Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-05-05
Commodore Dewey's Shooting squadron
Completely Destroys the Spanish Fleet
at Manila. Great Marine Battle.

Commodore Dewey's Shooting Squaoron
Completely Destroys the Spanish Fleet
at Manila. Great Marine Battle.
London May 3.-The Madrid corre-
spondent of the Times describing the
engagement at Manila says:
"The Olympia, the Boston, the
Raleigh, the Concord, the Petral
and the Monocacy entered the bay
under cover of darkness by the small
er and safer Bocachica channel. The
forts of Corregidor Island gave the
alarm by firing on the intruders, but
they seem to have inflicted no serl-
GUS damage The American squad
ron moved up the bay, and at 8
o'clock in the morning appeared be-
fore Cavite. Here lying under the
shelter of the forts was the Spanish
squadron.
sSoon the Americans opened fire.
rhe Spaniards replied vigorously,
and the combat continued without
interruption for four hours, during
which the Don Antonio de Ulloa
was sunk, the Castillo and Mindanao
were set on fire and the Reina Maria
Christina and the Don Juan de Aus
tria were seriously damaged. One
or two of the smaller craft were
scuttled by their crews to escape cap
ture.
The Spanish fleet was completely
destroyed, while so far as can be
learned not single American vessel
was lost.
The Spanish losses were heavy, one
report stating that there were 25O
killed and over 400 wounded.
The victory for Commodore Dewey
and the American fleet is brilliant
one. Before the feet could get at
the city of Manila it had to make its
way past two fortified islands at the
entrance to the bay and past the
fortified naval station of Cavite.
Cavite is built upon a small penin-
sula in the bay, south along the
shore from the capital, seven miles
distant from Manila across the
water, fifteen around the curve of
the shore. Cavite lies somewhat
on the inner side of the peninsula on
which it is built
Commodore Dewey's squadron left
Subic bay, few miles from Manila
about o'clock Saturday afternoon
and proceeded toward Manila. Under
the darkness he entered the harbor of
Manila, passing the forts. The bat
teries at the forts announced his ar
rival. Both fleets lined up for battle
about daybreak. For several hours
the harbor resounded with the roar
of guns, the crashing of steel and
timbers, the shrieks and groans of
the wounded, while thick clouds OF
smoke at times obscured the oppos-
ing fleets from each other. A shot
from an American vessel reached the
iron cruiser Don Juan de Austria
instantly there was terrific explos-
ion and the ship was blown into a
shapeless mass. Nearly all the crew
including the commander were kill.
ed
During the engagement the
American ships were under way,
their manocuverings being intended
to render the Workmanship of the
Spanish gunners less effective.
About 8 o'clock in the morning the
American squadron drew off to one
side Of the bay, and after some hasty
repairs returned to the conflict. In
the interval between the two engage
ments Commodore Montejo moved
his flags from the Christina to the
smaller cruiser Isla de Cuba. To the
fact that he made this change he
doubles owes his life, for shortly
afterward the Christina was seen tC
be on fire and was completely burn.
ed. Her commander was killed
The cruiser Castillo next to the flag
ship the largest and most powerful
of the Spanish squadron was burned
soon afterward.