A little before midnight, on April 30th, Dewey's flagship Olympia
entered the Boca Grande channel to Manila Bay, the Baltimore, Petrel,
Raleigh, Concord, and Boston following. By daybreak Cavite stood
disclosed and, ready and waiting, huddled under its batteries, Admiral
Montojo's fleet: Reina Christina, Castilla, Don Antonio de Ulloa, Don
Juan de Austria, Isla de Luzon, Isla de Cuba, General Lezo, Marquis del
Duero, El Curreo and Velasco--ten vessels to Dewey's six. Counting those
of the batteries, the Spaniards' guns outnumbered and outcalibred
Dewey's. All the Spanish guns, from ships and from batteries alike,
played on our fleet--a thunder of hostile welcome, harmless as a salute.

[Illustration: Portrait.]
Admiral George Dewey.

The commodore delayed his fire till every shot would tell, when,
circling around in closer and closer quarters, he concentrated an
annihilating cyclone of shot and shell upon the Spanish craft. Two
torpedo boats ventured from shore. One was sunk, one beached. The Reina
Christina, the Amazon of the fleet, steamed out to duel with the
Olympia, but "overwhelmed with deadly attentions" could barely stagger
back. One hundred and fifty men were killed and ninety wounded on the
Christina alone. In a little less than two hours, having sunk the
Christina, Castilla, and Ulloa and set afire the other warships, the
American ceased firing to assure and arrange his ammunition supply and
to breakfast and rest his brave crews. He reopened at 11.16 A.M. to
finish. By half-past twelve every Spanish warship had been sunk or
burned and the forts silenced. The Spanish reported their loss at 381
killed and wounded. Seven Americans were wounded, not one killed.

[Illustration: Warship.]
Protected Cruiser Olympia.

[Illustration]
General A. R. Chaftee.

As the Filipino insurgents encircled Manila on the land side the
Spaniards could not escape, and, to spare life, Dewey deemed it best to
await the arrival of land forces before completing the reduction.

Waiting tried the admiral's discretion more than the battle had his
valor. It was necessary to encourage the insurgents, at the same time to
prevent excesses on their part, and to avoid recognizing them even as
allies in such manner as to involve our Government. Another
embarrassment, threatening for a time, was the German admiral's
impertinence. One of his warships was about to steam into harbor
contrary to Dewey's instructions, but was halted