The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-22


wood, the Castillo WIS also to great eX-
tent a steel vessel; and when we boarded
her. after the flames had left nothing but
her bare bones, her sponsors and gun
platforms were found TO be so Uttered
with pieces OF our shells that it was i'm
possible TO walk there without displaCing
some Of them. Nothing gave a better idea
of the storm of projectiles that must have
struck this ship than these heaps of rusty
fragments.
II has been stated in the newspapers that
Commodore Dewey called a council of war
the evening before the battle to assist him
| in forming a plan Of attack. Ii is true
| that he did call his commanding officers
aboard the flagship off Subig Bay about
sunset on April 80: but they were sum
moned not TO give advice. but to receive
| final instructions. | have been informed
that the commodore asked the opinions of
| the captains as to the propriety OF going
| into Manila Bay by night, and also am
| told, all but one of them favored that
plan; but ] do not assert this as fact.
| | do know. however, THAI at least one
| of the commanding officers was uncertain
| about the commodore's intention until he
| was fairly headed into the bay. He was
| looking every minute for a signal to re-
duce speed or to change the course. This
| fact settles the question as to the char
| acter of the captains meeting, for if they
| had had voice in the plan of action, they
| would have all known exactly what it
| would be. My own recollection agrees
wholly with this view also.
| That Saturday afternoon, feeling myself
| to be noncombatant who had no rights
| nor privileges except such as the commo-
| dcre might choose to allow, | asked him
| for permission to remain on the forward
| bridge during any action that might be
| fought. In an Indifferent tone and with
PARKWAY look that impressed me with the
| fact that he had plenty of things TO occu-
| by his mind, without bothering himself
about the station of civilian, the com
| modore replied:
oh, l guess you'll be satisfied"
And with this very indefinite promise
/ was of course, obliged to be content
But when the commanding officers had re-
! turned to their respective ships. the COM
modore sent for me TO come to him on the
quarter deck, where, in his most formal
official manner, he said:
Mr. Stickney as We are short of Off
GERS. Mr.. Caldwell this naval secretary
has volunteered for duty at the guns.
have therefore decided to appoint you to
act as my aide, and you Will take station
with me on the forward bridge. Then,
with very unofficial twinkle in his eye,
he added, Satisfied" and dropping the
quarter deck manner, he spoke of his
| intention of entering the bay that night.
The Spaniards.' he said, know when
we sailed from Mrs Bay, and they can
| calculate exactly when we may be expect
| ed TO arrive off Corregidor. But, in all
probability, their forecast of what We shall
do will be based upon the knowledge OF
| what they would do under similar circum-
| stances | feel sure that they would not
| think Of going in at night, and therefore
that they will not believe il possible that
| We should do so. Consequently, TO 20 IN
at night is the best thing that we can do.
One incident which / have already men
| toned briefly in my dispatches. is worthy oil
more extended repetition, as illustrating the
feelings OF the enlisted men for the COM
mander- in chief. The commodore, while
| walking back and forth on the starboard
side of the upper deck, noticed that one ol
the petty officers-a man whose duties dic
not call for his presence there-was max
ing a pretence of finding something 10 dc
on the port side, but was also keeping
careful lookout on the commodore. This
mans record of nearly forty years of ser
vice in the navy and army of the United
States had caused him TO be regarded witt
special interest by the officers of the Olym
pia and he was, to a certain extent.
privileged character. So the commodore
being familiar with the manners of sea
men. and seeing that the old man 'ha'
I
zen, I'rardy- what Is 1t?
Il hope, sir" replied Purdy, straight
ening up and saluting. we don't intend 4
fight on the Sd of May
And why not?"
Well. We see. sir said Purdy. witt
the most serious air possible, the las
time / fought on the Sd of May l go
licked" And then he went on to tell q
the Inflated day of Charlottesville. whe
he had carried a gun in the army. an
had gone TO defeat under Fighting Joe
Hooker.
"All right. Purdy." said the commodore
we won't fight on the Sd of May thi
time; but when we do fight, Purdy, h
continued, with an air of friendly conf
dence, you'll have a different kind of
May anniversary to think about. Remem
! that, Purdy."
"Ay, ay, sir replied Purdy, as he sa
! luted and scuttled off And a little Will
| later / heard him telling q group of tn
! other blueiackets that wed lick hell on
o. the Spaniards if there was ten time
, as many of them And probably TO hi
, | day Purdy believes that it was due to hi
timely hint that Dewey went into Manil
Bay az once, so as TO avoid the ''hoodoo
that was hanging over May 3.
Shortly after the men were sent to thei
= stations for battle, about 10 o'clock Sat
| urday night. Commodore Dewey was peer
| ing into the darkness toward Marivelt
Point, then nearly abeam on the port sid
The moon, in its first quarter. was sti
far above the horizon, and although it wa
] often yelled by heavy clouds, the night wa
not specially favorable for escaping oil
servstion.
I'VE ought to hear from this batter
d about now" the commodore said TO M
f as We dimIy made out the opening betwee
1 Mariveles and the island OF Corregido
But we went two miles farther witt
out discovering the slightest sign that III
Spaniards had sighted US. When we wei
u fairly abreast of Corregidor. still headin
d to the southwark, a bright light w
= shown on the point and an answerin
: light was worked on the Island as if Ell
gagged in exchanging signals. Then rocl
ct scared aloft from the centre of Correg
q dor, and the commodore said:
1T has taken them long time to wal
At up, but probably they will make it all Il
hotter for MS when they begin
" He showed no more interest than
u would have displayed in time OF peace
d the dilatory arrival of pilot boat to tai
r US in. Thereafter little was said till v
IA had turned to the eastward into the Bo,
Grande, and had passed Corregidor Is
and on our left. When the first gun fro
e Ell Fraile flashed out through the gloo
d on our starboard quarter, and the hea'
II shell went shrieking over our heads. a
! the effect upon the COMMUNICATIVE chi
was TO awaken his fears for the transport
e and he ordered signal made TO the McCu
/ loch to come up on the port side Of Il
= flagship. But he laughed al the Spaniar
II for waiting so long before opening fir
~ and was totally Indifferent TO returning
, We were now well inside the bay. and o
i of the range Of any guns on shore. II
al night was oppressyely hot and as Il
|. speed had been slowed down TO four knot
thl. chin lilo ".