THE BATTLE OF MANILA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 22

THE BATTLE OF MANILA.

SOME INCIDENTS OF THE FIGHT.

Although a summarised version of the account by an eye-witness of the Manila battle, telegraphed to the Melbourne Argus from Port DarwiD, has already been published, additional details will be read with interest;.

Admiral Dewey approached Manila by tha Boos. Chica channel, running between Carrejidor Island aud the mainland. The ißlaud forts were passed without tbe American ships being eeen, cd imniedia-tely the decks were cleared for action and the raon beat to quarters. Nob a light was shown upon any of the ships, and steaming slowly forward there were no sparks and very little smoke visible frcm the funnels. As the forts on the small inner islands were approached tbe admiral on the look out from tbe Olympia, aud the men on all the ships lying round the guns, were grimly expectant for the fight and esger to strike a blow in revenge fGr tbe Maine.

It is supposed that the mine fields bere weee formidable enough, backed by heavy Biu gans in the batteries, to blow the whole American fleet out of the water, and the Spaniards wen; confident that a dash through would be attended with disaster. Even with the help of a skilled pi'ot, it waa declared au eremy could not force the passage at night. The Olympia passed through the crisis safely, and to lessen the lisk of damage from the mines the others followed directly in her wake. The next largest ship in the fleet, ths Baltimore, followed close onjfche heels of the Olympia, and Captain Dyer got inside the isiauda without being seeu. Just before this a burst of fire and sparks from the Boston's funnels as tlie pace was quickened had given "the* Spaniards their firEu hint of danger. At exactly half-past 10 a *• keii streamed up from one of the shore forts, ana the Americans knew they had been seer, and went full speed ahead.

Captain Coglan, of the Eafc-igb, was third in the line, and the Spanish artillerymen picking him up smartly, lauded an Bln shell close Tinker his bows with their first shot, hub it exploded without injury to the cruiser. The three leading ships passed on without paying the batteries the compliment of a shot-, but the word for action was given on both ths Boston and Concord, which came next in order, and as three more s'aells came screaming harmlessly over t.ho water the ships opened with a few rounds from their 6in guns, bub no damage ws3 done on either side. Too Jate the Spanish submarine or.iutr* gob to their sbatlous, and in the wake of the flying cruisers a couple orcolumas of foam thrown high in the air' showed where ground mke? had been harmlessly exploded. The gauntlet of unities and lorts had been gamely &sd sneef s&fuily run, aud the fleet steamed up Manila Bay with fcS:e "old glory" streaming at the masthead and gaff of every ship, while the signal of approach to the tower on Si;. Nicholas bank, and thence to the Spanish shipa and batteries at Cavifce, was given from the land by rocket after rocket. . The dash had been well timed, for just as day was breaking tha Oljmpia saw through the dawn the Spanish ships drawn up in order of battle all ready for the strife, and the naval gUßners-sprang to quarters with a cheer. v The Eetna Christina, cf 3500 tons, wat< on, the right of the liae ? and from her masthead flaw, beside the Spanish flag, the pennant of Admir&l Montiojo. Nesb to her was the Casiitta, of 534-2 tons ; then in orde<: the Don Anionia de Ulloa, the Islfc de-Cuba, the Ida d& Luzon, four gunboats, and the transport Mindinao. . The Spanish admiral had chosen his fighting station jusi; off tbe Ca,vite arsenal. The ends of the iice were protected by batteries cf Sin and 6in guns, and across the front, were heavy booms such as* were frequently us*:d against the British in the fighting times of Nelson. Even with the support tha batteries were able to give, the marked disparity in the fighting strength of tho squadrons was manifest at a glance, the squat gunboats especially being a poor contrast to the clean, long- lines of the Yankee cruisers. /All the Spanish vessels,, wifch the exception of the Castilla, which was moored head and stern, had .steam up..

Afc 4500 yards the Olympia swung round, bringing her broadsrde guns to baar, aud as her seamen, roared once more " Remember tbe Siaiire,r the four big 8-inch gnus in. her turrets opened the duel in deadly earnest. In s-crvics drill the men in the Olympia turrets are accustomed to hold their arms rigidly out from their sides to lessen the effect of the terrible concussion, which results often in ruptured ear drums and burst bloodvessels ; butr in the excitement of action aM. precautions- were forgotterj, "fend' many cf tha men serving the turret guns only fcaew aStetwaeds tirafe theyhad been bleeding frcm the ears during the fight.

As the Baltimore, the Raleigh, and the little Petrel (which, had piackily wedgsd her way into the centra of the line), the Concord and the Boston each 3wung round on her course, their broadsides, each heralded' by a rousing cheep, opentd on the Spaniards, and 'the engagement afc once bec&rae general.

Admiral D«wey would have come to closer action, but; the Spanish admiral had shrewdly chogea his positron wirh the shoal w&ters in his front, hoping that in the excitement of the action some of the enemy would take the ground and become fired targets for the forts. The device really served the Americans, for with their more modern arfillery they had the advantage in a long range gunnery duel. .The Americans picked up or corrected the range splendidly with their qnfck-firera," while from the first the shooting of the Spaniards was wild and erratic, most of the shots dropping short, while others passed over the American ships.

When th& Rema Christina took fire ihs Spanish admiral ab once shifted his flag fco the Casfcilla, while his own uafortunabs cruder, a deaerted and floating piboffiUme, burned slowly to the water's edge. His flag' had hardly streamed oub from the CastilFa's masthead, when that; vessel was also on fire. Others of the Spanish vessels were battered wrecks, and drilled bow to stern threatened to sink any moment, and being of no further use in the fight they retired behind the shelter of the mole and Cavfte, beaten and battered to a pitiable extent;. Each kept 6er flag flying, bafe their wrecked hallo and the dead and wounded aboat the guns told how unequal and one-sided had been the fight. Finally the>*e was nothing floating worth a ahofc, and bhen to the surprise' and relief of the Spaniards the American ships drew off and steamed quietly down theharbour out of range. The action of the American commander in giving the enemy a respite instead of following jp his victory afe once has since been adversely criticised, but Admiral Dewey realised that the flfist had been practically destroyed and was at bi& mercy, and tkat the work of reducing the forts might take some time. For eight hours continuously his men had been afc the guns, and he decided to draw off to give them breakfast and replenish his stores. So with derisive cheers for the unfortunate Spaniards they steamed oub of range. During the two hours' resfc for breakfast Admiral Dewey eslled his capfcains together for j a council of war, and found them all ease? foe

further fighting, jo it was unanimously decide that the next step in tha conflict should be • the special engagement of the forts and the silencing of the batteries on the Cavite Peninsula. This time Captain Dyer was given the plaoa of honour )s the van, and the 20-knot cruiser Baltimore Jed the war, »ud oucs again her Bia guns ibelohed forth their storm of iron The ochev Vessels of the squadron followed her lead j splendidly. For a while there was a tremendous cannonade &t close range, gradually growing weaker on rhe Spanish sidej and in 30 minutes tbe American guns alone kept up the din, and on shore there was silence.

One ship of the fleet that faced the Americans so hopefully that morning, the Doa Antonio de Uiloa, still flew -the Spanish flag, and as though in resentment of her pre» sumption three of the American cruisers turned their guns upon her. -Her commander had sworn that he would never strike his fl*g, and had nailed it to the mast, while his men" # tuck to her with splendid devotion As the storm of iron struck her , the Spanish ship rooked on the water with the tremendous iznpacb. Hec decks were swept, the men struck down in dczens at the guns, and the ship shot through in 20 placas ; the sea poured into her, the ■steam of her shattered boilers spurting from her rent decks. Even as she settled down the men fought at thei, guns' until- they see Hied in thi waves, and she sank with her men shouting defiance and the nailed flag fluttering from fche mast.

Before the engagement the Governor at Cavite, in a proclamation equally bombastic and insulting,, had said that if the fortifications fell into the' bands of the Americans, the Spanish wounded would be murdered in cold blcod. The result was that on the seataen from tfee squadron landing p,t Cavite, they were met by a procession of weeping Sisters of Mercy, headed by a doctor, who, in the name of humanity and Christianity, implored them nob to kill the wounded or set fire to the hospitals, which were generally believed to be Admiral Dewey's first obj;ct in sending men asbore. They were as much surprised as over' joyad on being told thab Americans, did nob make war in this barbaric fashion, and the subsequ^nl; attention to the wounded and dead satisfied them that it was no deceptive boast.