Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1917-01-18
HERO OF
MANILA bay
Ranking Naval Officer Of The
World Passes Away in
His Eightieth Year.
GENERAL BREAKDOWN
Flags on All American Naval
Vessels Half Masted---Fu-
neral Probably Saturday.


Washington, Jan. 17.--Admiral Geo.
Dewey, the nations Spanish war hero |
and by priority Of grade, the ranking |
naval officer of the world, died at his |
home here last night in his eightieth |
year. He had not been conscious
since yesterday when he lapsed into
coma, still believing that in a few
days he would be back at his desk in |
the navy department.
A general breakdown was the cause
of death. Mrs. Dewey and the adj
miral's only son, George Dewey,
were at the bedside tonight. They
had known since yesterday there was
no hope.
The admiral died at 5:56p. m. Pres
ident Wilson and Sec. Daniels were
notified at once and the news was
flashed by wireless to American naval
vessels and stations all over the
world. The message carried orders
that all flags be half masted.
Admiral George Dewey, hero Of
Manila Bay" fought and won the
first great American navy battle
against a foreign foe since the war of
1912.
His whole life was full of honora-
BILE achievement from the days of the
civil war down to the time when, as
the head of the general board, he be-
gan the last chapter of his work by
laying plans for the defense of his
country in time of war. His life was
striking exemplification of the posi-
bilities of a career based upon the ex-
act and intelligent performances of
every routine duty which molds a
man on inhexible lines of duty and
honor.
One OF the curious freaks of for
tune in Dewey's case was that for
perhaps the first and only time in his
naval career he was disposed to pro-
test against the edict of the navy de-
partment which carried him into the
Far East, where he was destined o
perform the greatest feat of his life
and to win imperishable renown.
That was back in 1858 when the war
clouds were gathering and Dewey
felt that he was being "shelved, " that
the war with Spain was to be fought
out in the gulf of Mexico and in the
Caribbean sea and that he, distant by
half the circumference of the globe,
would stand no chance Of winning
glory, for at that moment no thought
whatever had been given to the Phil
ippines. But he took his orders and
like true sailor obeyed them. The
result is a page OF history under date
of Mays1, 1898.
Contrary to the Spanish expecta-
tons, Dewey sailed into Manila Bay
on the night of April 80 and in the
morning of the next day he annihilated
Admiral Montoio's squadron, destroy
ing eleven warships and capturing all
other vessels and all the land bate
ries without the loss Of man on the
American side.
Upon his triumphant return to the
United States he was feted by the ma
ton. His admirers presented him
with beautiful home in the national
capital. Congress gave him an en-
graved sword, and raised him from
the rank of commodore to rear-admir-
al and then to full rank of the admir-
al of the navy.
Admiral Dewey was the third Amer
lean to reach tlat pinnacle OF naval
rank. Farragut was the first and
Porter the second. II was under Far
ragut that Dewey received his first
baptism in war.
Valuable as the training of Annap-
iolis was, i was poor schooling be-
side that Of serving under Farragut in
time Of war; Admiral Dewey once
said, r'Whenever | have been in a
difficult situation or in the midst Of
sush cc..sasion Of details that the sim
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