The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-11

Paid 20 the Colorado boys the day before. Tho
Nebraska men worked on both sides OF their
parapet. making two bitches, the dirt from both
OF which they heaped on the long pile that
gradually rose 10 q height Of nearly seven feet
all along the line. Behind the parapet the
ditch was made wide but shallow, so that water
would not stand in Il. Vain hope! Water will
stand in a boot track anywhere on that field
after such rains as We are having now.
About seventy yards west OF the road stands
the ruin OF an old Capuchin chapel. Il was In
good condition when this rebellion began, but
many bullets and shells have wrecked It almost
completely. In the centre o.. IL north and south
a wide hall runs through from east to west.
On the east the trench began Just north OF the
big double door that opened into this hall and
ran straight to the road. On the west, on the
sea side, the trench Joined the chapel at the
north corner. Earth was piled against the
north end OF the chapel to the height OF
six or seven feet. up to the level OF
the two iron-barred windows. At the beach
the parapet jumps forward about i've yards
and then swings across the eight or ten yards
Of beach to the wreck OF an old caisson. such as
the Spaniards used in Cavite to fill with rocks
and put In front Of their ships as improvlsed
armor. At the base of the inside ofthe parapet
there is a solid shoulder projecting out about
two feet all along the line for the men to stand
on when they rise up to fire over the earth
work. Along the top of the parapet there are
notches and peepholes for the lookouts.
On Saturday. July 80. the work was far
enough advanced to place some artillery In
position. and light batteries A and b OF the
Utah Battalion sent forward two guns, each
with eiGht men TO a gun. under OF
their Lieutenants. The guns OF Battery A were
placed or the right Of the chapel. about eaui-
distant from 1t and the road. Battery BIS guns
were placed at the left OF the chapel. a little to
the east OF the line OF bamboos that fringes the
beach.
FIRST AMERICAN BLOOD SPILLED.
The spaniards kept whacking away at our
boys occasionally on Saturday. but did no
damage whatever at the trench. Further down
the road. however. at the barricade where the
footpath crosses the road north Of the Pasai
road, they drew the first American blood that
was let in the conquest OF the Philippine
Islands. Private w. Fl. Sterling OF Company
X. First Colorado. was the man hit. His
regiment had been relieved by the Nebraska
boys at 10 O'Clock and was returning to camp.
AS he was marching along a bullet that had
been fired high came Town the road and took
him In the muscle In the upper part Of the left
arm. 1t stung and it bled. but 1t didn't hurt
very much and did no serious damage. Sterling
nll bOOh 10 hhS WIN tuh So - ~
never had been hit by a Spanish bullet.
AsToR BATTERY's POWDER SPOILED
Saturday afternoon the report came over to
Cavite that the Aston battery had been moved
up into the trenches, but it was a mistake.
The Astor battery had no ammunition. When
the Astors were landed from the Newportthere
was a nasty surf running and their cascos
could not get in to the beach. They waded
ashore and dragged their guns through the
surf. Their ammunition was soaked. 1t had
been bought as waterproof. but Capt. March
took no chances and examined one OF the big
brass shells. He found that the water had got
into 1t and turned the powder to mush. So he
had the whole lot examined and found nearly
all spoiled. The bad powder was taken out
and thrown away and the Astors are now re-
loading their shells with powder given them by
Admiral Dewey.
On Saturday night the Spaniards put a little
more spirit into their work, and peppered away
in lively fashion. The breastwork was nearly
finished. and the Nebraska boys took no
chances by trying to go on with their work ut
it. Col. BRETT had them all inside the parapet.
They kept as sharp a lookout as was possible in
the nasty night, and for the rest sat tight. max
ing no reply to the Spanish fire. The result was
that no one was hurt. They had thrown pickets
out to their right, across the road beyond the
line OF intrenchment. There was no effort to
flank them. and the pickets had no work to do.
The Utah artillerymen tore up part of the
floor OF the old chapel and built platforms for
their guns to keep them out OF the mud and
water as much as possible. and to make a COM
paratively easy place for landing them. The
embrasures were strengthened and closed up
as much as possible. and when that was done
the rest OF the lumber was turned into shacks
haatda tho 01tnG info whioh the vonnO arfiIlorv-
men from Utah crawled and went to sleep.
sheltered from the rain. and as little concerned
about the Spanish bullets as they were about
the water. which fell in torrents from the I'M
friendly skies upon the Nebraska infantrymen.
On Sunday morning, July 81. the Tenth
Pennsylvania relieved the First Nebraska in
the trench. and q new detachment Of Utah men
went up to man the four runs Of their batter
les. The men worked along that day com
pletinR the parapet and strengthening 1t.
and were undisturbed by the Spaniards. who
were hardly wide enough awake to keep up the
desultory fire with which they had tried to
annoy the Colorado and Nebraska men on the
two previous days.
THE SPANISH TRENCHES.
The Spanish trench is about $50 yards from
that occupied by the Americans. 1t begins at
the beach south OF the Polvorm. outside the old
IOrI al mdldUe' ana runs nOrlnedSC unJlI III clearS
the fort. then turns to the east and runs In a
straight line well out beyond the Gamma Real.
1t is a solid looking fertilization. with plenty OF
rocks in the parapet, and topped with sandbaGs.
In front Of 1t. to the south. q small creek wrig-
giles about over the low. swampy field. A road
which leads from the fort to the Gamma
Real crosses this creek by a stone bridge.
which has been piled high with sand
bags. About $50 yards in front Of our
trench a little strip Of tall grass runs across the
open field from the beach to the road. Further
north about $50 yards runs the trench the
Spanish occupied at first. but from which they
retreated q couple Of weeks ago when the In
surgents got their battery Of old smoothbores
at work down the road q little way. The coun.
try between the two trenches is low and level
About the Gamma Real the field. which is fairly
open nearer the beach. is full of punches OF
scrub. here and there a banana growing wild
Ts