Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-05-12

LII ~@M@x Cavlte, Wnen noun
e&AE$% ~ ing remained Of the
~CA@ proud Spanish feet
%-A but a few smoking
SAN hulks Of ~junk-some
~@ so far beneath the
W. 1 ssss that 's:, ;A ss , S:''
-0@-> and rot forever, 9TH
ers still burning and
sending up a reek Of smoke, not of battle,
but Of abject helplessness and surrender
this republic of ours sprang at one bound
from a naval power Of the sixth class to
an acknowledged equality with the most
powerful on the globe. The mime OF
George Dewey, some time Of Vermont,
had been placed along with those Of
Drake, Nelson, De Ruyper, Collingwood
and Farragut.
When Dewey, heretofore almost un-
known, hoisted the signal to Remember
the Maine" the American jackies took It
to mean the same as the words Of Nelson's
famous sentence. They cheered the flag
and cut loose with a smothering fire which
made It impossible for the Spaniard to
serve his guns with any accuracy. When
the fight was ended the Spanish fleet was
not surrendered to the victors; 1t had ceas-
ed to exist. The commander had little to
surrender but himself and the few remain
ing uninjured men under his command.
The victory was a glorious one and was
won without damage to the victor. Six
men in all that feet received injuries. the
most serious being u broken leg.
When day dawned in Mfrs bay, a little
land-locked inlet on the eastern coast Of
China. thirty-ive miles north Of Hong
Kong. on the morning Of April "a, a mist
mid fho F0oo oR <h2 e,,,, YYoo~r ho,I,o ~
clouds covered the gray hulls Of the fleet
resting ut anchor there for the coming Of
the news Of the outbreak Of war. A cold
frizzle soon came to add to the discom-
forts. to increase the gloom of the anxious
watchers. Every moment Of delay meant
so much grace and so much preparation
An Manila. Would the news never come?
Morning mess had hardly been sounded
when a sudden call to quarters reused ev-
cry man aboard ship. A faint smudge Of
smoke had, been made out at the mouth Of
the bay. Wa it a tug with the important
news, or had the Spaniard anticipated the
Yankee? Men sprang to their positions,
guns were scaled and everything cleared
for instant action should it be needed. Up
to the gray Olympia steamed the little
vessel, which proved to be the long-looked-
for tug. Consul General Williams went
aboard the flagship and soon the signal
was bent on the halliards calling ship COM
manders to a conference with the commo-
.dore.
Soon the signal was seen to up anchor
and drop In the wake Of the flagship. Out
steamed the Olympia, followed in turn by
the Baltimore. Raleigh, Petrol, Concord
and Boston in one line. Abreast Of the
flagship the little cutter McCulloch steam
cd on fn11orx.od he, tho Na~ohn- n-S n
fro in the second line. The formation for
the descent upon Manila had been made.
No matter II it did rain, another kind Of
rain would soon envelope that little feet
of warships. Silently, in regular order,
with a way Of but six or eight knots, the
feet put to sea.
linen q strange ceremony was enacted
on the decks. Each crew was piped to
general quarters. When all had Assem-.
bled the executive officers stepped to the
front and Informed officers and men that
the commodore directed that the proclama.
ton of war issued by Spain be read. Slow.
~ and impressively the words were read.
Then hearty cheers rose on the heavy air
as the men dispersed to their several posi-
lions. On speeded the vessels, now d.
vested Of almost everything needless In q
hot fight. Six hundred miles away was
Manila, but who could tell where Monteio
and his feet might be lurking?
What land is that to the south and east?
That is Bolmoa cape. 1t is a part Of the
island of Luzon. Manila is on that island.
See it is about six miles off. It is a bright
morning, this April 80, what will to-mor-
cow be like? One thinks Of the green
shores and broken headlands Of the south
Atlantic looking at that dim line of there.
600 tho Pncfon opd CoponAd ho~n -. =
steam and are far in advance. What is
their mission? They go to explore Subie
bay. The don may have a vessel or two
there and IL so he can come up behind and
= smash the transports Nanshan and Ia
fro. The commodore will smash him first.
Hot, hot beyond belief. The vessels roll
iazily along, seeming to make no way. At
this rate 1t will be late in the afternoon be-
fore the inhospitable shores Of Corregi-
dol are sighted. Now the Baltimore gets
up speed and disappears In the wake Of
the two gunboats which have gone for
ward as scouts. It needs her big eight
inch guns to add to their lighter ones to
give the possibly waiting enemy an object
lesson. Big u n count in naval warfare
now; just wait and see until the clash
when the hostile armadas meet. But what
of the rapid-fre suns, the little fellows?
Good to keep OF torpedo boats; they won't
be needed. Wait and see.
The afternoon is long and very hot. Why
so slow? Manila is but thirty miles away.
See. there is Subig bay and there the
smoke Of one Of the scouts. or Is It that Of
a hostile vessel? Scarcely the latter, Or
we would have heard the guns. The scouts
will not give In without a hot fight, mind
sou. Here come the Boston and Concord;
that is the Baltimore behind. What?
Stop the engines? Yes, the old man wants
all commanders to come aboard to consult.
F. So here of Subig the feet must lay until
the final plans are adopted. All right, a.
well here as anywhere else.
Six o'clock and once more under steam.
Battle ports are taken out and all lights
aboard ordered e~xtinguished. The line IN
taken up as before, the Olympia leading
and the Boston closing the main line. Only