The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-08-18
CAPTURING MANILA.
A London Correspondents Report of the
Bombardment aud Capitulation.

A london Correspondents Report of the
Bombardment aud CapituiatiOn.
London, Aug. 1.-THE Manila corre-
spondent of The Daily Telegraph, tele-
graphing Saturday, says:
Nothing could be more humane than
the Americans capture of the town. The
plan of General Merritt and Admiral
Dewey was to spare every object but
the armed defenses and the trenches.
Apparently the American losses were
extremely small. The Spanish intrench-
ments varied in point of distance from
two to four miles from the center of
Old Manila
Defending this long line of at least
10 miles were not over, and probably
under. 5000 Spanish regular troops, vol
unteers and natives. About half that
number were in hospitals. The attack
ing force numbered from 10000 to 10000
natives and 10000 Americans on shore
and aboard the fleet. In every respect
the advantage was on the side of the
attack The American field guns threw
heavier metal and had longer range
than the Spanish, the craftsmanship of
the American gunners was much SUI
perior to that of the Spaniards and the
men We're stronger and in better condi-
tion. The Spaniayds are small race
compared with their stalwart oppo-
nents, and worn out by 100 days siege
and disappointed by the failure of the
arrival of the promised Spanish relief
squadron, they had lost heart. 1t was
a hopeless struggle
Looking over the bay it was curious
to notice foreign fleets arrange them
selves according to their sympathies-
the English and Japanese near the
Americans and the Germans and French
on the opposite sides Of the bay north
of the Pasig river The British cruiser
Immortalite and her consorts kept fair
ly near the American line. The attack
ing squadron formed a line between
Malate and Old Manila, with the Con-
cord watching the fort at the mouth of
the Pasig. The American fleet lay out
side the breakwater
THE Olympia fired the first shot at
9:40, and fairly continuous but by no
means furious cannonade was kept up
until 11:20. By that time the Malate
fort was silenced. and the American
troops then stormed the intrenchments.
Spaniards who were in the earthworks
tell me that the quick firing guns of the
little gunboat Rapido which lay close
to the shore, were far more terrible in
their effects than was theS raking fire
of the ships.
Resistance to the American attack
was impossible. The First Colorado reg
iment was the earliest to charge the
Spaniards, who retired to the second
line, but soon, outnumbered, they were
forced into the old city. A part of Ma
late suffered severely from the bonn
bardment. The vaunted intramuros de-
fenses were not tried.
THE Spanish commander, convinced
that further resistance was hopeless,
hoisted a white flag at 1870, and the or
der to cease firing was Immediately is
sued in the center of the town, but in
the outskirts street fighting continued
for some time afterward between the
rebels and Spaniards.
"The only fear felt in the city is in
regard to the conduct of the insur-
gents AS 1 write this in the house Of
the German consul a brisk fusillade is
going on between the combatants, and
musketry fire is rafting all around"
Apparent Breach of Neutrality.
The Times, in an editorial article this
morning, says:
CAS- the signing Of the protocol could
not have been known when the Germans
arranged to remove Governor General
Augustin. the transaction comes re-
rnarkably near deliberate breach OF
neutrality. But for the German action
General Augustin would have been the
most important prisoner of war. The
whole story decidedly wants a,splana-
ton
The Hongkong correspondent of The
Times, commenting upon the reticence