The San Francisco call., 1898-05-04
Philippine Insurgents Are at the Gates of
 Manila.
Pillage and Massacre Follow the Capture of Several
 Villages.
Mail Advices Report Frequent Clashes Between Spaniards
 and Natives.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

1 TACOMA, May 3.-Manila advices to April s, received to-day via Hongkong, state the Philippine insurgents were then crowding around Manila, gradu- ally working their way into the sub urbs. They had just manufactured some cannon. with which thew were causing town after town to surrender. These cannon were made of boiler tubes bound tight with telegraph wire se- cured from demolished land lines be- tween Manila and the cable station at Bolinao. Miles of telegraph wire were carried off to make cannon, which the natives call lantaccos.
 Subsequent to March 15 the railroad l running out of Manila was thrice torn up to prevent the transportation of Spanish troops.
 Invariably these raids were followed by the destruction of neghboring vil- lages. The plan generally pursued was to mount battery of their improvised cannon on hill overlooking a village, compelling it's surrender
 The insurgents have been animated by one desire-to pillage and destroy in order to induce the peaceably inclined native classes to share in their desper- ate endeavor to overthrow Spanish domination. With this object they have overrun the provinces of Nueva Excija, Bulacan, Tarlac and Pangasinan
 Wherever they have appeared ruin and rapine has been recorded, while villa ges were burned and rice crops de- stroyed. The former insurgent leaders were men of high intelligence while the present leaders are brutal and destruct- i've, some wanting to be bought off as were General Aguinaldo and his asso- ciates in January.
 The insurgents have become so strong that the loyalty of native Span- 1sh troops in the islands was consid- cred doubtful two months ago, and late in March volunteers were disarmed. Desertions from the two remaining na- tive regiments continued to be numer- ous, the deserters being welcomed by the rebels because they brought arms and ammunition.
 Spanish General Monet and 1000 sol diers arrived at Bolinao in March to protect the cable station there. En route from Lingayen they had five en- counters with the insurgents, both sides suffering losses. The garrisons and the priests of seven neighboring villages had been killed, only six sol diers escaping. The garrison at Bolinao was spared only because the English cable staff resided there. Some of the other villages were surrendered on condition that the garrisons, after lay ing down their arms, should be allowed to go to the nearest friendly villages. The insurgents failed to keep their promises and soldiers were killed as soon as disarmed.
 General Monet left 500 soldiers at Bolinao and returned to Manila with the other 800 by cruiser. The rebels en- deavored on March Il to seize the Bolinao cable station, but were driven back They were preparing for an other attack when Spanish gunboat arrived and landed a company of ma rines. Heavy firing continued between the station and the rebel camp, many rebels and one soldier being killed.
 On March 13 a British gunboat ar rived and the rebels retired. The Spanish were thus undoubtedly in pos session of the cable station when the battle of Manila was fought last Sum- day.