The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-07-23
THE CONDITION AT MANILA.
Deweys Courtesy and the Desperai
Straits OF the Spanish Army.

Dewey's Courtesy and the Desperate
Straits OF the Spanish Army.
Manila, May 2g.-The British gunboai
Swift arrived here few days ago from
Hong Kong with mail which Il was
thought the American commander might
not see his way TO pass for fear OF Q
technical breach OF the blockade; but tn
made no objection So all the mails went
ashore and welcome they were to the
blockaded Manila residents.
There are business firms with immense
interests at stake depending on mail ad
vices. now that the cables are cut. For q
few days the Ilollo cable was used. mes
sages being forwarded thence by boat tc
La Buan. but that did not last long. for
the Americans found out that the Span
iards were communicating with their
home government on war matters and
they stopped II. The last message said
that a squadron OF four armored crui-
sers. accompanied by coal ships and car
rying torpedo boats and troopships with
l2,00O soldiers on board, had left Spain
for the Philippines.
Admiral Dewey has been most courte-
Gus and obliging. He readily gave per-
mission TO visit the arsenal at Cavite,
where however. there Is nothing to be
seen Of interest Cavite Is on a low
sandy point about eight miles from Ma
Mia as the crow flies. but nearly thirty
miles by road, as there is a broad bay in
tervening, and the shores are rocky toI
some distance inland. The Cavite PEN
insula points in the direction Of Manila
and is joined to the mainland by low
narrow isthmus. where in last years re-
bellion two bodies of Spanish troops met
and mistoop each other. over a thousand
OF the soldiers losing their lives through
the blunder.
At the end Of the peninsula are two
points, a large one outside named Sang
ley, a small one. Cavite proper. on the in
ner side. jutting out between the upper
and lower parts Of Cavite bay. On Sang
ley point is the slipway for repairing
ships and a small battery Of two Krupp
l5-centimetre guns. At the Cavite ar
senal several Of the oldest type Of Arm
strong muzzle- loading 6-inch guns are
mounted apparently for ornament, with
symetrical mounds of round shot along
side. In the arsenal inclosure are build
ings of the usual sort, machine sheds,
ammunition, stores, etc.
The engine shop Is kept in good order
by the Americans. II Is small. but use
full. The machinery mostly bears the
names OF English makers and has been
maintained in a satisfactory state OF re-
pair. All the rest-magaZines, officers
quarters, hospital and barracks. had been
looted first by the Spanlards, then by
the rebels. Here and there the buildings
show a great shot hole, but there was
little shelling OF the place. The Spanish
ships in the bay, however, tell dreadful
and terrible tale. The poor old Castila Is
the worst, though she shows the least,
for she Is almost entirely submerged. She
was a wooden cruiser and all her wood
work is burned to the waters edge, leav-
ing the metal skeleton, the ribs and
frames, tunnels, ventilators, ash holsts
and gun shields battered. perforated in a
thousand spots and hammered and twisted
out of position and almost out of recog-
nitlon.
She is wonderful, terrible testimony OF
the destructiveness of modern weapons
we'll handled. 1t is the most shocking OBJ
ject lesson that the friends of peace could
possibly adduce, the picture of number
of men and boys cooped up for two hours
on floating target to be shot to bits
with large and small projectiles, mang-
ling, mutiating and numbering mercl-
lessly.
The Castillo was so old that when she
had perforce to venture out of Manila bay
to go only thirty miles to Subig, the
working of the propeller shaft in the
tubes started the timber and she Leaked
too fast for the pumps to keep her afloat
She had to be beached gently at Subie
until the leaky tunnel and timbers coulC
be patched up with cement. When hel
guns were fred she again started to I'll
with water. 1t was an enormIty even t
put such a vessel in the fight. To max
men fight in such eofiin-ship was simply
diabolical.
The Reina Cristina is less submerged
less burned, but shows more battering