Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-29
RECENT SCENES IN MANILA.
A City Of Narrow Streets Filled With
Mean-Looking Structures.

AAV"u 000AAAoS IVA ~N'~ASS'
AN ANCIENT CITADEL-IT WAS
BUILT IN THE EARLY DAYS OF
SPANISH COLONIZATION WHILE
MALAY PIRATE FLEETS INFEsT-
ED THE SURROUNDING WATERS.
OLD GUMS WHICH ARE WORTH
LESS FOR WAR. BUT WOULD
GRACE A MUSEUM.
Manila, June a., via Hong Kong,.-
Rear Admiral Dewey, always cour-
teous and always cordial to press men,
was good enough to assure the CORES
pondent that he could go just where
he liked, and when he liked. For the
present, the American commander
said, accommodation might be found on
one of the American transports at Ca
vite, or, if so desired, the correspond
ent could go ashore, on which ever side
he chose, and take his chances with
the Spaniards or rebels. The cores
pendent finally fixed on Manila itself,
not entirely deprived of mail facili-
ties, thanks to the courtesy Of Admiral
Dewey and the foreign naval authori-
ties
Manila consists of an ancient, walled
citadel, a large struggling business
town and wide fringe of suburban
townships, where business men have
their private residences. The "itre
muros" quarter contains now only OFF,
cialdom in its glory, the government
offices, the governor generals palace,
the treasury, the army and navy head
quarters, and, more potent than all
others, the head establishments of the
rival religious orders, the cathedral
and the proverbial few remaining
bricks" with which the archbishop has
erected a palace, more imposing and
more magnificent than any other
building in Manila.
THE CITADEL
was built in the early days of Spanish
colonization, when there were frequent
alarms and assaults from all sides, from
the sea by the Dutch and British, and
sometimes by the pirate fleets of the
Malays from the Southern islands,
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 thus been threatened from
the surrounding hills.
The old walls, armed as well with
old guns, would do little against an en-
envy in these days. As ornaments, rel
les of antiquity or picturesque features
of the old city, they are very appro-
pirate, but as serious hope of saliva
ton against a modern fleet they are
pitiable and ridiculous. There are in
deed some batteries along the sea
front, under the walls, too, 1 think, of
1O-inch calibre, and about dozen
smaller, all apparently modern breech-
leaders. OF all the other guns l cannot
say much because the Spanish are so
bitter against the British and suspic-
ious OF spies, that it is unsafe to be
seen looking at anything There
seems to be no hope of saving the cit
adel If Admiral Dewey chooses to bonn
bard. He has squadron of guns that
are good up to LOCO yards easily, and
at that n;4
enough mark to ensure that everv-
thing would fall. On the other hand
the Spaniards have not more than a
dozen guns that can do anything at
5000 yards, and they would not have
whole city to aim at, only six small
grey specks, very easy to miss and not
very easy to hit.
COURAGE IS A FINE THING.
but to shut up a crowd of women and
children inside a stone wall and make
the enemy blow the wall down is not
courage; it Is CHASTITY homicidal. The
walled city Is in the triangle of tho
wall to the South rivers mouth. Along
the sea front, facing westward is q
narrow strip of lowland, on which
works were started some years ago
and then neglected. Two breakawavs
were begun, and extended a little wav
out, stacks Of concrete blocks. iron
rails and derricks and other things
were accumulated, several fortunes
were made by officials concerned and
the work is at a standstill.
Along the water front under the old
city wall are several improvised hat
teries with guns that look like six-incb
breech leaders. Above these. on ton
of the wall. are the Anticipated Officers
already mentioned.
At one corner of the city I'D the riv-
er little, is the Santiago port. of solid
masonry, with good guns we'll able IN
repel any enemy trying to enter tho
river; but in the absence of anv sucb
attack the fort seems to be wastes.
hardly any use for general defense
purposes. At the other end of the CITY
the southwest corner, is another fort
which commands the whole bay and
the landward approach as well and This
is supplemented by the Turta battery.
a little way along the shore from the
city wall, with two powerful guns. an