The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-05-19
DEVEY'S VICTORY
Revised Story Of His
Fight With the
SpaniardS.
YANKEE SKILL AND DARING

The Spanish Fleet Was Caught With
out steam-A Futile Attempt Was
Made to Blow Up American Ships
With Submarine Mines.
Hong Kong, May 10.-Owing to the
fact that the cable between this port
and the Philippines was not in working
order, having been cut, it is said, some
distance from the capital of the island,
there has been delay in obtaining de-
tailed account of the battle, and the
facts in the case were only available
when the United States gunboat Hugh
McCulloch arrived here yesterday,
and even then the tremendous pressure
of business suddenly thrown upon the
cable necessarily made the entire &C
count of the engagement somewhat
broken.
Commodore Dewey's orders were to
capture or destroy the Spanish feet,
and never were instructions executed
in so complete fashion. At the end
of seven hours there was absolutely
nothing left of the Spanish feet but
few relics. The American commander
had most skillfully arranged every de-
tail of the action, and even the ap-
parently most insignificant features
were carried out with perfect punctu-
atty, and on railroad timetable order.
At the end of the action Commodore
Dewey anchored his feet in the bay
before Manila and sent messenger to
Governor-General August announcing
the inauguration of the blockade, and
adding that if shot was fired against
his ships he would destroy every bat
terry about Manila.
The position occupied by the Span
iards, the support which their ships re-
ceived from the land batteries, and the
big guns they had ashore, gave them
an enormous advantage. Therefore,
when it is considered that the Span
iards lost over 600 men in killed and
wounded, and that their naval arsenal
at Cavite was also destroyed with it's
defenses, it Will become apparent that
the victory of the American commodore
is one of the most complete and wonder
full achievements in the history of ma
val warfare.
Not a man on board the American
fleet was killed; not a ship was dam
aged to any extent, and only six men
were injured slightly on board the
Baltimore. This grand achievement
is quite as much due to the generalship
of Commodore Dewey as to the fact
that the American gunners, ships and
guns are superior to any feet anywhere.
Great credit must also be given to
the fullest extent to the officers under
Commodore Dewey, for to man they
seconded their gallant commander in
every way possible, and thus helped
him win the laurels which are justly his.
Commodore Dewey arrived at Subig
bay, about 80 miles north OF Manila
bay, Saturday, April 80, and sent the
Baltimore and Concord to reconnoiter
the enemy. They found no Spanish
ships at the entrance of the bay, and
so Commodore Dewey decided to risk
the mines and proceed that same night
after dark into the bay of Manila,
which he did.
The order of battle taken by the
Spaniards was with all the small craft
inside the stone and timber breakwaters
of Cavite harbor. The larger ships Of
Spain cruised off Cavite and Manila.
The American fleet entered Manila
bay Saturday night with the greatest
ease. The Spaniards had not estab-
lished patrol, and there were no
searchlights at the entrance of the bay.
The early hours of the morning re-
vealed the ships to each other. and the
Spanish flagship opened fire. Its &C
ton was followed by some of the larger
Spanish warships, and then the Cavite
forts opened up, and the smaller Span
ish ships brought their guns into play.
The American suardon, which entered
the bay through the shells of the Span
iards, which began to strike the water
around them, moved majestically on
ward.
When nearing Bakor bay, a sudden
upheaval of water a short distance
ahead of the Olympia showed that the
Spaniards had exploded a mine or a
torpedo. This was followed by Sec
ond and similar explosion. They were
both utterly unsuccessful.
The American feet was then draw
ing nearer and nearer to the Spaniards,
whose gunnery was very poor, the
shots from the Cavite batteries and
Spanish ships being equally badly
aimed, either falling short or wide Of
their mark.
When the American feet entered the
bay, coming through the southern
channel between Caballo and Frile in.
lets, the following was the order:
Flagship Olympia, Baltimore, Raleigh
Concord, Boston, Petrol and McCul
loch. The two store ships, Nanshar
London, May 10.-The Hong Kong
correspondent of the Daily Mail gives