The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-29
DEWEY'S FAMOUS VICTORY.
DESTRUoTfoN or sPAINs FLEET IN
Z MANIEA BAY.

Thorough Drilling and Careful Prepa-
rations That Enabled the Americans TO
Inhict Disaster on tho spauish-Dowsy
On the Lossons Taught BY the Battle.
The opening battle In tho war with Spain, the
battle that set the country on FIRE from end 10
end the battle that showed 70 the navies Of tho
world that tho United States were naval power
to be respected. the battle Dewey fought
and won and that has brought to him all
this honor, was tho battle that settled as we'll
started the war. in tho sense that IL
taught the Spanish people that which In thor
ignorance thoy had not believed. that America
was q nation OF fig hters when fig hting was to he
done II opened their eyes TO the greatness OF
the task they had undertaken and made them
realize the folly OF H. II left them trembling and
fearful, and had they been twice as strong as
thcy really were. they would. after that fight
have beon AZ quickly beaten II took tho heart
out OF them.
The story Of that battle will bear retelling at
this timo fought though II was only little moro
than year ago and the details stin fresh In tho
memory OF most Of the people, for thcy were OF
the kind not easily forgotten. Dewey had been
In command Of the Asistic squadron OF the Amer
lean Navy Tor many months when he got the
news that q crisis at hand Whom he
WAS sent to Yokohoma to take command. OF tho
squadron, a few people In the United Stokes be-
this country and Spain would ulumat ely result
in war, The vast majority wero certain that it
would not though thousands were camerng
that the United States should intervene
and aid the unhappy people OF Cuba
Dewey was Of tho few men
in the Navy who expected that there would be
trouble He had expected Il when he was Chief
OF the Bureau OF Eq uipments OF the Navy. and
In that department he had devoted time and
t..
the inevitable He was overioyed TO receive
the assignment to command the squadron,
because he saw in that assign
ment tho opportunity that came finally
on the FIRST day Of May. Tho oonhrmah Hon OF his
belief the notice that the crisis was at hand,
came TO him Jan "a. three months before war
was actually declared II was a despatch from
The Navy Depart ment which read
"Retain until further orders the crew OF tho
squadron whose torn OF enlistment has e1-
pred"
This was notice enough for Dewey. He began
putting his ships war footing. He over
hauled every ship he had he doubled
the drill he kept his men necessarily
at target practice: he did everything that
II 10 in the power of commanding officer
10 do TO BIO ready at a moments notice no mat
ter what happens. no matter what the emer-
gency. He took chances He worked his
men they had never been worked before. A
mon tn passed before the next message came
from the depar tment 1t was on Feb. 26 and
moro explicit than the lrst II read:
Order tho sqadron except the Monooaoy 70
Hong Kong. Keep full Of coal. In the event Of
declaration OF war with Spain your duty will be
TO 500 that the Spanish squadron does not leave
the Asiatic coast and then offensive opera tons
in the PhilippineA Keep Olympia until further
orders''
Dewey let out another link He put on moro
steam in his work OF preparation. He az sin al
most doubled the dr. fling and the other work OF
the mon. Every ship gone and over
again. Then came the blowing up of tho
Maine. The men in the squadron imbibed
tho spirit of the Commodore. They
became anxious for wsr TO be-
gin They frettcd under delay. Day after
day The Commodore and his commanders lad
conferences They planned for every emergency.
They studied the map Of the Philippines a. IL
had never been studied before. They knew tho
archipelago as tho maps and charts made 1t as
they knew the lines and tho harbors and the
waters Of their coun try. They took counsel Of
the attves OF The islands no exiled in Hong
Kong, and each day as their knowledge grew
they chafed under tho ban that held them quiet
IN Hong Kong.
OF ono thing they were not over well informed
That was the Spanish means Of defence They
believed and tho stories OF the natives con-
hrmed tho belief. that the Spanish Notifications
at Manila the principal port In tho archt
pelago were modern Notifications The natives
told wonderful 81 ories OF the great guns and the
tremendous work that had been done They be-
leved that for a ye ar at least the Spaniards had
been devoting all their energies 10 making the
harbor OF Manila impregnable About the Span
ish feet, too they were not well informed OF
hev knew the yeaaala in the feet They
suppose of course thatevery of these vessels
had been kept in the hig hest state OF effcien oy
and n the vessels had not been maintained
that they certainly were being placed In tina,
condition. To their minds, considering this side
of the question they had before them the
most formidable Job that a squadron composed
OF such light weight boats made
up their squadron had ever under
taken In their planning. they picked ou
every possible position that this Spanish fee
might occupy the better to defend the Spanish
possessions when war came. They fought out In
their minds and on paper nifty battles They
put themselves In tho places OF the Spanish
commanders and exercised all thor ingenuity ir
figuring out tho number OF ways that they a,
Spaniards could defeat feet like tho American
and then they turned around and beat them
solves at the game with their own feet
On April FL Dewey got this message from tn
department. ho move "a ioAoo VII 'hio ANoi VI
Atlantic station are block aiding Cuba War hal
not yet been declared War may be declared a
any moment, will inform you. Await ordera
Three days later came this despatch: " Wa
has commenced between the United States ant
Spain. Proceed at onco to the Phnippin
Islands Commence operations at once. partict
larry against the Spanish fleet You must car
turo vessels or destroy them. Use utmost on
deavora"
II took Dewey Just long enough to road thu
despat ch to formulate his reply. Here 1t Is:
THE squadron will leave for Manila. Philippin
Islands, Immediately upon tho arrival OF tn
United States Consul from Manila In aocorc
ance with the request OF the Governor OF HON.
Kong tho squadron leaves to- day for Mrs Bay
Coma, TO await telegraphic instr uctions At
dress Hong Kong. will communicate by tug
The next day Dewey got the President pro-
lamalion and tho next day after that April 81
Consul Williams arrived and Dewey notified III
Navy Department that he had set sail fc
Manila Dewey has said since tho BATH