Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-27
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ECHOES or THE WAR.

ECHOES or THE WAR.
Lieutenant Charles G. Calkns, who navi-
gated the cruiser Olympia during the bat
tie of Manila bay, returned to his home at
Berkeley Cal, recently. 81 will not try TO
tell you how many times l have been asked
to describe how Admiral Dewey looked and
acted and spoke on that OCCASION" said the
lieutenant to reporter still, 1t is a story
that is always pleasant to recall. ! had
known Admiral Dewey for thirty years and
l cannot say that his demeanor that morn
ing was greatly different from what it al
ways is. Always he impresses one as
man who knows himself, who knows what
he has to do and who means to do it. Such
was Admiral Dewey then. He was cool,
alert intense and for the most part silent.
No; l cannot recall any particularly i'm
mortal words on his part. He observed
closely the movements of the fleet from the
light compass platform where we stood.
"Much has been made about the attire OF
the admiral that morning. ApOpular monthly
pictured him in a long frock coat twining
about his legs Another magazine fastened
to correct this by describing Admiral Dewey
as wearing shoulder straps, gold lace on his
sleeves and three-inch stripes on his trous-
for the occasion of full dress, but as a mat
ter of fact the admiral mounts them once
or twice a year. At the battle of Manila
he wore white duck uniform and a golf
cap.
His manner did not noticeably change all
through that morning. He showed the
strain, perhaps, but very slightly. 1t was,
however, more like stroll than one of the
battles of history. The shots did not come
near enough to worry us, or when they did
come near we were too busy to pay them
much attention. People who are pretty busy
have no time to heed trihes.
Swear? Well, no. not exactly. The near
est that Admiral Dewey came to swearing
during all that engagement was when we
were coming out of the battle for the third
time, think. I remarked to the admiral:
It's damnable that we have not done them
more damage
" I think it is damnable, lieutenant he
replied with quiet emphasis.
I'm afraid I'm responsible for all the
swearing that Admiral Dewey did that day.
although I know that he is capable of using
strong language where it is absolutely nee
essary."
Captain Jacobsen, commander of the Ger
man cruiser Geier, has published in the
Marine Review of Berlin two articles about
his personal experiences in the Spanish
American campaign at Santiago. In speak
Ing of Spanish gunnery he says: Il have
heard only of one instance where a Spanish
shell found an American war ship. This
was sent into the Texas while that battle
ship was bombarding the Socapa batteries
"One night while the American battleships
kept up continuous bombarding one of the
attacking vessels was found by the search
lights on the battery. The Spaniards opened
fire on it, but instead of hitting the vessel
the Iowa, which lay under cover of dark
ness, was struck by the shell from the Span
ish howitZer
Great must have been the fright of the
American officers when on taking charge of
Morro they found that the cannon operated
against them by the Spanish bore the dates
of 1908 and 1918. Part of these howitzers
were found loaded as the Americans took
charge. The officer in charge ordered them
to be fired off and found to his great surprise
that the longest distance one of these shots
could traverse was 500 yards.
with due apologies to the brethren of
Yankeeland, did the thrifty Americans
really allow themselves to be frightened at
this Spanish bluff? In the beginning, per
haps yes. / must confess, and so do my
officers, that while watching the proceedings
from our cruiser we had not the faintest idea
that the Spanish batteries had such antique
material to defend their glorious honor
with.
Consul Hanna writes from San Juan,
! Porto Rico that since the island was turned
over to the United States american board
| ing houses" have been popping into view in
| all directions. Such a thing as a family or
private boarding house was unknown under
| the Spanish regime, but they are now ap-
pearing and advertise that they employ
American cooks and serve their meals in
American style. The proprletors evidently
expect an influx OF winter tourists from the
| states.
The island, however is hardly prepared to
make visitors comfortable until its hotel ac-
commodatons are increased. The present
| hotels are small, few in number, conducted
: on the Spanish plan and the accOmmoda-
! tions are far from first class. Only few
I rooms in a hotel front upon a street. the
most of them having no inside windows,
but being lighted from an inside court The
average rate for room and board Is 81 a day
and Spanish cooking Is the rule in nearly
all hotels. with its beautiful scenery and
fine winter climate our new possession will
become popular winter resort when mod
| ern hotels good livery stables and excellent
steamship connections with the United
States are supplied.
The Broadway of Manila is the Escalta
Madrid, Paris, Japan and India have CON
trlbued bountifully to its stores and one
can purchase anything from a Partisan
knckknack to a Bombay shawl along the
Escalta A correspondent of Leslie's
Weekly says it is "the most cosmopolitan
place outside OF a worlds exposition. All
that China produces is represented there;
stores are filled with fine satsuma ware and
the choicest japanese silks and carvings;
English commodities, hardware and drugs;