Making the second attack.

This time the Baltimore was sent in advance.  She headed boldly to within range of the Cavite batteries.  By this time the Americans had a contempt for Spanish marksmanship.  The Baltimore opened fire and pounded away for thirty minutes.  At the end of that time every gun of the batteries had been silenced.  Of the Spanish war-ships the Antonio de Ulloa was the only one which came out of refuge to offer battle with the Baltimore and she met with horrible punishment.  Her decks were literally swept with shell, but even after she was apparently wrecked her lower guns were used with wonderful persistence.

The Baltimore, having silenced the forts, turned all her guns on the Spanish cruiser and actually riddled her.  She sank and all her crew went down with her.  That was the end of Spanish resistance.  Admiral Dewey ordered his light-draught vessels to enter the navy yard and destroy everything that might give future trouble.  The Boston, the Concord and the Petrel were detailed for this duty, but the Boston, drawing twenty feet, ran aground twice, not knowing the shoals, and had to leave the work to the Petrel and Concord.  By the time these two vessels reached the navy yard they found the vessels there abandoned and most of them on fire.  They destroyed the fag end of the Spanish fleet, and when Sunday afternoon came there was nothing left above water to represent the Spanish naval force in Asiatic waters except the transport Manila.  The arsenal had been shelled to pieces.

At 12:45 o’clock the signal was given that the Spanish had surrendered.  The word was passed rapidly from ship to ship.  The American sailors were crazy with delight.  There was tremendous cheering on every ship.  The enthusiasm became even greater when the word was passed that not one of our men had been killed and not one American vessel had been injured.  The eight men who were hurt by the explosion on the Baltimore continued to fight until the end of the battle.  The Boston was struck once and the officers’ quarters set on fire.

For some reason the Spanish gunners seemed to think that the Baltimore was especially dangerous, having the general build of a battleship, and, next to the flagship, she had to withstand the greatest amount of firing, and was struck several times, with no great damage.  Except for the torn rigging and a few dents here and there few signs could be discovered that the vessels had engaged in one of the most decisive naval battles of modern times.

The Concord and the Petrel were not hit at all, although the latter went deeper into the enemy’s position than any other vessel in our fleet The Olympia made a glorious record.  She was struck thirteen times, counting the shells which tore through her rigging, but she came out as good as she went in.

Loss of the Spanish.

Compared with these trivial losses the damage done to the Spanish was fearful.  Five hundred and fifty of them were killed and 625 wounded.  Eleven of their ships were totally demolished, and the Americans captured one transport and several smaller vessels.  Their money loss by reason of the battle was not less than $5,000,000.