Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-08-25
A HUMANE VICTORY.
In Capturing Manila Dewey Spared
All but the Armed Defenses.
BsgAn BombArdMsnt ON Short Notice and
Tho city Surrendered In Two Hours
Those within tho spanish walls
Attempted No Resistance.


Attempted No Resistance.
Hong Kong, Aug. 17--Admiral
Dewey gave Gen. Anguish an hour in
which to surrender at the time of the
last demand made on Saturday. Gen.
Augusti refused to comply. The bom-
bardment which began at $3.50 a. M,
was continued for two hours, and then
the Americans stormed the trenches,
sweeping all before them. Those
within the walls attempted no resist
ance The first Colorado volunteers
stormed the outer trenches and drove
the Spaniards into the second line OF
defenses. Then the American troops
swept on, driving all the Spaniards
into the inner fortified tions, where
the Spanish commander, seeing
that further resistance was useless,
hoisted the white flag and surrendered.
The losses, American and Spanish, are
not yet known. The Spaniards in the
trenches probably numbered 8, 600 men.
The American attacking force mum.
bered 10, 900 and the Americans were
better armed, better trained and in
better condition. The foreign fleets
watched the bombardment with acute
interest, The American warships en-
gagged were the Olympia, Petrol, RAJ
leigh, McCulloch, Boston, Monterey,
Charleston and Baltimore. The Span
iards assert that the fire of the Ameri-
cans for the most part fell short, the
only effective fire being from a small
gunboat armed with quick-firing
guns that was close in shore.
1t is also asserted by the Span
iards that ''the Americans lost
heavily in the storming, owing to the
faulty construction of their intrench-
ments, which the Spaniards could
command from the heights and upon
which they poured a calling fire."
The Spanish trench extended around
Manila at a distance of from two to
four miles from the walled city, form
ing circle ten miles in circumfer-
ence, and it was impossible, the Span
iards say, to hold so long a line against
the American attack, Admiral Dewey
and Gen. Merritt, it is reported, had
issued orders to spare all except armed
defenses of the city and consequently
the town is understood to have been
but little damaged. Some street fight
ing between the insurgents and the
Spaniards occurred on the outskirts,
but order prevailed within the walled
section.
Dewey Spared All He Could.
London, Aug. II. The Manila cor
respondent of the Daily Telegraph,
says; Nothing could be more humane
than the American capture of the
town. Gen. Merritt and Admiral
Dewey's plan was to spare every OBJ
ject but the armed defenses and the
trenches. Apparently the American
losses were extremely small. The
Spanish intrenchments varied in point
of distance from two to four miles
from the center of Old Manila. Defend
ing this long line of at least ten miles
were not over, and probably UNDER 900
Spanish regular troops, volunteers and
natives. About half that number were
in the hospital. The attacking force
numbered from 10, 900 to 20, 600 natives
and 10000 Americans on shore and
aboard the fleet In every respect the
advantage was on the side of the at
tack. The American field guns threw
heavier metal and had longer range
than the Spanish; the craftsmanship
of the United States gunners was
much superior to that of the Spaniards,
and the men were stronger and in bet
ter condition. 1t was hopeless
struggle
The attacking squadron formed in
line between Malate and Old Manila,
with the Concord watching the fort at
the mouth of the Pasig. The Amer.
lean feet lay outside the breakwater.
The Olympia fred the first shot at 0:4O,
and fairly continuous, but by no means
furious, cannonade was kept up until
1890 By that time the Malate fort was
silenced and the American troops had
stormed the intrenchments The
Spaniards who were in the earthworks
tell me that the quick-hring guns
of the little gunboat Rapido, which |
lay close to the shore, were far more |
terrible in their effect than was the
raking fire of the ships Resistance
to the American attack was impossible. |
The Spanish commander, convinced |
that further resistance was hopeless,
hoisted white flag at 1880, and the
order to cease firing was Immediately |
issued in the center of the town, but |
in the outskirts street fighting contin-
ued for some time afterward between
the rebels and Spaniards.