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THE WAR IN THE PHILIPPINES.
FIGHTING CONTINUES.
AMERICAN GAINS IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT].
Manila. 10th February. Manila echos with the crack of rifles and the boom of artillery day and night. Since the trouble began last Saturday night there have beer coustant skirmishes and
many sharp engagements in which both sides have suffered heavily. The list of dead and wounded grows every day until it now reaches on the American side seventy killed and one hundred and seventy wounded. The insurgent loss is difficult to ascertain and estimates can be formed only on the dead and wounded left on the field. It is the custom of the natives to carry off their comrades even though hard pressed, and rifles and ammunition are hardly ever left behind. Estimates run as high as 2,010, but probably 800 will cover all loss to the insurgents. It is a peculiar thing that the Americans have lost almost in the proportion of one killed to every two wounded.
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On Sunday, Paco and Santa Ana, lying to the south-east of Manila, were the scenes of the most hotly contested battles of the line with the exception of Malate. After being driven out of the burning towns the natives took to the rice fields, and every ridge of the broken ground served as a trench. The men were forced to lay -flat on their stomachs, with beads only above to sight the guns. For hundreds of yards in all directious the country appeared as flat as a billiard table and over this unprotected district the Americans advanced by short rushes, dropping down to fir and running forward fifteen or twenty yards to fall again. In an hour and a half the natives were driven back to the woods and river. but not without leaving many a bare footed nativo and blue coated American to mark the path of the fight. The convent of the Catholic nuns was used as a hos- pital for the wounded at this point and the good sisters did uoble work for Filipinos and Ameri- can impartially. The American hospital corps were instructed to do all possible for wounded natives, and. ba it said to their great credit, the instructions were carried out to the letter in spite of the strong feeling that necessarily ex-
iste.
At Santa Ana a desperate resistance was en- countered and in one small earthwork thirty- eight bodies were found when the Americans charged over it. The city suffered from nu. merous fires in addition to the artillery des. traction. Two modern Krupp guns about 3 in. cabibre were captured with quantities of am- munition.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[February 25, 1899.
soldiers, who really ought to know something | about it."
Regiment who occupied the extreme left of the Early in the fight some men of the Kansas line erept forward in the bushes and set to several nipa huts and as the native they also followed example and
their
to the extreme left, closing in gradually to the right until the natives squeezed out and rushed for another cover. The Americans lost one man killed and three wounded. Surgeon Young of the Utah Battery rode out on the flank and must have been cut off and captured. His body was found later in the day with a bullet wound in the chest and another in the head. | dwelings behind them. In a short time the Around the latter wound there were powder whole place was a mass of flames stretching stains showing the weapon had been held close to him. He probably made a brave stand, for away off into the woods, where the bamboos were bursting and oracking like a hundred fifteen empty cartridges from his revolver were
Maxim guna. found scattered near the body. On reaching the top of the bill overlooking the waterworks four shots were tried at the town of Mariquinan across the river. The range was 5,000 yards; but the projectiles foll among the bouses and scattered the people in all directions. The buildings of the waterworks were found deserted and the machinery damaged to the extent of missing cylinder heads and valves. These have since been found hidden in coal heaps and the works are running,
At the north of the city the Marines with machine guns, Kansas, 3rd U.S. Artillery, and Montane men have been busy at the country this side of Caloocan. At this point insurgents are strongly entrenched and a heavy fight is expected. About fifty men have been wounded in this district already and very little advance has been made.
the Americans burned all villages, houses, brush. During the first three days of the fighting and so on that they passed through, thus clear ing the country and at the same time indicating the advance of the troops. Hundreds of families are homeless but every shock was a menace and with but few exceptions the natives were hostile
braced by the soldiers, who have been cou- Yesterday was a period of rest, eagerly em- stantly about since Saturday.
The lines to-day have been extended, on an average, in all directions from Manila about four miles. Paranaque, which has generally been reported as taken by the Americans, is still in the hands of the natives and strongly
entrenched.
A general advance is expected to-morrow but owing to the length of the lines, some 22 miles, and the necessary shallowness of the supports, new tactics will be adopted and columns some- thing in the nature of spokes of a wheel emanat- ing from the hub (the walled-city) will be thrown out.
MARCH TO MALOLOS BEGUN.
AGUINALDO HARANGUES FILIPINOS AT POLO.
Manila, 13th February.
On Friday afternoon, after a day's rest, the troops of General Harrison G. Otis's Brigade attacked and captured the town of Caloocan, The heaviest loss was sustained by the 14th the first place of importance north of Manila U.S. Infantry, which fought over the entrench- on the line of the railroad. At five minutes ments beyond Malate. One company alone came past three the Monadnock opened fire from the back with twelve killed, including Lieut. Mit bay and a few minutes later the Utah battery of chell. At Malate the insurgents had pos- 32 in. rifles began shelling the trenches and session of the old Spanish trenches and from town with schrapnell. The range was about these they extended the work in all direc-3,000 yards, and at this distance the explosives tions so that flanking was almost an impos- sibility. Under every house trenches had been dug and shots came from all quarters; even the trees held sharpshooters, who were in many cases knocked down like squirrels. In this direction they still hold a position three miles below the fort and within half-a-mile of General Oven- shine's head quarters.
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THE CAPTURE OF THE WATERWORKS, The capture of the waterworks was one of the most easily accomplised attacks and at the same time one of the most spectacular. The expedition uuder General Hale went out on Monday afternoon and included four guns of the Utah light battery, four companies of the Ist Nebraska, and two companies of the 1st Colorado Volunteers. A long line of infantry skirmishers was thrown out with the artillery in the centre. The country was raked over as with a fine tooth comb, the artillery shelling with schrapael and infantry following up closely. At only one place, on a hill about half way out, was sharp resistance offered. A party of natives got into the brush on the immediate left wing and kept the ballets flying in among our men until a company of Nebraska men was sent off
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line from start to finish and on reaching the General Otis and his staff were ou the fighting town they immediately took up quarters in the church. The signal service men rushed the wires along with their fighting comrades and they were in the railroad station and under the direction of Captain Russel had established communication with General McArthur's head quarters at Binondo Church almost before the instruments had cooled from the hand of the native operator
ticking off the last message to Malolos.
The Infantry, composed of the Kansas, Mon- tana, 3rd U. S. Artillery (acting as infantry), into the jungle beyond the town and over in and Idado in reserve, pursued the flying Filipinos
the direction of Malabon.
When the natives saw that the fight was go- ing against them they loaded a converted smooth bore gun (given them months ago by the Ameri- cans at Cavite) on to a flat car and dispatched it up the road along with several passenger coaches carrying women, children, and baggage.
Then the sun sank down, a great ball of red in a smokey streaked sty. General Otis and others were gathered in the telegraph office sending back messages to headquarters, aud from far up the road came the lusty cheers of hundreds of soldiers gathered about the pole saluting the one waving flag
The Americau loss was eight killed and 84 wounded. The Filipino losses have been greatly exaggerated, but probably amount to 80 killed and 230 wounded. Many of the natives were buried in their houses.
The next day the natives returned in small detachments of sharpshooters and worried the outposts until two companies of the Kansas men were sent down to clear them out of the brush, which was finally done with the aid of a few shells. The heat during the greater part of the day was most oppressive and many of the boys suffered from sunstroke. Fifteen were carried in from one company and two became so violent they were bound with ropes to pre- vent them injuring themselves. The natives must have become aware that the men were weakening for they opened a heavy fire about midday, in which a number of Americans were wounded. Altogether 42 men were disabled for work by wounds during the day and nothing gained.
Malabon lies just across the lagoon from Caloocan and can easily be taken, as the ships know this and will not put up a heavy fight. are in close range. It is believed that the natives
It is understood that the inhabitants have been served with a notice to surrender or stand a bombardment.
be ow Malate, near Pasay, the utmost quiet has At all the other points of the line except reigned. Saturday afternoon a slight engage- ment took place, some men of the 14th Infantry and 4th Cavalry running across a body of minutes before the natives retired. An outpost natives. It did not last more than a few
of fire was caught off its guard and brought in prisoners by a scouting party of 4th Caval- rymen.
were placed with splendid accuracy. Many times as a shot burst in the fringe of the woods or along the cemetery walls, the natives could be seen, with the naked eye, rushing off in all directions to escape the terrific artillery fire, and after the battle was over and the searching parties were raking over the fields a large number of the dead bore unmistakable signs of shell wounds. The advance of the infantry was checked until doubtful places were shelled and then the riflemen were ordered forward. From this time on it assumed the nature of one
Every one is waiting to see what the next long ‹verwhelming charge, for the men ran at
move will be. As I have explained before, the top speed nearly all the way, only stopping for lines cannot he extended more, as they are now occasional shots when close range was obtained. too thin to be really safe. The 51st Iowa Regi- Just 65 minutes after the Infantry was let loose
ment with the 1st California heavy artillery is the American flag was flying from the only marching around from Cavite to meet General visible staff in the place, one that has long Overshine's Brigade at some polat near Para borne the English banner in front of the resinaque and the natives are gradually being dence of Mr. Higgins, the manager of the rail- hemmed inbetween the two columns; but the road.
move cannot be completed for three days at least.
Without the artillery the taking of Caloocan would have been a most serious problem, for the Filipinos were strongly entrenched and they held their positions with a pertinacity that calls forth exclamations of wonder from old Spanish
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Headquarters and those who know are mumm as oysters and everyone waits and spoo- alates, while next to the Governor-General the press censor reigns supreme,
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