The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-01-17
ADMIRAL
~ t
DEWEY .
IS DEAD
Hero of Manila Bay and
Ranking Naval Official
of the World

Washington, Jan. II. Admiral
Dewey, hero of Manila bay, and by
priority the ranking naval officer of
the world, died at his home here at
1855 p. m. yesterday in his Soth
year.
Admiral George Dewey, hero Of
Manila bay" fought and won the first
great American naval battle against a
foreign foe since the war Of 1912.
His whole life was full of honor
able 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 exemplifcation of the posi-
bilities of a career based upon the ex-
act and intelligent performance OF
every routine duty which molds man
on inf1exible lines of duty and honor.
One of the curious freaks Of fortune
in Dewey's case was that for perhaps
the first time and only time lnk his
naval career he wSS disposed to pro-
test against the edict of the navy de-
partment which carried him into the
Far East, where he was destined to
perform the greatest feat of his life
and to win imperishable renown. That
was back in 1898 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 momen no thought whatever
had been given to the Philippines. But
he took his orders and like a true
sailor obeyed them. The result is a
page of history under date OF May l,
1898. .......
Contrary to Spanish expectations,
Dewey sailed into Manila bay on the
night of April 80 and in the morning
of the next day he annihilated Admir-
al Montojo's squadron. destroying
eleven warships and capturing all 9TH
err vessels and all tn, land batteries
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
a 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 the full rank OF the ad-
miral of the navy.
Admiral Dewey was the third Amer
lean to reach that pinnacle OF naval
rank. Farragut was the first anN Por-
ter the second. 1t was under Farragut
that Dewey received his first baptism
in war.
Valuable as the training of An
napolis was, it was poor schooling be-
side that of serving under FaTTagut
in time of war" Admiral Dewey once
said, Whenever have been in diff
flcult situation or in the midst OF sucn
a confusion Of details that the simple
and right thing to do seemed Nay
szmytro
ragut do?. In the course OF prepara-
tions for Manila bay, often asked
myself this question, and confess i
was thinking of him the night we en-
tered the bay and with the CONVICTION
that / was doing precisely what ne
would have done"
George Dewey was born in the
shadow Of VernTont's state capitol at
Montpelier, on the day following
Christmas in 1887. At the age Of II. he
reached the crossroads OF his career:
one road led 10 West Point, the Uther
to Annapolis. Young Dewey favored
the former, but
There was no vacancy for West
Point from Vermont" explained the
admiral in reviewing his life. Other
wise I might have gone into Manila
bav on an army transport instead of
on the Olympia. But 1T happened that
there was a vacancy at Annapolis, SO
/ entered the navy"
AT the outbreak OF the Civil war.
Dewey was % years old. He was COM
missioned a lieutenant. and guided the
Mississippi as it's executive ohicer in
Farragut's historic dash past New
Orleans and its forts. He was not so
successful at Port Hudson. FarTagut
won through, but Dewey and the Mis-
sissippi ran aground under the guns
OF the forts The ship was set afire
and during the transfer Of the crew
under fire, the young ofiicer lived i've
years in an hour"
From the close Of the Civil War un-
til the opening of The Spanish Amert-