The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-11-23
DEWEY,s GREAT VICTORY.
r.ct. ccneernins the Greatest Naval
ConAict Of Modern
Times.

tory at Cavite it is needful to recall
the state of things which existed at
the time of the achievement. II the
files of European newspapers and peri
odicals for the months of March and
April, 1895, be consulted, it will be OBJ |
served that large majority of reputedl
experts were then of the opinion that
the Spaniards would be found decided
ly superior to our countrymen at sea.
Even in England, Admiral Colomb and
other naval officers showed themselves
disposed to take gloomy view OF our
prospects of success upon the ocean.
owing partly to the fact that Spain
was known to possess number OF
armored cruisers built in the best Eu-
ropean shipyards, but mainly to the
vast extent of the seacoast we should
have to defend on the Pacific as well as
the Atlantic. On the Pacific, from the
moment that the battleship Oregon was
ordered to join the vessels operating in
home waters, our means of defense were
almost exclusively confined to the
squadron under Dewey, which had been
stationed in the China seas.
On April 26 dispatch arrived from
Washington ordering Dewey to proceed
at once to the Philippine islands, to be.
gin operations against the Spanish fleet
and to capture or destroy it. At two
o'clock on the very next day the sail
ing pennant went up, and Dewey's fleet
steered southwark across 620 miles OF
| one of the toughest seas in the world
which lay between it and the Philip
pines. On April 80 it reached Subig
bay, between which and Manila lay a
distance of 80 miles. 1t was learned
that the Spanish squadron lay inside
the Bay of Cavite, the sides of which
and the entrances to which were known
| TO be fortified and mined. There is
now no doubt that so far as land de-
lenses were concerned, Cavite was far
better equipped than was Santiago
into which the fleet under Admiral
Sampson never ventured to enter.
Commodore Dewey did not stop to in
| vestigate the strength of the fortified
tons threatening the entrances to the
Bay of Cavite, nor the reality of the
submarine mines alleged to exist, but
on the very evening of his arrival, that
of April 30, swept into the Bay of Ca.
vite, receiving the fire of the fortified.
lions and defying the mines, two OF
which exploded, one Immediately ahead
of the flagship. In front of the Ameri
can vessels lay the Spanish squadron
defended at the rear and qn both flank.
by land batteries. Leaving out the ire
mendous advantage giveT to the Span
iards by these batteries, let us con
slider the relative strength of the nava
forces engaged. Dewey had six fight
ing ships and the revenue cutter Nc
Culloch, which took no part in the &C
ton. The Spaniards had ten fighting
ships and two torpedo boats, the lat
ter, however, being practically out O
action. The Americans had 81 classi
fed big guns and "A rapid-fre ant
machine guns: the Spaniards had 5:
classified big guns and u rapid fire ant
machine guns. The Americans had tel
S-inch guns, while the largest Spanish
guns were 6.2 inches. 1t follows that
if the land batteries be disregarded
Dewey had slightly the advantage il
weight of metal and in heavy guns. a
regards the number of men engaged
the Spaniards had ], 796 and the Ameri
cans 1,67s. The result of the battl
was the humiliation or capture of ever,
Spanish vessel and the surrender of tn
shore batteries. The Spaniards admit
ted loss of 634 killed and wounded
while the Americans had not one kille,
and only eight wounded.
It is the completeness of the immedi
ate result which gives Manila grea
place in the history of naval battles
but what adds immensely to its impor
lance is the fact that it involved tn
cession by Spain to the United State
of an island empire containing upwar,
of 100000 inhabitants and possesse
of immeasurable natural resources. N
naval victory in the annals of the worl
/ has brought about the transfer fro1
one power to another of so large popu
lation.-Collier's Weekly.
Coal Miners Ideas of Burial.
Jack Hustler, miner at Tong, nea
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