The times., 1899-10-01

/
During the second part of the aght the
{ Olympia was at one time in the back
ground. while some OF the other ships we're
at work in front of the forts The big
guns In the forward turret tor it may have
/ been the turret mechanism) were not
working satisfactorily. Admiral Dewey
pointed TO a large Spanish transport which
had been besehed during the early part OF
/ the morning down at the end of the bay.
! about two miles distant from the ship.
and suggested that they try a shot Cap
tain GridIey gave the order. and the frst
shet went through the transport, and the
second also went through, within ten feet
+ OF the first. The Admiral laughed. and
said he could find no fault with those guns.
or with the gunners either. The crew Of
/ the transport went flying over the side, and
the boat was soon q mass of flames.
Cutting the Cable.
+ The cutting Of the telegraph cable was
an incident showing the complete informa-
ton that the Admiral had with everything
pertaining 70 Manila Bay. The Spaniards
refused to allow us to send any cable mes
sages from the Manila cable Office which
/ they must shortly have had great reason
to regret. for. being informed OF The ex-
act location of the submerged cable IN the
bay. the transport Zafro. by the AdmiraIs
| orders. within three hours grappled for
obtained, cut, and buoyed the ends Of it,
effectually cutting or Spanish eommunica-
ton with the outside world. and leaving
the cable in readiness for our use rs soon
as proper instruments and experts could
| be obtained
I'VE had been told before the fleet
reached Manila that the Spanish guns were
obsolete; that they would jump out OF
I their mountings at the first discharge.
/ The old battery on the mole at the entrance
of Pasig River was not used in the fight
! by the Spaniards Their shore batteries at
Cayite and Corregidor contained some OF
the finest modern Krupp guns. we'll
mounted, and OF larger caliere than any
4 guns in our feet. The idea that our feet
| was opposed only By antiquated. decrepit
artillery IS nonsense, as we learned when
our men were sent ashore at Cavite, after
the fight to blow up the batteries and
( destroy the guns.
Besides the side-wheeI boat Isabella I.
already mentioned, we captured number
of steam launches and boats; but the best
of them was a fine transport, the Manila.
which had on board. among other sup
plies, SEQ tons of coal and lot OF beef
cattle. The latter were shortly satisfying
American appetites- AS spoiis of war. the
arsenal. with its complete outfit of ma
chinery for naval repairs and for the manu-
facture Of military equipments. and the
pile Of SEQ tons of coal. and other stores,
lttIiS EOt 10 Dc ueSptSe0.
Death of Engineer Randall.
''At the time the McCuIloch was passing
the Corregidor forts sad event occurred
Overcome by the heat in the engine-room,
as the firing of the guns on deck was GO
ing on, Chief Engineer Randall was seized
with apoplectie eonvulsions sinking into a
4 eomatose condition, and expiring two hours
later. At o'clock Sunday afternoon the
FafF nd - 49,
with impressive services. his body was low
cred into the sea.
I'VE were greatly delayed in getting Of
fetal news of the fight, and our victory to
the outside werld. Our inability to use the
cable from Manila made il necessary to
send despatch boat TO Hongkong. On
! May 3 the McCulioch was ordered to coal
up from the Nanshan TO the fullest ca
paeity for this trip, for We knew We could
/ obtain no coal at Hongkong for the re-
turn trip. II was slow work. and in the
tropical heat very hard on our men eosling
our ship; for We could not, of course, OBJ
tain laborers from the shore to do so. At
| noon Thursday May 5. We were on Flag
Lieutenant Brumby. Lieutenant Commander
Briggs, executive officer OF the Baltimore
| during the fight; ]. c. Evans. gunner Of
the Boston; DR.. Kindlebsrger. Of the Olyn-
pia; and the war correspondents Stickney.
/ f1dTuen, ana McCutcueOI, HSuL 10
! kong with u.s.
"At 1855 the signal which came to US
| from the flagship read: BE ready to sail
| in five minutes and on the instant We
were off, the band on the Olympia sending
! US sweet strains of music in farewell as
we passed. In passing the Baltimore, their
4 band gave US Aud Lang Syne' as an ap-
propriate farewell to their able executive
| officer Lieutenant Briggs. who went with
us to the hospital at Yokohama Although
| suffering from rheumatism. he would not
leave his ship until all chance Of fighting
was past.
THE Boston and the Concord escorted
| us out past Corregidor, where We sighted
! the military tops of a man-of-war. We
| thought a fight was in prospect, and all
cleared for action, but as We came nearer
! the ship proved to be the French cruiser
| Bruix The usual running time for pas
senger boats from Manila TO HOngkOns IS
sixty hours, but in forty-eight hours We
! were in harbor. and the cable lines were
soon hot with the long messages our war
| correspondents were huTTying forward. Il
was most pleasing to US all 10 see the
qualification of the English people at
Hongkong over our victory. 1t seemed as
4 though our friends at home could not be
more delighted. As they put it, Blood is
thicker than water
Consul williams Account.
The report of Oscar F. Williams. United
States consul at Manila, who saw the fight,
follows:
| AT about $50 a. m Sunday. May l, the Span
| isI Guns opened fire both from the Manila break
water battery and at Cayite, from feet and tort5
| With magnificent eoolnesS and order, but with
the greatest premptness, our heet IN battle afray
headed by the flagship answered the spanish at
| tack and for about two and half hours rnasr
! terrific fire ensued The method of our opera
/ tigns could not have shown greater system, eur
o,,ns greater effectiveness our officers ana
! crews greater bravery, and while Spanish per
! sistence was stubborn. and the bravery OF the
Spanish forces such as 10 challenge aainEatish'
vet they were outelassed-weighed in the balance
| OF war against the methods. training, aim, and
! bravery shown on decks. and after less than
| three hours Derilous and intense combat, one OF
! Spain,s warships was sinking. two others were.
burning and all others, with land defsnees. had
| severely suffered. when cur squadron, with no
| harm done its ships, retired for breakfast AZ
! ahcut 10 O'Clock a. m Commodore Dewey re-
| neued the battle, and with Effects most h'ai
| with each evolution
| Ye better evidence OF Spanish bravery need be
| sought than that after the c2stgatlon Of our nrst
! engagement her ships and forts should again
| answer our FIRE. But Spanish efforts were futile
| SHIN after ship and battery after battery WeHt
| TO destruction before the onslaught Of American
| energy aud training. and an hour and half
| of our second engagement wrought the annihila-
! ton OF the Spanish feet and forts. with several
| hundred Spaniards killed and wounded and mil
/ lions in value OF their goveTnneHts property de-
| stroyed. While amazing, almost unbelievable. As
| II seems not ship grn Of our feet had been
| diabled. and. except the Baltimore. not a
/ man had been hurt.
/ One of the crew Of the Baltimore had leg
| fractured by slipping, and another hurt IN the
] ankle in similar manner, while four received
/ flesh yroftnds from srliu tnreq-u BIZ