The times., 1899-03-06
THE MANILA BAY FIGHT.
Lieutenant Commander Rees Tells
an Interesting story.


New York March 5.-Lieutenant Com
mander Corwin =. Rees, who was execu-
! tive officer of Admiral Dewey's flagship.
the Olympia, during the battle OF Mani
Bay. arrived in this city last evening. AS
he was in close touch with Admiral Dewey
during the engagement and throughout the
trying times that followed 1t. he is in
position to explain some things that have
not been made entirely clear heretofore.
Speaking last night of the now famous
request for the Oregon, Commander Rees
said:
4 think Admiral Dewey had in mind
the return OF the Kaiseriu Augusta with
Admiral Won Diederich on board. He had
been annoyed repeatedly by the actions of
the Germans and used 10 grit his teeth
and say things TO himself when one after
another OF their exploits came TO his at
tention.
The Irene incident annoyed him, but
the whole conduct of the Germans at Ma
Mia would give the impression that they
were conducting the blockade Their
launches would run at high speed. at night
near our vessels, and when would hold
them up with searchlights and blank shot
they would come alongside and give as an
excuse that they had a message from their
! Admiral to Admiral Dewey.
The message, when delivered, would be
a request that in case we intended send
ing a steamer with mail TO Hongkong ON
the following day we should kindly take
their mail along We would reply that
we had no intention of sending a steamer
that day and when We did we would let
them know. 1t was common talk during
the blockade that the Germans had landed
provisions
Il believe it was through an accident
D hnt DaWey'G do
public. II may have been fortunate ac-
I cident, after all, as Admiral Won Dieder-
/ ich's removal and the naming of Prince
Henry TO succeed him followed the publ
/ cation OF the message so quickly that the
change will naturally be considered as a
! result of the message.
The story published in one of the mag
azines and some of the newspapers that
at the time u recess was taken for break
fast during the battle of Manila Bay the
/ gloom on the bridge was as thick as a
/ London fog is a great eXaggeration. 1t is
true that we did not realize the full eX-
tent of the injury we had inflicted on the
Spanish fleet but we knew that We had
done them considerable damage
The gunner had appeared on the bridge
and reported that only fifteen rounds per
gun remained for the 5-inch ammunition.
and we realized the Importance of not let
men were tired out. and we were in some
doubt as to the damage inflicted upon the
enemys ships and the injuries to our
own, and for these reasons Admiral Dewey
ordered the firing stopped.
1T turned out that the gunner was mis-
| taken, as he had overlooked one maga-
zine filled with ammunition which had not
been opened. Then while We Were at
breakfast came the reports that the
enemy's ships were on fire or blown up,
so that we went back to work again with
new zeal
Commander Rees said that he believed
I Dewey and Otis would make short work OF
the Filipinos when the endorsements
now nearing Manila arrived. But for the
delay over the negotiations for peace with
Spain and the ratification Of the Treaty.
Commander Rees says, the conquest of the
natives would have been a matter of days,
instead of weeks or perhaps months.