News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1899-01-25

| transports Nanshan and Z4tlre follow
| ing.
On nearing the entrance to Manila
Bay a sharp lookout was kept. We
were going in under cover ofdaTkness
and right below and in range of their
guns, frowning down from forts on
both sides of the entrance No lights
were shown except stern light on
each ship. All hands were at quar-
tiers and all guns loaded, with extra
charges ready at hand. Every eye
was strained and every ear was on
the alert to catch the slightest sound.
Now and again lights could he seen
| flashing from the surrounding hill
tops, and anoccasional signal flashed
up at one moment to be swallowed
by the unbrOken darkness Of theme
At twenty minutes past twelve there
was a sudden flash on shore, followed
a second or two later by a dull re-
port and that peculiar awe-striking,
swishng sound of a flying prOiectile.
The first shot had been fred and the
game was on. That shot flew wide
of its mark, as did two more fired in
rapid succession from the forts, and
answered by the Raleigh and Boston,
when day broke on that never to he
forgotten Sunday morning, May L.
Manila harbor, with its handful of
merchant vessels, bore right ahead,
and off our starboard bow we could
make out the enemy's feet, dimly
looming up in the early dawn lying
outside of point CavitP, their fortified
Navy Yard. The Olympia wassteam-
ing slowly at the head Of the column,
the Baltimore acouple of shi p lengths
astern of her, and the balance Of the
fleet following. The McCulloch and
the transports were left standing off
in the Bay. The most critical mo-
ment Of orr lives was drawing near,
and at sos the flag ship made sig
nal: "Prepare for general action"
The Stars and Stripes were broken at
every mast head and every peak,
when DER Captain. solemnlv pointing
up at the waving folds of Old Glory
said. there it goes, men; we have an
enemy now let uS see what we can
dOundpr this flag" Every man silent
! ly took his station: there was moth
ing hut grim determination to do, or
die. to be seen written on every face.
The Spanish were again on the ag-
grpssivp, for at 5:15 they fred shot
from one Of their forts following itUp
hv a regular isilade from their YES
sells and shore batteries. The most
of their shots fell short and few ear
ripd over ia. dropping into the hay
all around the ships, too far off to do
any damage; but vet too close for
comfort " q seemed in no hurry to
return the fire, and full twenty. five
minutes we're spent in maneuvering
for position, the range being dimn-
ished slowly. by our feet steamiDg
closer and closer, right in the teeth of
the pnemy's fire. Those minutes
seemed hours, and some of our men
were actually begging permission to
shoot. At last the first shot was
fred by our ships at about 5000
yards range, and the battle was on
in earnest. A small torpedo boat
was seen to emerge from the shore,
making for our transports at high
rate of speed. The secondary batter
les of our ships were made to bear on
her. and shells fell around her in a
veritable shower; finally turning, she
was run high and dry on the beach
and abandoned. Oar feet was now
atpamiug back and forth off Cavite
Bav, making three legs to eastward
and two TO westward, forming large
figure eight, and delivering broad
side after hroadside with splendid re-
suits. All this time the enemy's fire
seemed to be concentrated on the
Baltimore, and she was hit six times.
The Engagement lasted from SAB
until 1856 a m, when the flag ship
signalled Withdraw from action"
We then stood out in the bay, and
the men left their sta tons and mess
gear was sounded There WAS hand
shaking and congratulations on
every side as smoke hegrimed friends,
parted during the battle met again,
and loud were the cheers that
went up from the various ships in
passing. During the interval the
Forts near the city of Manila keptup
weak and entirely harmless fire,
owing to the long range.
When we withdrew it was noticed
that the enemy's Cruiser, Castillo,
was on fire fore and aft and was head
ing for shallow water behind the
point. A number of explosions took
place, and it was easy to see that she
was doomed. A gunboat was
aground inside of the Mole and the
transport Mindanao seemed to be
aground about two miles from point
Cavite. At 1915 the Spanish flag
ship, Reina Cristina, hauled down her
; colors; she was also on fire and went
down in the afternoon. At 10:45 the
flag ship made signal, "Get under
way with men at quarters, and
again we stood in toward Cavite, the
Baltimore we'll in the lead and head.
ing for steamer seen entering the
Bay After signaling the flag ship
that the incoming steamer was flying
the English flag, the flag ship ranup
Destroy enemy's fortified tions," and
. the Baltimore, steaming to within
, $500 yards of Forts began pouring