Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1898-08-20
HOW MANILA FELL.
Dewey Began Bombarding the City
on an Hours Notice.
After Two Hours tho Spanish Commands
surrsndored-Our Troops stormsd the
Trenches, Sweeping All Before
Them-A Humane Piap.

| Dewey gave ucn. AuRuStl IN nOur IN
which TO surrender ut the time Of the
last demand made ON Saturday. Gen.
Augusta refused to comply. Tho bonn
bardment which began ut $3.50 q. m,
was continued for two hours, and then
the Americans stormed the trenches,
sweeping all before them. Those
within the walls attempted no resist
ance. The frst Colorado volunteers
stormed the outer trenches and drove
the Spaniards into tho second limo Of
defenses. Then the American troops
swept on, driving oil the Spaninrds
into the inner fortified tions, where
the Spanish commander, seeing
that further resistance was useless,
hoisted the white flag and surrendered.
Tho losses, American and Spanish. are
not yet known. The Spaniards In the
trenches probably numbered s. 200 men.
The American attacking force num-
bered 10. 900 and the Americans were
better armed. better trained and In
better condition. The foreign feets
watched the bombardmcnt with acute
interest The American warships en-.
gagged were the Olympia, Petrol, Ra-
leigh, McCulloch, Boston, Monterey,
Charleston and Baltimore. The Span
iards assert that the fire of the Ameri-
cans for the most part fell Short the
only effective fire being from q small
gunboat armed with quick-fring
guns that was close In shore.
1t Is also asserted by the Span.
iards that "the Americans lost
heavily in the storming, owing to the
faulty construction Of their intrcnch-
ments. which the Spaniards could
command from the heights and upon
which they poured q calling fire."
The Spanish trench extended around
Manila ut distance Of from two to
four miles from the walled city, form
ing q circle ten miles In circumfer-
ence, and 1t was impossible, the Span
iards say, to hold so long line against
the American attack. Admiral Dewey
and Gen. Merritt, 1t Is reported, had
issued orders to spare all except armed
defenses OF the city and consequently
the town Is understood TO have been
but little damaged. Some street fight
ing between the insurgents and the
Spaniards occurred on the outskirts,
but order prevailed within the walled
section.
Dewey Spared All He Could.
London, Aug. !7.-The Manila cor
respondent Of the Daily Telegraph,
says: Nothing could be more humane
than the American capture Of the
town. Gen. Merritt and Admiral
Dewey's plan was to spare every OBJ
ject but the armed defcnses and the
trenches. Apparently the American
losses were extremely small. Tho
Spanish intrenchments varied in point
OF distance from two to four miles
from the center Of Old Manila. Defend
ing this long line Of ut least ten miles
were not over, and probably under, 5, 900
Spanish regular troops, volunteers and
natives. About half that number were
in the hospital. The attacking forcc
from 10000 to 90, 900 natives
and 10000 Americans ON shore and
aboard the feet In every respect the
advan tage was on the side of the 1T
tack. The American field guns threw
heavier metal and had longer range
than the Spanish; the craftsmanship
Of the United States gunners was
much superior to that OF the Spaniards,
and the men were stronger and In bet
struggle.
The attacking squadron formed in
line between Malate and Old Manila,
with the Concord watching the fort ut |
The mouth of the Pasig. The Amer.
lean feet lay outside the breakwater.
The Olympia fred the first shot Mt 9:40,
and fairly continuous, but by no means |
furious, cannonade was kept up until |
ll:ao. BY that time the Malate fort was |
silenccd and the American troops had |
stormed the intrenchmenta The
Spaniards who were in the earthworks
tell me that the quick-firing guns
,f the little gunboat Rapido, which
ay close to the shore, were far more
terrible in their effect than was the
.aking fire Of the ships. Resistance
70 the American attack was impossible.
The Spanish commander, convinced
hat further resistance was hopeless,
,oisted white flag ut 1880. and the
rider to cease firing wns Immediately
ssued Ia the center OF the town, but
n the outskirts street fighting contin.
led for some time afterWard between