The evening times., 1899-04-04
SAW THE MAY DAY FIGHT.
Only American Woman Witness De
scribes Dewey's Great Victory.

New York, April 4.-On board the ship
Honolulu. which docked at the foot of For
ty-second Street. South Brooklyn. yester
day, is Mrs. H. H. Dexter. wife of Captain
Dexter, the only American woman who saw
all the fight of Dewey with the Spaniards
at Manila.
The captains four r-and-a-haf- year-oid
son, James Ward-whose nickname is
"Laddie'-and his daughter, Lila May,
two years and three months old, were also
aboard the Honolulu at the time. They ars
the only American children who witnessed
the historic victory Of Manila Bay.
Mrs Dexter went aboard the Honolulu
as bride about six years ago. Her son
was born in Sydney. Lila May is called
"Mucha Filipina,' for she was born in Ma
Mia, went back there to cut her first teeth
and again, last summer, returned and
watched the bombardment of her birth
place.
In the cabin of the Honolulu, surrounded
by souvenirs of the Philippines collected By
Captain Dexter or sent by navy ofhcers TO
friends here, a reporter found Captain and
Mrs. Dexter and the story OF Manila on
historic May / seemed more than ever
reality as the captain and his wife told ii
together.
I'VE sailed from New York nineteen
months ago for Sydney, Australia, said
the captain From Sydney we went TO
Newcastle and loaded with coal for Manila.
If it hadn't been for typhoon we struck
200 miles west of Australia we'd have got
to Manila. unloaded and perhaps been
away before Dewey came.
when we reached Manila captain
came aboard and told us of the Maine and
that there would be war with Spain. Then
came the report that war was declared and
that Dewey had sailed.
I'VE lay about mile from the forts of
Manila. and the night before Dewey ar
rived ! told my wife I'd bet we'd wake in
the morning to see his ships"
But we didn't go to bed that night,
said Mrs. Dexter. ''One of the children
was sick About i O'Clock | heard a dull
boom. 'Dewey's come | called to the cap
tain. waking him from a dozen on the
lounge IL was one of those chance shots
the feet fired in the darkness that dis
abled the guns at Corregidor. They were
twenty miles away.
1T was a dull, gray, cloudy morning
when about O'Clock we sighted the first
American warship in his new paint. They
were only five miles away. The children
were awakened and brought up on deck.
he guns Ut tdSltt Hie uPOH th-
fleet as it slowly steamed in in battle ar
ray. The Spanish feet was near and be-
hind Cavite. Dewey told US merchant cap
tains later that he had not expected to fnt
the Spanish ships there. He had hoped TO
meet them in the open. The Spanish ships
began firing but did no HARM said the
captain.
Not shot came from our ships" said
Mrs. Dexter. They just steamed on
steadily. As the Olympia came under the
guns of the fort the big guns let lose.
Then as each ship came into e'o5e range
she followed the olympia's example. They
were about mile from the forts of Cav
tie and took about another mile heading
toward us, describing circles. We could
see with each circle where the shells had
struck each ship. The gray paint was
| knocked of. showing bright white spots.
When the Spanish admiral saw that his
! guns did no harm he dashed at the Olym-
| pia to ram her. / jumped down, covered
my eyes and screamed That was the only
! time We really feared for the American
| feet. Then the Olympia sheered of and
poured broadside into the admirals ship.
| II made holes clear through her. The boil
ers or magazine exploded. Then the Span
| ieh ship blazed up and after burning an
! hour sank. We could see the Spaniards
| take to the boats
| When the third circle had been de-
| seribed the Olympia drew on from Cavite
| past us. bringing Us between the fleet and
| the Manila forts. The forts opened fire
and the shells flew directly over our heads
striking the water beyond us and sending
up great geysers. For a time | was afraid
! but when | saw the results | got over it.
! When Dewey stopped firing we thought be
! had won sure enough. Eleven ships were
| aiire or sinking. 'Laddie' says that he saw
! the American guns drown the Spanish
ships right in the water. The captain was
| explaining all the time to 'Laddie' what
was being done and 'Laddie' would jump
up and down and cry Now, now, when
We saw something actually happening al
! the guns.
When the merchant captains Went
aboard TO visit Dewey" said Captain Dex-
| ter, he asked us what we thought he
| stopped firing for. We told him we thought
he had done all that was necessary. But
| Dewey said il was because he had been
informed the ammunition was running
short. We'd been firing continually with
fast guns, he said. When the captains
investigated they found they all were well
supplied.
Soon an officer came aboard our shr
and inquired about our coal He said the
| admiral was sending TO all the coal mer-
| chantmen. and wanted TO know what he
! could depend upon. The ships OF the fee
came alongside us and coaled at various
times all summer. We had been there fivs
months when the admiral told me ] nigh
load a cargo at the city when l desired
| "A funny adventure was one day" sai(
| Mrs Dexter, when we saw a little boa
come in flying the Spanish colors. 1t wa
sight to see her steam into the jaws o
the American fleet, taking no notice of th
shots the Raleigh sent across her bows
| IL was the Callao. second shot brough
her to, and up went tablecloth Thi
Filipino cabin boy here was one of tn,
prisoners whom We saw handcuffed OIL
deck. He said they thought the shots wer.
target practice of the Spanish feet. The.
knew nothing of the battle or its results.
Little Lila has her own Spanish YER
sion of what happened in all that smok
and thunder
'Americanos mucha muelos Espanos
is its burden and when the desire is t
tease her her tormenters put the Espano
in the place of the Americanos and tel
Lila she is 'muela Filipina.' When tn
city was bombarded Lila watched tn
operation through her mammals glasses
The Dexter children play the battle of Ma
Mia as they themselves saw it. and Lad
die has battleships and rams enough t
carry on naval battle just as he saw i
with wondering American eyes.
1.-The admiral told us captains sal
Captain Dexter, that he never thought @
defeat; that he knew the work tha
must be done. and he was there to do it.
I'm glad l saw it if it was to hap
r pen." declared Mrs. Dexter. -and I al
glad that my children will have the mem
l ory of so wonderful battle. Laddie'
! am sure understands and will remembe