Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-05-01
DEWEY DAY.

This day one year ago by the calen-
dar, in the wee sma' hours of the early
morn before the dawn of that bright
Sunday, the American Asiatic squadron
under command of Commodore George
Dewey, threaded its way among tor
pedoes and over deadly mines and en-
tered Manila bay. All lights were
out and all hands on board
our gallant ships were still as mice.
Silently the ghostly ships passed under
the frowning forts at the entrance Of
the harbor and deploying inside lined
up in battle array with ShOtted guns
and nerves on edge awaiting the peep
O. day to do battle with the ships of
the Spanish in their own harbor on
their own ground.
Neither history nor romance tells Of
a more daring feat than this of the
American Commodore with a squadron
all unused to war, thousands of miles
from home, or help, or base of sup
plies.
To George Dewey and his gallant
tars it meant but one of two things,
complete victory or utter, overwhelm-
ing defeat. There was no chance for
a halfway measure. There was no
place short of San Francisco thousands
of miles away on the other side of the
world for Dewey to take his ships in
retreat.
1t was literally to do or die, and re-
treat was not to be dreamed of.
But did a man hesitate? Not one,
from the gallant Commodore to the
humblest sailor. When the Americans
were creeping into the harbor under
cover of the darkness one jackie had
to be commanded to lay aside the
guitar he had been nonchalantly
drumming that its notes might not
reach the Spaniards' ears.
And at peep O. day what sight
met the Spanish lookouts! What hell
broke loose to awake the foe from their
pleasant dreams.
The battle that followed is familiar
in all its details and manoeuvres to
every newspaper reader. The Ameri
cans did not give their foe time to
breathe Formed in line passing one
at a time abreast of the Spaniards the
vessels of the American fleet circled
round and round and as each stately
ship slowly steamed into position it
let go its deadly broadside of shot and
shell.
Fire when you're ready, Gridley!"
said Commodore Dewey, cool as ice, to
the Captain of his flagship, the Olym
pia. And thus they circled before the
dismayed and helpless Spaniards, pour
ing a deadly hail of steel till not a
Spanish ship remained afloat to tell
the tale
Twenty minutes for breakfast" sig
nailed the methodical American Com
modore from his ship to his squadron.
Never before was breakfast eaten I'M
der such remarkable circumstances,
and probably it never will be again.
The Spaniards were simply and lit
orally smashed. Their ships, whose
decks ran blood, were rendered use
less junk in a few hours and sent to the
bottom of the bay, where most of them
yet lie a monument to the intrepidity
OF American seamanship and the dead
ly aim of American gunners, and our
own gallant ships and crews suffered
not loss and scarcely a scratch.
This is the great and glorious feat
and unprecedented victory we celebrate
to-day-the first anniversary of the
battle of Manila-Dewey Day,
And Dewey-since that memorable
And Dewey-but of what use to dis
cuss Dewey? Effort at praise of this gall
liant sailor, now the head of the Amer
lean navy and the greatest living
American, is like gliding pure gold or
painting the lily.
Suffice it to say, let every American
head be barred in his honor and let
every American throat give three times
three and repeat for the Hero of Ma
Mia,
The Health Department of BROOKLYN
is said to be disinfeeting Coney Island.