The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1900-01-04

e 70 enter Msuils bay The htghf before ID
famous battle. when every cbsanel "a
believed 20 be thoroughly mined. Vas u
!, ceutly pablished TOT The hrst tinr.
The facts ss siveu we're relsted OF
4 board DR.. Sesstd Webb's private cal
E Vioiory while the sdmitsi sud bic part,
/ we're making the run from New York te
Montpelier, VI, 10 attend the ceiebfstien q
given the hshtsr by his own tosuspeople
The story v. given to the New Nork
Wcrli by Admirsl Dewey through :
member Of the party 10 whom II was told.
IL will be remembered that when var
was declared, and even beiotr, for that
mstter, the navy department believed the
entrance to Manila bay to be tilled with
spanish torpedoes. few days before
the declaration Of var, word was received
st Washington from sn authoritative
source to the tiiect that the Spanish bad
secretly added 10 the torpedo field until
they believed IL would be Impossible for
the American hstt, then st Hon kong, to
pace up the bay,
The tofpedoes we're SAID TO be OF great
power aud we're supposed to be operated
from firing ststions oa either shore The
locations OF the stations we're known to
the Americans, bat the point at which the
torpedoes we're moored we're not. What
LII IA Ia IN, AZ tap In ba -
the navy department was forwarded to
imiral Dewey by cable and be was left |
TO male any further Investigation be
deemed necessary.
The admiral had already been told that
the approach to The harbor hsd been
thoroughly mined aud that it would be
unsafe for him to attempt TO enter II with
out first cutting the wires and exploding
the tofpedoes. SO wbth the order came
to smash Montiios Fl iset Dewey wrs fully
aware OF the great danger be would run
10 attempting TO torce the hsrbor without
first destroying the mines, Ii this sub
ject which was troubling every cap'sin
and petty officer OF the fleet, was consider
ed at ell by the sdmirsl, be kept bis own
counsel, and not once during the voyage
from Honekong did be bring the matter
up for sny extended discussion, II is
true that once or twice the matter was {
spoken OF at the consultations held daily
aboard the Olympic, and it was moi long
before the tfli,ers realized that the sd
mirsl bad resolved to steam into the bay
with little reference to the mines
1t was sbon. 4 o'clock on The moroiDg
of Msy then the Spanish pilot, peerinp
through the gloom IRON the bridge tf the 6
isssbip. leveled lis biroculsrs over the
'tsrbosrd bow and announced that The
Olympia was dead tf the entrance to the
lsrbor. Below or the deck silhoutted
'geinst the heavy swell OF the see, etoo
ADMIRAL Dewey and Lieuterat Thomas Ia
3umby, bis flag officer. o.
All about WAS inter dsrkuess. The "
ishts had long sgo been donsed, aud the II
'uIe Of the fighting chips could hardly NJ
'e made outs stones throw of. Bumby f,
ad Just come down from the fridge and te
'ss giving his chief the Spanish pilots %
les OF the locstion OF the miIes. He
sys that every chsnne is filled with 81
hem said Lieutenant Brumby. He Gays A
nat they ere connected With firing sta Dc
ons on both shores and that to attempt W
, pass over them would mean certain
es'ructiop; as q constant watch is being fol
apt for American wsrships. Send the OF
ilot here; wspt to talk TO him. SAID the DO
]mirsl. wi
1t was painfully evident that the pilot lst
eieved every word he bad spoken re ii
tive to the minfs. He was extremely in
,rvous and repeated TO the admiral what Gel
} bad already told to Brnmby, When ,h,
bad flushed and returned 10 bis post
1mIraI Dswey paced the deck. he was OO(
ioking. Several facts confronted him Cl,
} get at the Spanish nsst and take it ofI cer
ta''N no nhss 'Hb del
ssm up the bay to Msnils, 30 miles dis tbe
1t, before daylight To do this be % ust of
h'r destroy OF psss over the Spsnsh ind
ines. Should be attempt TO destroy the
EN- be would lose valuable time and Chi
eht spprise the enemy OF his arrival the
O1 the other hand, TO attempt TO pass sbo
er the mines meant running q great 6er
k IL the mines were 10 the cbsnDel pri
the ships we're sighted by the Span oge
operstors at be firing ststionp, the I
Il battle hip 10 the line OF advance sbo
uld almost to q certainty be des' royed 600
Fer fully minute the admiral paced r
J deck, Then be torned 20 Brumby. ses
Nell2 be asked interros tlively Us be fact
lsed, All,
3rumby came closer. N
iore than IL fstboms, isL't it, Brumby2 600
ies, sir, replied the lieu'ensnt wsp
ell, what do you tbink2 They we're OF a
b pacing the deck now 4
,rnmby hesitsted. think, be replied wbe
u pause, that the Spsoisrds would mile
mine 10 more than II istboms. The O,
tory OF their barber deienses STOW cent
/ We can do one thing, We can wbit
d out small bosis to bnnt for the sitie
pedoes sud Gu, the wires II they fnd n
m. Admiral DeweT came 10 sudden NINA
Sc. AZ be turned std faced Brumby This
re wss dull hte 10 bic eyes. Taking be
his watch; be lighted mstch. glspc old.
i The timepiecs sbd replaced il 10 bis stst
set. vhic
ben be said quietly: Ws'l dispense the
the email boat Bfumby. Never @ N