The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-02-22

Tho Baltlmota q expected any day.
We ars under orders 70 be ready 70 Hail
It any moment. Our destination WIN
DOUBTLESS Be Manila Alter the capture
OF Manila We via probably proeeed g
the Atlantic We are loaded Win
stores and ainmunition and are ready
for business The loss Of the Maine
wah q great ahnell to US. knew one
OF the oaicefa that were killed do
not &c how that ship could haYe been
blown up accidentally. We are nearer
war to-day than Be have been since 60
The feeling aboard. ship against the
spaniards Is very bittar Nothing Is
sald, but both officers and men wish 70
avenge the death Of their comrades on
the Maine"
Tells the Story Of Manila.
Before Ensign poddrIdge had time to
write again, he became engaged In
much more serious business. BE had
had his first taste Of real warfare. and
fortunately, like all his comrades, came
out Of the battle unscathed. Two days
later he wrote to his sister Elizabeth an
account 80 graphic and concise that II
Il here presented in full, as reproduced
ave weeks later in the Intelllgencer:
U. 8. 8. BOSTON.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES,
UNITED STATES OF AMBRiCAs,,o
M. 49,. ,,,.r ~, n,,arwheluing vi
tory. i will start at the beginning ana
ten you AL that has happened since we
left Hong Kong.
The Boston, Concord and Petrol, ac-
companled by. the McColloch, ana the
two transports, left Hong Kong, Sum
day. April "a, for Mrs Bay, an unin-
habited port about thirty miles north OF
Hong Kong, The next day the olym-
pla, Baltimore and Raleigh Joined u.s.
on the 26th we received orders from the
secretary. Of the navy TO use our utmost
endeavor 10 capture or destroy every
Spanish man OF war in these waters.
on the afternoon OF the 9th the entire
squadron sailed for the Philippines, we
arrived on the epemy's coast about
daylight Of the s0th.
The Boston and Concord were ordered
to leave the squadron and reeOnnOitre
Sublg Bay, a Spanish naval station,
about forty miles north OF Manila We
entered the harbor with ship cleared
for action and crew at quarters. We
found nothing, and fejolned the feet
late IN the afternoon. The ships were
stopped, and the captains went aboard
the dagship.
A council Of war was held, and It was
decided tolrun the forts at the entrance
TO Manila harbor at midnight.
We knew that the entrance TO the har-
Dor was mined, but It was decided to
take the chances.
II was a moonlight night. and we
were discovered by the forts and picket
hoats. Only one fort hred on US and 1t
was soon silenced by a few well directed
shots. We steamed slowly up the har-
Dor, iand:at daylight We-were OF Manila.
], have drawn a rough sketch Of the har-
Dor and Notifications, and from 1t hope
you Will be able to make 1t out.
Z When Il was Hight enough to see we
ran up the Stars and Stripes at each
masthead, and headed towards the
naval station Of Cayite. We were in
column, the Olympia leading, and the
Boston bringing up the rear. We
steamed by the forts and ships opening
fire at 5:S5 Sunday morning, al about
5000 yards range.
tion, seven large ones and nine small
ones, Our fire was hotly returned. and
for two hours the fight continued, our
ships Gteaming In an elllpse and firing
whenever our guns would bear. We
passed the forts and ships five times all
told, and hauled out of action.
No one was killed In our feet, and
only two injured. On the Spanish side
the loss was very heavy. We do not
know exactly how many were killed and
wounded, but we have heard that the
loss was 200 or 800 killed and twice as
many wounded.
We were hit five times in the action
One Of the shots entered my room and
exploded, destroying good deal Of fur
niture and settling fire to my cloth
ing. The fire was quickly put out. but
my clothes were ruined. Two of the
Spanish ships took fire and sank and
three others were sunk The rest were
captured or destroyed The forts were
silenced.
At 11;1O we went into action again
and bombartled the station. A few guns
replied. but were soon dlsmounted. Our
men fought with great coolness and
bravery. We ceased firing at 1880 The
Spanlards holsted n flag OF truce and In
the evening surrendered Cavlte, the
soldiers evacIatlng. Yesterday and to-
day we have been busy gathering in
the prizes, etc. We do not know what
the commodore will do next. From my
sketch you may be able to make out
what we did.
We have completely destroyed the
Spanish feetln these waters and the war
in this part OF the world is over. We may
be here for some months; don't know
how long, but hope 1t viii soon be
over. JOHN s. DoDDRIDGE.'
Another letter was written on the Goth
Of May, and this gives a more minute
account Of the fight. Subsequent ones
from him. bearing the dates OF June 1,
June H. July /. and October 81, and
written on board the Boston, were
printed In the Intelllgeneer.
Back to America.
Shortly after his term OF service ex-
plred Che having put in the necessary
three years At s0a), and he returned to
the United States in February, 1899. II
I am not mistaken, he landed ut San
Francisco and came by rail across the
continent. He stopped of at Toledo
for several days. and there had to sub
nit to the inevitable interview. In his
talk with the newspaper man he men
toned some Of Admiral Dewey's char
acterlstlcs, his opinion of the spanlards
us fighters, and managed with consld-
cradle tact to steer clear OF subjects he
was not allowed by virtue of his POSI-
ton to discuss.