The times., 1899-10-01

nag.
II was happy moment. We all shook
hands over the fortunate termination OF
the first battle of the war. Our crew was
sent into the rigging. and three cheers
for the Asiatic Squadron were called for by
the executive officer. and never were any
cheers given with more thankful hearts
We cannot fail. however, TO give ;us-
tice to our enemy. for all agreed that the
Spaniard is q tough fighter, even If he
cannot shoot straight 1t was a most as
founding result OF four to five hours
shooting. partly from the finest Krupp
Tifled cannon. that no HARM worthy OF
mention. was done to our ships. and cnly
six men were slightly wounded on the
Baltimore from flying splinters. There
was no excuse for such bad Workmanship
as we gave them the full broadsides OF
our ships at short range for targets.
Cheering of the Crews.
cat 2 p. m the Olympia ranged up
alongside OF us. showing only few hon
orable dents; ard beautiful sight she was,
with strings of signal flags and after spars.
All the ships through the battle carried
three large American flags, one at each
masthead. and third at the maingaff or
after Flagstaff; and a magnificent sight it
made in the second rart of the engage
SACuh, Hucu fresh DtccEe 0du
up. keeping the smoke away from our
ships. and causing the Eass 10 stand out
in beautiful relief against the cloudless
sky.
THE Consul Mr. Williams. was sent
aboard the McCulioch and transferred by
one OF the English merchantmen in the
front of the city. At p. m. We anchored
near the flagship again. At the same mo-
ment the Boston came up within hail, and
1T thrilled our hearts to hear the plucky
crews give each other the hearty, happy
cheers for a victory in which each one
had borne creditable part. In fact, at
this moment. each crew was more in love
with their ship and their captain, and all
adored the plucky commodore who had
not lest a move in the game since war
was declared. During the fight he had his
station on the Olympia's forward bridge
with no protection from the flying shot
and shell around him. None could have
been cooler under fire than Admiral Dewey.
Commander Lamberton, the flag captain
and the Admiral's chief OF staff. and Lieu
tenant Brumby were with him on the
bridge shot came within three of four
feet CT their heads, cutting off the sig
nal halyards, but he did not appear to
notice it. The commanders of all the
ships acquitted themselves with the great
est credit Captains Gridley and Dyer. vet
Grams that they were, and all the others.
behaving with the greatest pluck and skill
possible, not one of them all using his con-
ming tower.
Small Boats Damaged
The Boston, in regard TO her small boats
was the most damaged ship in the feet
and her boats were shattered, with one
h-y. IL,
the concussion of her own guns, which will
indicate the terrible explosive power Of
these modern high-power guns. Only two
boats out OF her ten could be used after
the fight. Paymaster John R. Martin. OF
the Boston, not being especially busy in
his proper sphere, while the fight was at
its hottest, made his appearance with
tin cup in one hand and in the other hand
pot OF coffee, made over a spirit lamp
no fires in the galleys being permitted in
action-and he continued all through the
fight. to make and serve refreshing drink 70
the thirsty men, though a shell that burst
in Ensign Doddridge's room, close at hand,
came near ending his enterprise. This
shell, in exploding wrecked the contents
of the ensign's room and set il on fire,
but the flames were quickly extinguished
by the ships fire department, always ready
for such an emergency. Chaplain ]. B.
Frazier, of the Olympia, had his head out OF
a portfolio, watching the fight with the
greatest interest, when a Spanish shell
struck the side OF the ship only a few feet
away, and burst. His head suddenly dis
appeared inside that portfolio, and he is
still counting himself in luck that he has
head left to tell the story.
. Lieut.. w. P. Elliott. executive officer
of the Baltimore, but during the Manila
battle in charge of the auxiliary squadron
the McCulloch, Nanshan, and Zafiro, was
the most disappointed man in the feet in
not being able to take hand in the fight.
Captain Hodgson kept the McCulloch close
up between the fighting ships where the
shots flew over and about her, and, with
big hawsers on deck, he awaited an op-
portunity to go in to the assistance of any
of the ships in action, should one be dis
abled under the fire of the forts
A Shell Hits the Baltimore.
@The only shot which pierced our ships
worthy of mention was on the Baltimore
1t was a Al armor- piercing shot, and
struck and entered at the upper deck line,
DETECTING slightly upward, scattering splin-
ters from the three or four feet of the deck
next to the ships side, which slightly
wounded five or six of Ensign Irwins
gun crew. 1t went through both sides of
the coaming of the engine room hatch,
and, then, giancing on the recoil chamber
of one of the six-inch guns, struck the
circular shield OF heavy steel in front of
it. Following around the concave surface
of the shield, the shot came back across the
deck toward the side from which il en-
tered struck and bent a ladder on one of
the big ventilators, and fell spent upon the
In of no Iaauilfr
against the ventilator was thrown sense
less on the deck, and was carried below,
but shortly surprised the surgeons by
getting up and walking back TO his gun,
where he did his duty to the end OF the
fight.
The conduct of the men In this, their
first fight was beyond pr,ise. Not a man
fIinched. but each remained at his post,
doing his duty coolly and we'll. AS to the
loss of the enemy, 1t is impossible to learn
with accuracy, for the dead on the burning
Spanish ships were never removed, but
were burned with them. From what can
be learned from the Spanish surgeons,
there were upward of 500 killed, and double
that number wounded. The McCuIloeh
having anchored in Cavite harbor on the
day after the fight, We saw hospital flags,
the Geneva cross of red in a white field
flying over the cathedral the hospital, an
other large buildings. The writer was with
Lieutenant Hodges. who had commanded
the side wheel steamer Isabella l. one of
the prizes when, on Tuesday afternoon
he started to convey the wounded from
Cayite across to Manila. On the one trip
made that afternoon 201 were taken over
which did not comprise one-han the mum
Der to be transferred. We were not al
lowed to enter the River Pasig at Manila
with these wounded. but steam launches
came out and transferred them from our
boat TO the shore. When the boats from
,b;rDc fret want ashore altar fha oh