Omaha daily bee., 1898-08-18
DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN DETAILS.
Little New Learned Concerning the
Battle mt Manila.

fOttIc NJ
HONG KONG, Aug. 1.-THE American
collier Zafiro, from Manila, which arrived
here yesterday, is anchored in Junk bay.
1t left Manila on the 14th A typhoon Is
raging and it is impossible to land the mails
with details of the battle at Manila.
1t is learned, however, from an American
naval officer when Dewey. on August 6,
demanded the surrender of Manila within
forty eight hours. the Spaninsh commander
replied that the insurgents being outside the
walls, he had no safe place fol the women
and children who were in the city and
asked for twentyfour hours delay. This
Admiral Dewey granted. At the expiration
Of the specified time, Admiral Dewey and
General Merritt consulted and decided to
postpone the attack.
On August l3 the American squadron
formed in line off Manila. The Olympia
fired the first shot at the Malate fort. The
shots of the Americans fell short and some
time was occupied in finding the range.
Then the Callao. one OF the gunboats cap
tured by Admiral Dewey from the Span
iards, got under the fort and sent in hot
fire. Great destruction was done with the
rapid-fire guns. The fort failed to reply,
but fired on the American troops that were
storming the Spanish trenches. The large
American ships were ordered to cease firing
after an hours work. owing to the failure
Of the fort to respond.
The fighting in the trenches was most
fierce. Fifteen minutes after the Spaniards
were driven to the second line of defense
they were forced to retreat to the walled
city, where, seeing the uselessness of re-
sistance, they surrendered and soon after
wards white flag was hoisted over Manila.
The Belgian consul at Manila. NJ. Andre,
boarded the Olympia and returnc;. with an
American lieutenant to the Spanish military
governor, who agreed to surrender. Gem
eral Merritt proceeded to the palace at $3.50
and the Spanish formed in line and formally
surrendered, but the officers were permitted
to retain their swords.
The American loss is reported to be six
or eight killed and forty wounded. The
Spanish loss was considerable, but the ex-
act numbers are not obtainable The
trenches We're filed with badly wounded
Spaniards. Manila is now under martial
law, with General Merritt as military gov
ernor.
The California Red Cross society rendered
valuable aid to the sick and wounded Per-
feet order prevailed in Manila on the even
ing OF August 49, AS the Americans
marched in guards were placed around the
/ houses of all foreigners in order to pre-
vent their being looted
The insurgents were not allowed to take
part in the attack upon the city, but were
Kept in the rear of the Americans In
order to prevent bloodshed, they were for
bidden to enter the city after the surrender
unless they were unarmed.
Before the surrender the Spaniards burned
the transport Cebu in the Pasig river 1t is
supposed that Admiral Dewey was unaware
OF the dpuarturo nj
gusti. The Zafiros officer first heard ths
news OF the governor generals flight on
their arrival here. General Augustus ear
cape Is considered to have been prearranged
as he brought with him his family and
suite.
Advices from Madrid.
MADP!D, Aug. LIT is now asserted thai
General Augusti left Manila after the sur.
render. The government has received his
report giving details as to the surrender
but 1t is not yet ready to publish it,
1t is asserted that General Augusti on
August Z, refused all propositions to sur
render.
The second dispatch from the ADMIRAL had
not been deciphered up to noon. Both were
received early in the day and after the
first one had been translated Acting Sec
retary Allen carried it over to the White
Iiouse anu ialu III DeIOfe the president
While 1t bore out the news already brought
by press dispatches, yet it established the
additional point that some 1000 prisoners
OF war were now held by the American
commanders and that no casualties in the
navy or damage to ships had occurred.
Surrender In Important.
Now that the surrender Is Officially re-
ported, 1t can be stated that Manila is be-
ing held by virtue OF the military occupa-
tion and surrender and not by virtue OF
the protocol, The difference is said to
amount to little in practical results yet
such AS 1t is all officials agree that the
occupation is the result OF the combined
military and naval operations. According
to Admiral Deweys dispatch the surrender
occurred about p m. last Saturday. The
peace protocol was signed at 4:2S D, m on
Friday. 1t is said that the difference in
time between Manila and Washington is such
that the surrender reckoGed on Washing
ton time, would be about twelve hours
ahead OF the time at Manila, or about > a.
m Saturday morning. In point OF actual
time. therefore, the signing of the protocol
preceded the actual surrender of Manila by
few hours. But IL Is a well established
rule OF military law accented the world