Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, February 2, 1917, Page 4

BAAAAAAANANNNS"P Admiral Dewey Sea Fighter Victory of Hero of Battle of Manila Bay Led to Perma- pent Planting of Our Flag In the Pacific . ] of the death of HE news George Dewey, admiral of the United States navay and world famous as the victor of Manilla bay, came as a great shock to all Americans. Admiral Dewey was stricken in ‘his office at Washington. He suffered a general disorganization of the system, due to his pdvanced age, seventy-nine years. Brevity and directness, whether in word or in deed, were always char- acteristics of George Dewey. “Reached Manila at daylight. Im- mediately engaged the Spanish ships and batteries at Cavite. Destroyed eight of the former, including the Rei- na Cristina and Castilla. Anchored at noon off Manila.” 1t was George Dewey, then a com- modore in the United States navy, who found these few words sufficient to re- cord in his diary on the 1st day of May, 1898, the items of a day’'s work, the importance of which is not even now, after the lapse of almost nineteen years, fully understood. This simple entry in a sailor’s logbook portrayed nothing less than the extinction of Most Famous Since Farragut A Born Fighter, He Always Dis- played Courage and the Spirit of Daring Even In Face of Great Obstacles with Spain had come then it is pos- sible that I should have enjoyed the same privilege that was to be mine twenty-five years later.” This suffices to show that when the real crisis ar- rived George Dewey and the Philip- pines were not total strangers. Victory Despite Handicap. There is much in the admiral’s nar- rative of events leading up to the action in Manila bay that did not come out during the stirring days of the war. The nation has always reflected with pride on the courageous action of our little squadron, 7,000 miles from the home base, in steaming into hostile waters and risking its very existence in the contest with a foe of unknown strength. Yet even Americans have not known the full extent of the handicap under which the battle of Manila bay was fought. Not only were our ships small and ineffective, as judged by the stand- ards of today, but they were not even equipped to do the work that was ex- pected of them. “However,” said, the admiral, speaking of this subject, “even if we had had less ammunition we should have gone into Manila bay, of “Onion” river. It is now called the ‘Winooski river, in memory presuma- bly of one of the vanished Indian tribes. Early Lost His Mother. George's mother died when he was but five years old. From what writers have given us of the youth of Dewey it is plain that he was by no means an ordinary boy. Every boy is not a natural leader, for example, and it is apparent that George even in his Eknickerbocker days showed a talent for commanding and a determination to be obeyed. Though smaller than most boys of his age, he was exceed- ingly strong and active, and he never had any difficulty about holding his own in physical contests. Dewey was graduated'the fifth in his class from the Naval academy at Annapolis in 1858. Only folirteen mem- bers of his class of sixty-five succeeded in finishing the course. As a midship- man he cruised two years on the Wa- bash, devoting himself constantly to the study of his profession. He was at home in Montpelier when Sumter was fired upon, and a week later he was made first lieutenant of the Mis- sissippi, the only side wheeler in Farra- gut’s west gulf squadron. The Missis- sippi was the third vessel in the line that steamed toward the batteries of St. Philip and Jackson. This is what Chief Engineer Baird says of the way Dewey acted: “I can see him now in the red and yellow glare flung from the cannon mouths. It was like some terrible thunderstorm with almost in- cessant lightning. For an instant all would be dark and Dewey unseen. Then the forts would belch forth, and there he was away up in the midst of it, the flames from the guns almost touching him and the big shot and shell passing near enough to him to blow S A GEORGE DEWEY AT THE AGE OF THIRTY; OLYMPIA, DEWEY’S FLAG3HIP DURING BATTLE OF MA- NILA BAY, AND COMMODORE DEWEY Af HE LOOKED IN THE DA YS OF THAT FAMOUS BATTLE. Spanish dominion in the eastern hemi- sphere, the emergence of America as a world power, the raising of the stars and stripes in the far east and the tutelage in the free atmosphere of American institutions of an alien race oppressed for centuries. Won the Philippines. Before Dewey’s guns were heard in Manila bay the Philippine archipelago was as little known to Americans as the land around the poles. The Philip- pines, indeed, was nothing more than a geographical expression, and to most of us it was a name that we had not learned to spell correctly. The war with Spain over Cuba was upon us be- fore we had realized that Spain’s sole surviving dependencies in the Pacifie might come to have a new significance. But, swift as was the movement of events after the destruction of the Maine in Havana harbor, there were a few men at Washington who, partially at least, sensed the outcome. - Provi- dence, plus Theodore Roosevelt, plus Senator Redfield Proctor of Vermont. decreed that the man who should ac complish the downfall of Spanish pow er in the far east should be Commo dore Dewey. To him was intrusted the command of the Asiatic squadron at the most momentous period in the fortunes of the United States navy since our second war with Great Brit ain. Only a few knew then what has since become known to everybody that the one man best fitted for this respon- sible post, by training, inclination aund spirit, was the man r\iclml' out by As sistant Secretary of the Navy Roose velt and strongly recommended by the senior senator from Vermont. A quarter of a century before our declaration of war with Spain the United States ship Narragansett was employed in Mexican waters survey- ing the peninsula of Lower California. ‘When the newspapers arrived bring- ing word of the Virginius affair in Cuba, with the statement that war with Spain seemed inevitable, the offi cers of the ship. with one exception. were despondent, because they believ ed that, being marooned so far from home, they would never be able to get at close quarters with Spain. That exception was their commander, young George Dewey, who said without hesi- tation, as Rear Admiral Badger, then an ensign, recalls, “If war with Spain is declared the Narragansett will take Manila.” In his autobiography Ad- miral Dewey relates this interesting bit of conversation and remarks: * had always been interested in the Ph ippines and had read whatever hooks I could find relating to them, and my familiarity with the subject immedi- ately suggested that as a lozical point of .attack. If the inevitable conflict for such were our orders, and such was the only thing to do.” “Such were our orders.” Here is| voiced unconsciously the spirit of the naval service. Six days before, while his ships were at anchor near Hong- kong, this message had come to Dewéy: “War has commenced between the United States and Spain. Proceed at once to Philippine Islands. Commence operations, particularly against Span- ish fleet. We must capture vessels or destroy. Use utmost endeavor.” Dewey knew precisely what he could do when this order came, and he lost no time in doing it. When it was done he felt and expressed merely the satis- faction that any honest and efficient workman has in the completion of his work. He indulged in no illusions, but went straight from one duty to another, wasting no time in bemoaning the lack of resources, but making effective use of what he had. Held Nation’s Confidence. In the weeks and months of uncer- tainty that followed the battle the American people had reason more than once to rejoice and take heart in the thought that a commander schooled in the traditions of our navy was on guard at that distant post. Our flag was an unfamiliar one in the harbor of Manila, and the foreign ships using the port were not easily compelled to obey the blockade regulations neces- sarily established. Those Americans who were living in 1898 will never for- get the debt which the world owes to the cool, confident and resolute com- mander who in his own person repre- sented for many months the whole power and authority of the United States government in the eastern hem- isphere. To have commanded an Amer- ican squadron in the first important naval action against a foreign power since the War of 1812 was in itself an honor that many might have coveted, but to represent wjth such signal dig- nity and success a power that had theretofore had little part in the diplo- macy of that part of the world was quite as great a distinction. George Dewey was born in Mont- pelier, Vt., Dec. 26, 1837. He was the third of four children. The first Dewey came to Dorchester from Sandwich, England, in 1633. From the stand- point of the ethnographer it is inter- esting to note in passing that the last three generations of the Deweys have fived in the most mountainous portions of New Encland. The original settle- ment. from which has since grown the beautiful little town of Montpelier. was made literally on the mountain sides. and it was not until several years later that the people moved into the valley where the town now stands. In those days the stream which waters this val- ley was called by the not poetic name him over with their breath, while he held firmly to the bridge rail. Every time the dark came back I felt sure that we would never see Dewey again. But at the next flash there he stood. His hat was blown off, and his eyes were aflame. But he gave his orders with the air of a man in thorough com- mand of himself. He took in every- thing. He saw a point of advantage and seized it at once. And when from around the hull of the Pensacola the Confederate ram darted Dewey like a flash saw what was best to be done, and as he put his knowledge into words the head of the Mississippi fell off, and as the ram came up alongside the entire starboard broadside plunged a mass of iron shot apd shell through her ar- mor, and she began to sink. Her crew ran her ashore and escaped. A boat’s crew from our ship went on board thinking to extinguish the flames which our broadside had started and capture her. But she was too far gone. Dewey took us all through the fight and in a manner which won the warmest praise not only of all on board, but of Farra- gut himself. He was cool from first to last, and after we had passed the fort and reached safety and he came down from the bridge his face was black with smoke, but there wasn’t a drop of perspiration on his brow.” A year later, when Farragut took his squadron up the river, the Mississippi ran aground er some unknown shoals, and the Confederate batteries literally riddled her. She was hit 250 times in balf an hoyr. Dewey commanded two small boats, which took sailors to the Richmond and then returned to the Mississippi, which by that time was afire in five places. When Captain Smith asked Lieutenant Dewey if he felt sure the vessel would burn the lieutenant, at the risk of his life, went to the ward room. The two officers then left the ship, “Dewey without his coattails, sorrowfully, with the shot splashing around them.” Since his retirement from sea serv- ice Admiral Dewey lived in Washing- ton, constantly in touch with naval administrative naval boards. He was made a rear admiral with the thanks of congress when the news of Manila bay reached America and admiral in 1899. Delayed, Grew In Value. One Lewiston (Me.) man ordered six carloads of material for his factory from the west. and it was a little more than two months on the way, but when it arrived the six carlcads were worth $46.000 more than they were when they left. Another Maine man shipped a carload of foodstuffs to New York. The shipment went on a sight draft basis, and the carload has been in New York yards for about two monthe now and has increased in value by more than $1,000. In spite of high prices on all food- continues to sell for 10c a package The best and cheaps est pie is a NONE\ SUCH Mince Pie. MERRELL-SOULE CO., Syrscuss, K. Y. FUNERAL DIRECTOR M. E. IBERTSON . UNDERZAKER - 406 Beltrami Ave. . Bemidji, : Minn. RAGS Bring us your clean cot- ton rags--no buttons, bands or woolen cloth accepted. 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