The evening times., 1898-07-12
SURPRISING a sPAN1ARD.
ExDerienee Of . GuDboat Lookina
for Mail at Manila.

Experfenee Of . Gun boat Looking
for Mail NJ Manila.
Baltimore. July R-The family Of Mr.
Henry c. Jarrett. signal quartermaster on
the cruiser Raleigh. now at Manila Bay.
received letter yesterday. dated May
1. giving an interesting account of tie
state Of affairs in that part Of the world.
and describing the lives led by the men
with the Asiatic squadron.
In his letter the writer says: "Just at
present we are doing the meanest duty
in the fleet. and that is blockading the
lower entrance Of the river running into
the center Of the city. The Spanish have
two or three gunboats and torpedo
launches still afioat, which we cannot
get at until the city surrenders. and
knowing their treacherous nature, We
are obliged to keep a very bright look
out for trouble. Our admiral told them
that as long as no treachery was at
tempted the city would not be molested,
but so surely as they commenced any
monkey business the governors palace
and the cathedral would go up in
smoke inside of two hours and that the
city would follow. Just now they are
very quiet. but that does not prevent US
from letting them know we are watching
and that on the first funny break they
make we will jump on them with both
feet.
I'VE are lying about five miles away
from the rest of the fleet. and every night
the lights are extinguished and armed
sentries placed all around the deck, with
the reserves sleeping on the main deck.
using for pillows six-inch shells. The
secondary battery Is kept loaded and the
crews on their feet. A sharp lookout In
kept circling around the ship all night at
about LOCO yards. Her orders are as soon
as she sees anything to burn a rocket,
and guarantee that thirty seconds after
that rocket has been seen we will be
ready TO take anything that comes along.
The duty is hard and the strain on
mans nerves is something fierce don't
mlnd getting into scrap, but to keep
on lying down night after night. not
knowing whether you will wake up to
find yourself sailing through the air.
with leg or arm missing or not, Is cer-
tainly not pleasant
Wednesday morning / saw the first
Spaniard / ever felt any sympathy for
SO far. just at daybreak We made out .
steamers lights on the southern side of
Corregidor Island, and as the daylight
grew stronger We made her out to be
small steamer, painted white. We at
once slipped our cable and steamed out
toward ber.t Imagine our surprise when
on getting closer We found her to be a
small gunboat. with big Spanish flag
nying away as gay as you please. She
came along as unconcernedly as il the
Spanish feet was in full possession OF
the harbor. instead of being sunk and
burned She was as pretty as picture
and we let her run along for a few min
utes. and then smacked six-pound
| sheii across her cutwater. To this she
paid no more attention than if 1t had
been nosegay of Spring flowers Then
our old man got hot and yelled out: If
they won't stop when politely requested
TO, why I'll stop her another way and
Immediately We sent a six-inch shell be-
tween her fore and main masts. the wind
from the shot taking away the breakfast
things spread OFT on the deck She stop
ped quickly enough then. and up went
the white flag She proved to be the
Callao, and had been down around the
extreme eastern part of the Philippine
group.
She had waited two weeks for her
| mali. and then thought she would come
up 10 Manila to see what was the mat
ter, not knowing war had been declared
and ran right into the lions mouth
When the lieutenant who commanded her
came on board and was told he was a
once In very polite manner requested
TO Know where the Spanish fleet was.
He was told that some of the ships had
| been sunk and the rest were run on the
beach and burned. The tears came into
the poor fellows eyes in a second. but
| he shrugged his shoulders and braveiy
asked what our captain intended doing
| with him and his men. He was utterly
crushed by the loss of the feet and his
| own ship. and had hard work to bear I'D.
] l smashed a fellow in the 'snoot' for
| laughing at him. am lighting Spaniards
at present. but / can't stand by and see
a fellow that is down on his luck and a
| good fellow besides, insuited even though
| he is an enemy.
There is no doubt among the boys
here that the Spaniards are going to hurt
some of US before we get through with
| this business. They are a treacharous
lot, and there has got to be some ha-d
| fighting before We get entire control Of
Manila"