Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-10-14
DON'T LIKE MANILA.
VIM. ncHugh, Quartermaster Ser
geant of Co. A, Not an Ad-
mirer Of Manila.
One Of the Best Descriptive Let
tiers that Has Been Received
From that Place.
Graphic Account of the Capture of
Manila, the Appearance Of the
City and Surroundings.

Quartermastcr Sergeant William Nc
Hugh Of Company A writes his friend
Harry Lee as fellows:
MANILA, Aug. q, '9S.
We arrived off Cav;te on the 2Sth Ct
July and were landed at that place three
days later. Cavite is Spanish fortifica-
ton across the bay from Manila, and is
the scene of Dewey's victory. In the
harbor you can.stil1 see ,all that remains
OF, the SPANISH fleet. that was. There is
no doubt thatsD ev%ey had "easy picking.
but when one stops to consider that he
had but one first-class cruiser, the
Olympia, tie balance of his fleet consist
ing of such cubs as the Boston, the
Raleigh, the Baltimore, the Petrol, ETC.,
he is entitled to lots of credit for enter
ing the harbor and tackling the Spanish
fleet and forts at the same time, as he
virtually ran into the lions mouth, so to
speak, for at the mouth of the bay is Tor
was) Corregidor and Eabilla, inside and
to the right is Cavite, to the left are the
Notifications of Old Manila, and in be-
tween was the Spanish feet. Admiral
Dewey is a distinguished looking officer,
but ont would not take him to be the
scrapper he is.
But what Dewey lacks in ships is fully
made up in sailors, and marines. They
are head and shoulders above anything
in Manila; and that is saying a great
deal, for England, Germany, France and
Japan are represented by numerous and
divers battleships, cruisers, gunboats,
ETC., and one has a good opportunity to
study the sailors of different nations.
The English and Americans are very
friendly and are to be seen very much
together, while the others each keep by
themselves.
Manila is a queer city to us "home-
steaders." It is about two hundred
years behind the times and is a disgust,
ing place on account of the Spanish,
Chinese and native population. The
city is divided by the Pasig river, a slug
gish stream, which is very deep at the
mouth, and which affords an excellent
harbor for sea going vessels. On the
right is Old Manila, entirely surrounded
by a stone wall about 16 #. high and
from 20 to 80 It. thick. The walls are
mounted with innumerable guns, most
Of which are obsolete. Everywhere are
to be found prisons and dungeons-.in
every nook and corner, in the walls
under public buildings, etc.-in fact
every place strong enough to fasteniron
bars to-all silent witnesses to Spanish
barbarity. In the old city were quarter:
ed the Spanish troops, and is the seat
Of government. All commercial business
is transactedfin New Manila, on the left
hand side of the river. This place is moi
fortified, and consists Of mass Of low
frame buildings, marrow streets, OK carts
one or two street cars, drawn by native
ponies; canals, Malays, Spanish
Chinese, Cannibals, water buffalo, mos
quitos. native gamblers, thieves, cut
throats, cockights, snakes, drunksr
soldiers and sailors, crooked streets
monkeys galore, handorgangrinders, ani
4 thousand other things too numerous II
mention-all going on at once inas1O