The evening times., 1898-09-13
GRASPED BY THE NATIVES
Rival Kings in the Carolines
Unite Against Spain.
ASSAULT foNApE GARRISON
Two Hundred Spanish Soldiers Cor
nered in the Barracks-PrObabil
ity that the Entire Group of ISL
ands Is in the Hands of RevOIu-
tiOnists-News Taken to Honolulu.

New York, Sept. ia San Francisco
dispatch to the Herald says:
The Caroline group of islands. which
this country contemplated seiZing had war
with Spain been prolonged. is probably by
this time in the hands of natives of the
group and the Spanish garrison wiped out.
The Ponape garrison hard pressed, sent
to Guam, in the Ladrones. for assistance,
but there found Americans in possession.
Two native chieftains had united, and 200
Spanish soldiers were cornered in the
Ponape barracks.
Spain may never be able to recover the
group, and her power in the South Sea
will be further broken.
Had the cruiser Charleston prolonged
her cruise so as to take in the islands of
the Caroline group the Spaniards would
have been between the devil and the deep
sea Had the American bluejackets vis-
tied Ponape. landed and made investiga-
ton of the islands affairs, they would
have found Spain's soldiers already in a
state of siege, with two warning kings at
the doors of the Ponape rapping with
clubs for admission.
Word had been sent to Guam for the
commander OF that port to send troops
to the assistance of the Ponape garrison,
but the Charleston had interfered with
the guardians of the Lacrones and car
ried the governor and most of his garri-
son TO Manila.
This is the way things stood when the
last American trading schooner left Pom
ape This vessel brought the news 10
Honolulu, and the steamship Coptic,
which arrived yesterday, brought the
news to this city.
sboSa of ha calnpy
who were in Ponape after the war with
Spain broke out was James Wilder. of
Honolulu. He was a passenger for the
latter port from Japan on the Coptic,
and he told a story of adventures that
confirmed the news received in letters
here.
Wilder travelled into the interior of the
largest island OF the Caroline group, and,
though the tribes of natives were a war
with the Spaniards, they received him
with open arms because he was an Ameri-
can, and begged that the United States
interfere in their favor.
There was a strange state of affairs at
kuZaie and Pouape two months ago, ac-
! cording to news received from there. On
! KuZaie are several American missions
| whose members roamed about the islands
at will, but the Spanish garrison at Pom
| ape was confined TO the limits of the
] town, a DlOOON war or eSteTnlndt tlOn nav
| ing been waged against them by the ma
| tives.
| No Spanish soldier dare to venture
| mile into the interior. Many had beer
| killed, and 10 add to the confusion TIVE
! warning tribes, not able to get at thei
common enemy, the garrison, tough
with each other.
! Spaniards tried to take advantage o
! this row and innihilate the fighters
| They were badly fooled, for the riva
/ kings suddenly combined and attacked
| the Spaniards with such vigor that the,
/ compelled the latter to retreat and TAX
! SHELTER in the barracks.
The gunboat Quiros was then dispatch
| to Guam for aid, but on arriving ther
| found the American flag floating, and tn
| gunboat on duty at that port missing
| The QuiroS never returned.
There were 200 soldiers in town, bu
| these were poorly supplied with ammnni
| ton, and in no position to resist a pro
| longed attack. The suppoSition is tha
the place was captured and the SPANS
| garrison wiped out.
The entire group of islands, unless tn
SpaniardS made an unexpected Stant
must be by this time in possession of tn
natives. American missionaries are prob
ably safe. as they stand we'll with tb
natives, who, though they may not Low
missionaries particularly, love Americans