsenal was On Gre, and
the explosion Of Spanish magazine
caused further mortality among the
defenders Of Spain on shore.
Only the cruiser Baltimore ad
suffered in any way from the fire Of the
enemy. A shot which strnck her ex-
ploded some ammunition near one of
her guns and slightly injured hair a
dozen Of the crew. The wounded
sailors are: Lieutenant Frank Woodruff
Kellogg. Ensign Noble Irwin. Cox
swain John Buddinger. Landsman
Robert L. Barlow. Coxswain Edward
Snelgrove, Coxswain William O'Keefe
and Seamen Richard p. Covert and
Rosario Ricciardelli.
On the other hand. about $50 men
are said to have been killed on board
the Spanish flagship. which was to-
tally destroyed. Admiral Montejo. the
Spanish commander, transferred his
flag to the Isla de Cuba when his ship
caught fire. but the latter was de-
strOyed also in due course Of time The
Reina Christina lost her captain, a
lieutenant, her chaplain and q mid :
shipman by one shot which struck her
bridge.
About 100 were killed and 60 wound
ed on board the Castillo. Indeed, some
estimates place the number OF Spanish
wounded during the engagement at
over a thousand men.
The Olympia was struck FIVE times
about her upper works, and = whale
boat Of the Raleigh was smashed. AL
though the Krupp guns on the Esplan-
ade Of Manila were fred continuously
during the engagement, Commodore
Dewey did not reply to them. and the
battery afterward hoisted a white flag
In token Of surrender.
The forts at the entrance Of the bay
were dismantled on Wednesday, after
they had capitulated.
A GRATEFUL NATION
VIII Honor Dewey and the Other