The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-29

Copyright, 1898 by the A ssociated Press.)
Manila, July %, via Hongkong Cor
respondence of the Associated Press.)
Rear Admiral Dewey, always cordial
to press men, was good enough to as
sure this correspondent that ne could
go just where he liked, when he liked
and how he liked. For the present, the
American commander said, accommo-
dation might be found on one OF the
American transports at CaVlte OF, IL
so desired, the correspondent couid go
ashore on whichever side ne choSe,
and take his chances with the Span
iards or rebels. 1t was, however one
thing to say 'go everywhere you
please" and quite a different matter to
say how Admiral Dewey, with all
good will, had no Information at his
disposal to indicate which place was
likely to be best for getting all the
news and communicating to the out
side world.
The correspondent finally fixed on
Manila itself, not entirely deprived of
mail facilities, thanks to the courtesy
of Admiral Dewey and the foreign
naval authorities. Moreover, Manila
was bound to be an exciting place to
live in. Even without a bombardment
a besieged city must be center OF
excitement. Sooner or later the food
supply must run short. The Span
iards had declared that they would
fight to the last; and, even an over
whelming force cannot capture stub
mornly defended town without a severe
struggle Then, what would the ma
tive population do? The native troops
would probably keep up fierce fighting
on the Spanish side, so long as the
Spanish troops kept lookout on them,
and then they would be mostly fo und
on the other side, actuated chiefly by
a desire to save the island. of the mon
combatant natives with the Spaniards
now, it is impossible to predict any
thing when the town falls, If iii is to
fall. They may at the last moment
take arms on either side, but it seems
just as likely that they will maintain
an attitude of calm Indifference and
sit still. looking on in mere idle wonder
as the Chinese did in many villages
when invaded by the Japanese in 1894.
Manila consists of an ancient walled !
citadel, a large struggling business
town and a wide fringe of su burban !
towns where the business men have |
their private residences.
The ''intremueros" quarter contains |
now only officiaidom in all its glory, |
the government offices, the governor |
generals palace. the treasury and |
army and navy headquarters and more !
potent than all others, the head estab- !
lishments of the rival religious orders, |
the cathedral and the proveTbial. |
Few remaining bricks" with which |
the archbishop has erected a palace |
more imposing and more magnificent
than any building in Manila.
The citadel was built in the early
days of Spanish colonization, when
there were frequent alarms and as
saults from all sides, from the sea
by the British and Dutch and some
times by the pirate fleets of Mahom-
medan Malays, from the Southern is
lands, while the natives of LuZon have
never been quiet for long at time and
the present is by no means the first |
time the city has been threatened from
the surrounding hills.
USELESS GUNS.
The old walls, armed with guns as
old, would be very well to keep out an
enemy in those days, but of all the
scores of guns 1 have seen in the walls,
I doubt if there is even one which
would have been even modern in Nell
sons day. AS ornaments, relics Of
antiquity or picturesque features Of
the old city, they are very appropriate,
but as a hope of salvation against a
powerful modern fleet they are pitiful
and ridiculous. There are. indeed, some
better batteries along the sea front, ]
under the walls, two, I think of ten
inch calibre, and about a dozen
smaller, all apparently modern breech- (
leaders OF the other guns, can't say {
much, as the Spaniards are so bitter
against the British and so suspicious
that 1t is unsafe to be seen looking
much about But it is palpable that,
even with good guns, there is absolute
Y no hope OF saving the citadel if Adj \
niral Dewey chooses to lombard. He |
las a squadron full of guns that are l
good up to 5000 yards easily, and at /
hat range, a walled city is a good r
oh 1.ly rn hot I
would tell. I
on the other hand, the Spaniards t
lave not more than a half dozen guns p
hat can do anything at 5000 yards, n
md they would not have a whole city o
c aim at, only six small gray specks. t
'ery easy to miss and not easy 70 hurt, a
ven when hit. V
Courage is a fine thing, but to shut
lp a crowd of women and children in fl
ide a stone wall is not courage: it is t
hastily homicidal mania. s.
The walled city is in the angle of p
and south of the rivers mouth. Along G.
he sea front, facing westward, is n
arrow strip of land, on which recla- h
latios works were started some years Il
go and LEFT. The idea was to make ST
reakwaters ard a fine artificial har- Il
or. Two breaSwaters were begun Il
nd extended d little way out, stacks W
f concrete blocks, iron rails and der fC
cks and other things were accumu- m
tied, several fortunes were made by HI
iEcials cncerned, and the work is at W
standstill. IL
Along the water front under the old ii
ity wall are several imDrovised bat re
cries. with guns that look like 6-inch W
reech-loa Gers. About these, on top of ST
ne wall, are the antiquated objects ala
lady mentioned.
At one corner of the city, I'D the
yer little, is the Santiago fort of M
did masonry, with good guns well ds
1apted to attack anything apt to enter
he river. but in the absence of such
tack the fort seems to be of hardly
ny use for general defense purposes. 70
AFRAID OF DEWEY.
At the other end of the city, the a
uthwest corner, is another fort which =
'mmands the whole bay and the land >
ard approaches as well, and this is 4
by the Tureta battery, a N
tie way along the shore from the city q
all, with two powerful guns, appar- ~
lily Eine or ten-inch, which fired on ~
e American ships ineffectively until
dmiral Dewey sent word that if they ar
ed on him again he would have no hi,
'tion but to proceed with lombard CIR
ent- The threat sufficed to silence
e Spanish then; why, therefore, do
ey not recognize that they are en- at
rely in his power the moment he
IoOses to exercise it? If they shrank !
ON the sight of his guns then, why "a,
} they still keep up the farce of defy Rr
3 him? 20;
Across the river. north OF the walled
", is the large and-hourishing bust
IS town The central mart iS rolIad