The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-10-20
Letter from Manila,

Aboard U. s. s. Monterey:
Brother ge:-Your letter was re-
csivsd last week; the mail came In OH th,
transport Pennsylvania: the last U. s
mail left on the z,landia just before thu
| Pennsylvania got In, 80 l didn't have
ohancs to answer your letter before.
sent two or three had ready. We have
been SO busy have had but little time tt
write
Wo arrived hore on the morning Of Aug
ust 4th, after trip of % days from San
| Francisco and right glad we were to gel
here Nothing worth speaking Of hap
pened on the way. We stopped at tho La.
| ter lenvicg Honolulu. We stayed there
two days and coaled up off the Brutus.
The Charleston had been In ahead Of us
and taken this governor and few soldiers
along to Manila, SO We found no one but q
few natives aud ono white man, who hai
some kind OF store, We traded soap and
tobacco to the natives for fruit-bananas,
Lemons and cocoanuts. We would take a
bar OF sonp and cut 1t up into little pieces
and buy more with 1t than we could for IS
In cash. | gave one yonng man piece of
tobacco and the next day he brought mo
out basket Of lemons. one of pineapples,
q lot OF cocoanuts and some queer looking
shells.
Tho weather was fine all the way, and
tho sea- smooth as a mill pond. Most OF
tho time we could get out on deck all right
but il there was much of swell, we had
to got on the superstructure to keep from
getting wet. 1t was Il hot old trip for the
engineer force, but we stood 1t all right,
except one or two coal passers, who gave
out and no wonder, AS the hea, gets up to
l4o ana lou degrees in the fire room, when
all the boilers are going But one good
thing, the captain took IT oasy, only trying
to make about eight knots IN hour which
We could do easily, without having to use
forced draughts, a2d when the Brutus
would tow US wo'd have it easy for a few
days. suppose we were lowed abou: 5000
miles out of 1000 and only broke the tow
line once. The wire cable that made the
brldgs on ths bow OF the Monterey, broke
one night and they rugged out chain bri.
die after that AMI it worked all right. The
day before reaching Manila, while on tho
straits, the weather was rather rough; not
bad for q sea going vessel, but 1t made tho
old Monterey roll until the water came
over the superstructure
We came TO the entrance of the bhy IN
tho night Of tho 3d. but laid out unit,
morning, as we had had had no news since
leaving homo and didn't know how things
were at Manila. But We found Dewey
still waiting for u.s. and there was some
great cheorlng whom we steamed in among
the fleet; 1t kept us running from one sido
u the other to answer the cheers as wo
passed thu battls,hips guess 1t made
tho boys feel good deal easier when they
saw tho Monterey coming in with her IL.
inch guns all ready for business. The
situation had been rather grave for them
before VIZ came. Manila was well fortified
with modern guns, lO-inch Krupp. be-
llevc, and the Cadlz fleet was reported on
the way to tho Philippines and besides.
nf - II ,I,i l..
to DO spelling for a fight changed their
mind now When Dewey sent word that
we vera going to lombard the city tho
next morning, the Germans moved up the
pay and didn't como back for three days
suppose you have read In the papers of
tho surrender of Manila, and know more
about 1t than We do here, as We don't got
much news on board ship except what
happens among tho feet Wo laid here
from the 4th Til the 18Th, expecting every
day that We would begin action and bong
under fire Is not half so bad as laying
around waiting for orders On q ship
cleared for action, Is an uncomfortable
place to DO. Everything slowed away
cat on the rum sleep standing up, lights
az out at night, everything upside down.
We got orders to get ready two or three
times, but 1t was put off Every night We
could see the fire from tho guns between
the rebel and Spanish lines back of Mani
la. We got orders to get under way early
on the morning of the 18th, and started in
toward the forts with the Monterey in tho
lead. We steamed in tour bolls ahead"
until within about 300 yards of the forts.
then steamed around slowly, with guns
trained on main fort, the other ships stay
ing back of us and using the Monterey rs |
q breastwork. We had orders not to fire |
unloss they fred on US first with their 10.
inch guns.
The Olympia began firing on the fortl.
BY noon all the Spanish flags |
were down, except ono in the main fort,
and about clook we got word they had
and soon the last Spanish flag
came down and the glorious stars and
Stripes iioatsd In ts pla,s-and the taking
OF Manila was thing of tho past Right
glad Of 1t wero the fellows In the tireroom.
We had been below all day. with matches
battered down, and 1t gets pretty hot aftor
8 or hours In such a place; but the worst
was having to go without our dinner aud
not getting to fire shot. 1t was a walk
awny, but the opinion here 10 that II the
Monterey had not been present, the Span.
iards would have put up good fight, but
with our l3.inch guns frowning on them,
they thought it not worth whllo to pass
my compliments with us. The troops are
in charge Of the city now. The Spanish
soldiers arc allowed their freedom and seem
to got along all right with our boys, They
Nre allowed to keep their side arms to de-
fond themselves against the rebels, who
nre still on the fight, and we may have
trouble with them yet. Agulnaldo. their
leader, IL not to be depended upon, he is a
little follow, and looks like Jap
We are anchored at Caville. across the
bay from Manila. We are lying CLOSE to
threo sunken Spanish gunboats, the Isle
De Luzon, Renn Christine and Castelli. A
party of us in the launch went around the
point tho othor day and saw eight more Of
hem all close to shore, not more tn IN 400
or 500 yards off. Dewey has about 30 or 80
small river boats aud launches that no
captured, besides two gun boats, the Colao
hat was captured and whose captain. was
% he shot for not firing ON our fleet IS q
title toy gunboat not much larger than
good sized steam launch, no wonder no
lidn'B return the fire.
The natives came out to our ship In their
,anoes with truiG and cigars. Every body
'mokes good cigars these days. tho very
pest, only cost us one cont apiece Win
BRING you box when l come home.
They use Mexican money hero mostly,
iome Hong Kong money Any old thing
,oes. We got paid off In Mexican coin,
IS cents on the dollar. | drew $500 last
month and received 81 Mexican dollars for
tall could carry.
SoU cup ripDou from naIlVo VINO !
vas on the Spanish gunbcat, Islo DO Lu.
.on, which sunk that May morning; it was
he only thing have to send you ut pres
mt When l 60 ashore FL have chance
o pick up some souvenirs.
Tho weather Is fine, not any hotter than
,ack home, 1t rains good deal, but has
rot ralnad for three days now.
Three or four Of the ships have gone to
Hong Kong to give the boys chance to
ave liberty for u few days, We may go
here shortly.
There Is report out that the Monterey
8 going back home via China. Japan, and
he Siberian coast to Alaska and down
lome Don't suppose there is any truth
il IL.
Write soon, as letters are boon to us
Joys here SAMUEL J. MELLON