Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-02-16
THE TRUE STORY .

What was the most interesting and
;n,nortant of all the events that occur
red during the battle of Manila bayr
This aues ton has been put to me so
often since my return from the Philip
pines that l am glad to be at liberty
now that peace is assured-to answer it
without risk of giving aid and comfort
to the enemy, says Joseph f. Stickney
in Harpers Monthly for February.
1t has always been assumed in the
United States that, from start to finish,
there was nothing felt on our side ex-
cept boyant certainty of victory 1t
will do no harm now to tell the real
facts
1T will be remembered that the bat
tie began at six minutes past D O'Clock
on the morning of May l. the Commo-
dore NOW Rear Admiral) Dewy led the
line of American warships into action
in his flagship Olympia; that, after
fierce fight lasting two hours and
half the attacking fleet retired from
the battle into the centre of Mania bay,
and did not renew the attack until near
ly four hours later.
when we hauled off from the fight
ing line, at 7:36 o'clock. the situation
had become apparently serious for Com
modore Dewey. We had been hghtlng
a determined and courageous enemy
for more than two hours without having
noticeably diminished the volume CT MS
fire 1t is true at least three OF MS
ships had broken into flames, but Sd nah
IL, Those fires
had all been put out without apparent
injury to the ships. Generally speaking
nothing of great Importance had occur
ed To show that we had seriously injur-
ed any Spanish vessel. They were all
steamine about in the blight back Of
Sangley point, or in Bakor bay, as ac-
lively as when we first sighted them in
the early dawn. So far, therefore, we
could see nothing indicating that the
enemy was less able to defend his posi-
tion than he had been at the beginning.
On the other hand, our condition was
greatly altered for the worse. There
remained in the magazines OF the
OLYMPIA only 50 rounds OF 5-lnch am
m1nifion, and though the stock OF s.
inch charges was not proportionately
denleted. ii was reduced enough to
make the continuance OF the battle for
another two hours impossible, Hhen
IL ia rembembered that Commodore
Dewey was more than 1000 miles from
n home port and that under the most
favorable conditions a supply OF am
munition could not be obtained in less
than month, the outlook was far from
being satisfactory. The commodore
knew that the Spaniards had just re-
ceived an ample supply of ammunition
in the transport Mindadao, so that there
was no hope of exhausting thier fight
ing power by an action lasting twice as
long. II we should run short OF powder
and shell, we might become the hunted
instead of the hunters.
do not exaggerate in the least When
I saw that as we hauled off into the
bay, the gloom on the bridge OF the
OLYMPIA was thicker than London fog
in November Neither Commodore
Dewey nor any Of his staff believed
that the Spanish ships had been suffici-
emily injured by our fire to prevent
them from renewing the battle quite as
furiougly as they had previously fought.
Indeed we had all been distinctly dis
appoipted in the results of our tlre.
Onr proiectiles seemed to go too high or
too low-just as had been the case with
those fred at us by the Spaniards. Sev-
eraI times the commodore had expressed
dissatisfaction with the failure OF our
gunners to hit the enemy We had be
gun the firing at too great q distance
but we had gradually worked IN turther
on each of the turns, until we we're
within about 800 yards at the close OF
the fifth round.
At that distance, in smooth sea, we
cor,Id iudge we had not sensibly Grip
nled the foe. Consequently, Commo
| dore Dewey hauled ont into the open
bay at the end of the fifth roJnd TO
| take stock of ammunition and devise
new plan of attack.
AS went aft the mea asked me what
we were hauling off for. They were
| in distinctly different humor from
that which prevailed on the bridge
| They believed that they had done well,
and that the other ships had done like
wise, The Olympia cheered the Balti-
more. and the Baltimore returned the
ehffFsw eehhrffs were th hot 1t an Dissatisfied with
the results of their work. Whether
| they had better knowledge of the ac-
curacy Of their aim than we had on the
| bridge, or whether they took it for
granted that the enemy must have sur
| fered severely after SO much fighting, l
, do not know; az any rate, they were
eager to go on with the battle, and
were confident Of victory. told one of
them that we were merely hauling oil
| for breakfast, which statement elected
| the appeal TO Capt. Lamberton, as he
| came past moment later:
For Gods sake, captain, don't let ne
stop now. To hell with breakfast
When told the commodore that |
| intended to attribute our withdrawal
to the need for breakfast, he intipated
that it was not a matter Of so much inn
portance what reason ! gave so long as
| did not give the true one And as
| the breakfast episode went to the world
as plausible excuse for what seemed
| like an extraordinary stragetlc una
| nnuver-one which has been the sub
| iect Of more comment than almost any
! other event during the battle. Many
people have said TO me that it would be
a pity to spoil 40 good story by telling
| the truth; bat, az the commodore Will
be sure to let the cat cut ~ the bag
some day, may as well let her have
her freedom now.
OF course, we learned the truth about
the effect Of our fire when we saw, soon
| afterward, the flames rising from the
\ Reina Gnstina and the Castillo, and
| heard the explosion OF tl5iy pmmunl-
ton and the formers magazine