New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-21
THE SITUATION AT MANILA.
u,v THE CITY WILL FALL Is uNCEh'
TAIN-AUGUSTTS FORCES AND
DEFENCES.
Try TELEGRAPH TO the TRiBuNE.I


,,orila Bay. June 23 with Admiral Deweys
snc, of Manila), via Victoria. b. c.. July u
,.opua. with her glitter of batteries is in plain
e,h, Of the fleet, Her church steepies' me
,onss Of her palaces and her large buildings
IT,. Z, the bright sunlight AT night the cleo
30, urhts burn brilliantly. on one hand her
.,,,,hs may nearly all be entered and men
Oo,ne and so from the foreign fleet. ana ther
,.r,.o,iops are rubIic property in this fleet
!, is known that the rebels are sorely harass-
49,. tho city on all sides and the absolute block
- maintained by Admiral Dewey has made
,cr, and eaunt city. Practically every move
IT., "a made Is known yet with all that there Is
nan here prepared to foretell the fall. no one
.roroce1 70 saw how II is going to happen. II
:. % .reelv predicted that there will be blood
- CONTINUATION as il Is that there will be
49,, and bloody resistance. and as often vouched
n, ,bere will be a few shots fired for honor's
10 os u is that there Will be a short bonn
,srdment followed 10y a charge on the TANKS
and rear
SPANISH WAR RATIONS.
The Standards in Manila are eating dog and
horse and buffalo but it may prove either the
0sa, Of bitterness or meekness The temper or
,,o standards and the limit upon their power Of
rbvsical conditions. and in the advantage of the
Americans there is no uncertainty. Dewey can
s,ean, his fleet TO long range and destroy every
battery and building in the city. The Spanish
have some good guns on the waterfront of the
CITY and the bombardment may be attended by
some loss to the American fleet. That is
nroblem with the element of chance
Augustus gunners VIGOROUSLY poor. and
Hra Dewey
have the advantage of being in motion. at long
range. until he has silenced the heavier guns,
end IN the fact that he is firing into shore where
ar,. shot will tell In the wreck OF buildings
and the shock and fire of explosives the position
Of the enemy will become momentarily more UNI
,epahle The extent to which the Spanish may
retire will be limited TO the American and In
,urgent lines surrounding the city. There may
come the struggle. for the Spaniards have bur-
rowed in Entertainments and fortified hills and
knobs for their final stand. 1t is known here
that every energy is bent within the city TO pre-
pare il for the final struggle. The people arc
exhorted by the clergy and military authorities
and their hopes buOyed by false reports as 10
relief from Spain and Spanish triumphs in the
West Indies and along the Atlantic Coast
FORCES UNDER AUGUSTA
can muster 10000 troops. No one seriously be-
ueves that he can marshal 10000 and II they
are no better than the poor fellows he has sent
against the insurgents il does not matter how
many of them he has The city seems as nearly
ready for the conflict as the material In the
hands of the Spanish can make 1t. 1t is be-
Neved here that the measure Of Dewey taken
on May has inspired respect in some quarters.
hut that the helplessness OF the city Is not gen.
orally appreciated.
Spanish officers lounge about cafes and clubs
and between pufYs from their cigars talk big
and boast Of their security and the inability OF
the Americans TO take the city. August no
doubt realizes his position for his guns have
Kept the silence enjoined by Admiral Dewey.
When the warning is given that the city must
crpituate or abide by the horrible results of
his refusal he will probably weaken. Dewey
aid his men and ships can be depended upon 10
do their work with dashng bravery. They are
ready and anxious for the end. Dewey should
have had the Oregon when she started from San
Francisco to the Atlantic Coast. and when that
chance to strengthen his hand gone the
Monterey and the Monadnock should have been
rushed to him
There is not a coward In Dewey's fleet and not
a ship that cannot whip her equal but he lacks
single armored vessel One would be useful If
for nothing else than the moral effect upon the
Jealous foreigners. His position is necessarily
trying one. and II would be n lasting regret to
see circumstances which he could not overcome
dim the lustre OF his victory. May he never
know the need of a ship heavier than the Olym-
pia, but If he should 1t would be well that 1t be
within reach Of his signal flags.