private affairs for the sake of his country, for if the country goes what will become of every man's private affairs?

CHAPTER VI.

TO HELL WITH BREAKFAST; LET'S FINISH 'EM NOW."A YANKEE GUNNER TO COMMODORE DEWEY

AT MANILA.

A GREAT NAVAL VICTORY AND IT'S CELEBRATION. Dewey's Naval Victory in Manila Bay How Morristown, N. J., Celebrated Dewey's Victory May 7, 1898.

WH

A GREAT NAVAL VICTORY.

THEN, on the 25th of April, 1898, the United States Congress formally declared war against Spain there lay at anchor in the harbor of Hong Kong, China, the "Asiatic Squadron" of American warships in command of Commodore George W. Dewey. On the same day that war was declared Dewey received orders by cable from President McKinley through the Navy Department at Washington, D. C., to proceed at once to Manila bay and either capture or destroy the Spanish fleet under Admiral Montejo; and, on the morning of April 30, the American squadron was at the narrow entrance of Manila bay, fifty miles from the city of Manila. In the darkness of night of the same day the squadron, led by the flagship "Olympia," and followed, with a distance of about five miles between by the other ships, stole into the harbor. While passing the Spanish fortifications at the harbor's entrance a few shots were exchanged, and a return shot from the "Boston" is said to have disabled a

Spanish gun and killed about forty men. Among the crews of Dewey's squadron it was generally supposed that at least one of the ships would be destroyed by the Spanish sub-marine mines planted in the harbor, in the effort to reach Montejo's fleet; and the ship leading the squadron was considered the one that would be sacrificed. Subsequent developments, however, have shown that Commodore Dewey's fuller information received from English naval officers concerning the location and neglected condition of the sub-marine mines, materially reduced, in his own estimation at least, the risk of destruction and justified the flagship "Olympia" in leading the American squadron into the harbor on that memorable night.

At about five o'clock on Sunday morning, May 1, Dewey's squadron was within five miles of Manila, and a few minutes later the Spanish guns at Manila and Cavite opened fire almost simultaneously on the American ships. Under this cross-fire Commodore Dewey deliberately prepared his ships for action; and, at about quarter before six o'clock turning to Captain Gridley in command of the "Olympia," he calmly said: "You may fire when you are ready," and a moment later a shot from one of Gridley's 8-inch guns in the forward turret started straight for the Spanish flagship, the "Reina Christina"; and there began the naval battle that has given undying glory to every participant, and placed the United States among the foremost seapowers of the world; for it was unquestionably one of the most brilliant and remarkable naval achievements of all history, properly ranking with Nelson's victory in Trafalgar bay and Farragut's in Mobile bay. As the battle progressed there spread from ship to ship of Dewey's squadron the significant slogan, "Remember the Maine"; and the thundering cheer that followed betokened victory for the advancing squadron. For nearly three hours the battle raged, resulting in the annihilation of Montejo's fleet; and so terrific was the combined cannonade of the American and Spanish guns; so deeply exciting the scene, and so thrilling the experiences of participants during the engagement; and so

highly exuberant the mingled rejoicings of Dewey's sailors when it became known that victory was achieved, that after a lapse of eighteen months, one at least of its participants, as he modestly declares, fights the battle over again in his dreams. "How I ever came out of that battle alive and uninjured is more than I can understand," is the language of this same returned American sailor; supplemented by the reverent remark, "It must be God's hand was in it."

The second engagement, following breakfast, and resulting in the capture of the Spanish naval station. at Cavite, was only the conclusion of the battle which began with Dewey's instructions to brave Gridley. When subsequently questioned as to Admiral Montejo's statement that he lost the battle in Manila bay because his guns were of insufficient calibre to reach the American ships, one of the crew of the "Raleigh" indignantly exclaimed: "Why, the fact is, many shots from the Spanish guns passed completely over the Raleigh', and had they been accurately aimed would have destroyed her. Poor marksmanship" this same participant declared-" on the part of the Spanish gunners was what saved our ships, some of them at least, from destruction. Dewey effectually prevented the Spanish gunners from keeping the range of his ships by frequently changing their rate of speed as they passed and repassed, in elliptical course, the terrific storm of shot and shell desperately hurled at them from the Spanish warships and land batteries." Indeed, an English naval authority had prophesied of the Spanish sailors: "They are capable of dying at their guns with marvelous heroism, or in fact of doing anything with them or at them, except to point straight at a given point." The announcement through Spanish sources of Dewey's remarkable naval achievement in Manila bay, which reached the United States in the afternoon of the same day, thrilled the hearts of America's patriotic millions and compelled the admiration of the entire civilized world. The talk of European intervention to save Spain from inevitable defeat and national mortifica