The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-08-18
HORROR OF War
People Of Manila Panic
Stricken During the
Battle Of July 81.
MANY SHOTS ENTERED TOWN

Spaniards Bent on Obstinate Resistance
Foreign Consuls Negotiating for an
acknowledgements Aided Amer
leans with Good Affect.
Manila, via Hong Kong, Aug. H.
The rumor is current here that the In
,urgents, fearful that peace will be con-
;luded between Washington and Ma
1rid and that the Americans will with.
1raw from the Philippines, are conse-
1uently the more strenuous in their de-
sires and efforts to capture Manila.
Sunday night there was heavy bonn
bardment with heavy modern shells.
1t is generally believed in the city that
the Americans assisted, and the papers
publish lists of Americans alleged to
have been killed, including some
names of rank.
There is also report that half the
Americans have succumbed to fever,
and this misstatement. with others
like 1t. encourages the Spaniards to
maintain their suicidal resistance.
On Sunday many shots entered the
town. Several reached the citadel It.
self, and it is reported that some ladies
were killed. There was a frightful
panic inside the walls, women and
children shriekinR in their terror the
whole night through. One shot caused
30 casualties at the Luneta battery;
another exploded at the Malate barracks,
killing five. The troops turned out
just in time to save Malate forts and
The magazine. The insurgents show
cred large and small shots with such
precision that the garrison believed
the whole American army and feet
were concentrating their fire. Many
Spanish had previously resolved to
cease fighting the moment the Ameri-
cans began, but the insurgents have
subsidized and the forts have been rein
forced from the barracks. There has
been little fighting in other directions.
The total Spanish losses are probably
100, but many houses have been seri-
ously damaged.
On Monday evening there was furi-
GUS fusilade in every direction. Tele-
phonic inquiries were sent out from
h eadquarters to various outposts. No
answer was received from Ell Paco and
accordingly squadron of horsemen
FASTENED thither. In the darkness
and storm the sentries fred and wound
ed two. Probably in the panic they
imagined that the horsemen were
Americans.
A few such nights would drive the
Epaniards inside the citadel, and there
would be the CHASTITY prospect OF pro-
longed devastation and slaughter, with
the inevitable destruction of the town
and its inhabitants unless the Ameri-
cans fastened to close in.
On Sunday 1900 houses at Tondo
were burned, and the flames, driven by
q strong gale. threatened the whole Of
Manila. but they were finally extin-
guished, mainly through the efforts of
the fire brigade organized by the Brit
ish merchants at Manila.
The British consul died of dysentery
yesterday. but his remains cannot be
buried in the Protestant cemetery on
account of the insurgents.
For four days a typhoon has ragged.
The suburbs have been flooded, tie
trenches swamped and the sand banks
dissolved. Disease is raging. Mere
infants of 10 years of age are enlisting.
They become officers and fight in the
trenches. The newspapers applaud
what they should condemn as crime.
The British vice consul, supported
by the French consul, who is the dean
of the foreign representatives. took the
initiative in unofficial "feelers" look
ing to an arrsistice, pending peace;
but the Americans are not used to ac-
sept anything except surrender, and
the Span ish will never surrender. The
latter hope to endure until peace is de-
clared between Washington and Ma
drid. The hardships are continually
pressing upon the natives and foreign
ers: the officials and the military can
monopolize the food supplies. and,
though a quarter Of q million of the
population starve, this fact goes practic-
ally unheeded.
The 1000 Spaniards in Manila are
confident Of their safety. They believe
that the strong walls Of the city will
resist for three months. and they are
resolved, regardless Of the fate of the
women and children, finally to sell
their lives dearly in wreaking their
hatred upon the English, the Ameri-
cans and the Filipin0s.