Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-10
The BATTLE OF MANILA.
Mail Advices From the Orient
Give a Graphic Description Of
the Famous Victory.


am Of interesting details of the bat
=. ,f Manila. One report comment |
IN DeNeys well-timed arrival |
says;
rbe great victory of the United States
,.,atic squadron is, of course, due in
-raat measure to the splendid marks |
-..cshjp of the American gunners, but |
,,o~a particularly to the tact and STRAIT
.,,. NJ Commodore Dewey, in command |
= the feet. Late on Saturday night, |
.,ril 20 his ships entered the channel |
,.,ding to Manila Bay. Several shots !
,r.ra fred at them from the batteries |
..+be entrance, but none of them struck |
.bs ebips. The whole squadron got |
.,faly into the bay Of Manila and when
tho SIN rose over the city the Ameri- |
o,n ships were cruising around in front.
when they were discovered the Manila !
batteries opened a fusilade on the ships
a. 4 range Of about five miles, and as
s.raral shots had been falling around
.5a Boston. she opened fire, but the
order 10 cease firing was hoisted by
Commodore Dewey on the flagship, and
the cratic firing of the town batteries
nroceeded without interruption.
large number of British mercantile
vessels were lying in the harbor, but
M traces were visible of the Spanish
feet. The American squadron pro-
ceeded in a line ahead to the naval
station at Cavite and there found the
SPANISH feet lying in four or five faith
rns of water. The Spaniards were
drawn up in line, the wooden hulk
Castillo being mored fore and aft This
was the strongest possible position that
the feet could have occupied in the
bay.
THEY WEIRD SUPPORTED
bv the forts at Cavite and the very
shallow water around Cavite rendered
It impossible for the American ships to
approach them closely. At range of
6G00 Yards the Spanish ships and forts
opened fire on the United States fleet,
but the shells fell far out of range of
the United States boats. The United
States fleet drew slowly nearer to the
Spanish squadron, undeterred by the
tremendous fusilade of the Spaniards.
When the range had been lessened from
6000 to 5000 yards the flagship Olym-
pia opened fire and as the Baltimore and
other ships filed past they maintained a
steady fire from their six-inch and |
eight-inch guns. The American ships :,
manoeuvred in line and sent broadside
after broadside into the Spanish fleet.
About half past o'clock the fire from
the Spaniards having been very con-
siderably quoted the order was hoisted
to stop firing.
From about half past 9 o'clock the
previous evening till then the men had
been on duty at the guns and had re-
ceived no refreshment but the cups of
coffee At II o'clock the American
feet renewed the attack and in about
an hour and a half white ensign was
l0isted at Cayite. The lighter draught
vessels and pinnaces of the American
feet and large number of tug boats
and launches captured in the harbor
steamed into Cavite harbor shortly af-
Ter the surrender and the wounded men
who were left behind in ships and 9TH
ers picked up out of the water were con-
yeyed to the hospitals at Cavite and
also to Manila city.
The Spanish had taken away most
Of their dead and buried some of them,
but next day while parties were search
ing around the naval arsenal at Cavite
their attention was drawn by the dread
full stencil to a large heap of purifying
bodies, some of which had been horri-
bly, mangled by Americans shells
The Olympia had narrow escape
from torpedo attack Two torpedo
launches which lay in wal off Cavite
attempted to run in with torpedoes
against the Olympia and there were
SOME TRYING MOMENTS
lor the crew of that ship. The shells
from the big guns were unable to reach |
such small objects as they rapidly ap-
preached. When within SEQ yards of
Inc flagship the second batteries of the |
olympia sent in a perfect hail Of six
pound shells, smashing up the leading |
launch and killing all on board and
IRVING the second launch back on the !
ueach with twelve shot holes through |
LET, Her boat was afterwards found |
covered with blood.
lAe Petrol and Concord being Of |
ilShjer draught than the remainder Of !
'le meet they sailed into shallow water
''U sunk or destroyed all the small |
e'1ooalS which remained Of the Span |
." Meet There were eleven Spanish |
val vessels and two torpedo boats |
'.AS Or destroyed at Cavite and the loss
= ne is variously stated. AS far as
~ pe learned, however, a fair estimate |
IT. INC Spanish losses at AGO dead and |
'UO oJ9 wounded. After the Ameri- |
1 Snlps had retired from action ring |