The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-17
HE SERVED N DEWEY
WILL ORNER, OF THIS CITY, RE-
TURNS FROM THE PHILIPPINES.
Does Not Think Dewey Such n Won
derfuI Man-Describes the
Manila Battle.

from Manila. Battles seem TO agree with
him, for a healthier looking man would be
hard to find. Mr.. Orner was chief yeoman
of the engineers on the Baltimore. A yeo-
man in the navy does not wear Kilt skirts
nor is he the picturesque figure of the yeo-
man of fiction and history. He is really A
clerk. and each department has its yeo-
man. Mr.. Orner. in fact. was chief clerk of
the engineers department.. He is we'll
known here and was for some time en-
ployed as a clerk at the stock yards. He
then went TO California and suddenly made
up his mind to enlist in the navy. He was
first assigned to the Philadelphia, and when
that vessel was placed in the dry dock was
transferred will the entire crew to the Bal
timore. The cruiser took n load of ammuni-
ton to the Asiatic squadron and then re-
manned as one Of the vessels under Dewey's
command.
Mr.. Orner was one of the many whose
terms of service expired while the ship was
at Manila. and he was held for ten months
after the expiration of his term. He re-
turned OH the Buffalo. which recently made
a record breaking cruise from Manila to
New York, and as soon as he was mustered
out came to this city. He is now at home
with his mother at 2715 Ash street and is
not sorry to be here. He speaks of the
great fight as coolly as though it was an
everyday thing to sink several ships. and
what will astonish the average American,
he refers to Admiral Dewey as though he
is made of flesh and blood. and without any
trace Of awe in his voice. Speaking Of the
fight, Mr.. Orner said:
MY part in the battle was a very modest
one. During the first engagement 1 was
down below in the engineers department
4~l Ia 80 t. ~ X--.-
after we drew off and during the second en-
gagement 1 was on deck. There were about
twelve of us in the engine room, and during
the engagement we were all kept there.
When not in action it was so arranged that
each man had four hours on duty and eight
off, but as soon as we went into action IT
was a case of all of us there. We were kept
there from about half past Z Saturday night
until after the first engagement the next
morning. and the thermometer showed a
temperature of from 40 up to about 14S.
The men could never have stood 1t IL it had
not been for the excitement, but none of
them showed the heat until it was all over,
and then many of them were almost ex-
hausted. There was nothing for any one to
do there except the man at the throttle,
and all during the first engagement they
called down to us through the speaking
tube as to what was going on, when we
made good shots md the different moves.
think much about mines and torpedoes, n
we did not believe there were many. but by
the time we reached Subig bay to hear some
of the boys talk one would have thought
there were ten thousand mines.
DOESN'T BELIEVE 1T WAS MINED.
"Just before sunset Saturday night Cap
tain Dyer called the crew together and made
us a little speech. He told us that the
whole country was watching us and he
wanted the Baltimore to give a good ac-
count of herself, and / guess she did. 1t
was a very patriotic speech and we all
knew what we were going up against. I do
not believe there were any mines or tor
pedoes. The channel that every boat uses
Low is called the small channel, and 1t is
only about a mile wide. We went in the old
channel. which is about seven miles wide
and where the water Is very deep-too deep,
1t seems to me, to be mined. We held off
from the shore line and went out to sea
and came In. We did not answer the first
covered us from the SCOT in the McCulloch
taking fire, or it might have been from the
lights, for each ship had a hooded light at
the mex in front. After we had passed the
forts they might have seen those lights.
or anything ing like like It but ne& once. That was
when we went up In front of Manila and
turned TO come back at the Spanish fleet.
about eight miles away, and some OF their
shells passed over the ships and some
DROPPED in the water near us. We We. could snd
could not fire until the flagship opened. The
gun captains had hold of the strings and
Captain Dyer would not let them. and they
got anxious. That was the nearest TO nerv-
BUSINESS there was. We were at about 4,9C0
fire and were then broadside toward the
Spanish ships. The Spanish ships were
practically all sunk in the first engagement;
up in time to see one of the Spanish boats
blow up, but that was during the interval.
SPANIARDS DIED GAME.
"The second engagement was to silence
the batteries as but one Of the Spanish
ships was afoat and abandoned at that, and
the Boston went up to sink her. She went
down with the Spanish flag flying and there
was not a sign of a white flag until one
was raised over Cavite. They fought much
better than we expected and they fought
well. During the interval we saw a boat
coming in the bay and the Baltimore went
after her. He had orders not to wait for
orders, but to fire at the first crooked move.
The gun captains had the guns sighted and
as We got nearer to the ship changed their
ranges and sights. Then we saw that the
ship flew a British flag and that 1t was the
Sill dlQd. lHCH saw NbGG was ap LLoAt
away and they ran the English flag up on
every rope and mast and came In the bay
simply covered with British flags. If they
had started TO fire a salute or made one
move we did not understand we would have
riddled them. 1t was the Baltimore that
went in first TO the second engagement, and
we don't know whether Ii was because we
were so far off from the fleet by reason or
having gone after this ship or because we
had more ammunition than any other ship
In the fleet. 1t did not take many circles
to silence the batteries. but they had a
great advantage over us as the guns were
on a solid foundation and then they were
the best guns they had and were modern.
The shot that went through the Baltimore's
gun, I think.
1.-THE Filipinos are much like our Indians.
They are pretty intelligent, but they are
very superstitious and Aguinaldo has a
great hold on them through superstition,
| and because he Is an educated man and has
made them think he is perfect. He came
back on the first boat Dewey sent TO Hong
Kong and Dewey paid him much attention.
When General Merritt got there he would
not pay any attention to him, but ordered
him out of his road and out or the way or
the troops as he would any other native.
The Filipinos go TO church., but they do II
because the frfars make them and not be-
| cause they want TO.
NEW ESTIMATE OF DEWEY.
'T have not heard anything since 1 landed
in New York but Dewey and it has kept
up ever since. We did not think any more
| Of him tnan we would of any officer we
were under and he is thought much more
OF here than he is at Manila He is a very
quiet and modest man, Is very considerable