The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-18
Those About to Enlist Need Not Hes
itate For Fear of Being
Sent to rIanila.
SMALLPOX, OF COURSE
And Other Diseases Due to Bad Sanitation, But the
Air is WhoIesome=-UnCie Sans Big
Job in the Philippines.

that the climatic dangers ofthat place
have been greatly exaggerated. Joseph
Stevens wwriting to the New York Even
ing Post, says:
when 1 started for Manila, people
kindly said that no one ever went there
and came home again. If they did not
die of smallpox they speedily succumbed
to sunstroke The captain fthe Pekin
from San Francisco, as we crossed the
10th meridian and dropped Sunday out
OF the week to bother the missionaries and
get rid of the day lost by going west, pro-
missed to carry me back next voyage In
box form Old stagers in Japan and
Hong Kong said the same thing. and by
the time l was a passenger on the "a
fro. now our naval transport. bound for
Manila itself, felt IKE predestined vic
tim.
THE 60 hours voyage aslant the south
west monsoon that surged up from Borneo
along the China coast did not change that
feeling. But at sunrise on the third day
Qua from Hong Kong the ZafiTo slid along
under the coast mountains of Luzon. the
most northern island Of the Philippine
group, then turned sharply to the left, and
bucked up against the strong current that
ebbed out through the BOca Chica or
small mouth to Manila Bay, through
passage that may have been two miles
wide The coast mountains sloped
straight up from the shore 1000 feet to the
RI 10Th - b2 island
of Corregidor, with its 500 or 600 feet of
rocky altiaude set almost in the center of
the entrance, switched off to either side
the-volume of water making out towards
the China sea- On the island rose the Cor
regidor Light first sighted by steamers
coming up from the Malacca straits. while
beyond lay the Boca Grande, or big
mounth, some six or seven miles wide,
used by vesseIsgolng south down the coast
Still further beyond rose the abrupt hills
fthe lower shore line. First appearances
certainly were not so black as painted,
and some of the passengers hoped that
after all we should one day pass through
the Boca Chica on steamer making
homeward.
From the entrance the bay makes
huge sweep to the right and left and al
most loses itself in the haze, before dis
tant mountains make for it allow blue
frame Close in shore to the left is the
quarantine station. where steamers COM
ing form the black plague ports have to
tie up for Is days and give their passen-
gers a chance to observe the movements
of Philippine ants-by making bets as to
,lor drOr his Grain
of sand at the goal first. In times Of pla-
que steamers from China havestayed here
as long as three weeks, while the sheep
destined for Manilas markets have died
on the deck and the potatoes have rot
ted in the hold. For all the mutton and
potatoes that Manila gets come from
China, and few endorsements of quar-
antine soon deprive the city of two i'm
portant articles of food.
1T is almost 50 miles form the Corregi-
dor Light to the anchorage and the Ia
fro sailed due east for two hours before
Manila roseout of the water at the oppo-
site side fthe bay Even then the front
row Of low buildings struggling along the
shore failed to reveal any depth TO the
city: that could only be noted by distant
dome or two that stood out white against
the mountains five leagues inland.
The shore sweeps away right and left
from Manila in the regular lines of
great hoop wwhose rim is sandy beach.
and low palms To the left there is moth
ing of present interest, but Il miles along
theheach to the right the hoop breaks,
and a low sand split mag.nk out into the
bay on bias holds Cavite with its docks.
marine railway arsenal and low FORTH
cations The little arm formed by the
hook makes good shelter for vessels when
the fierce winds of the southwest mon
soon that blow straight in &cross the bay,
kick up too much of a sea 70 rthem 10 load
and discharge at the main anchorage,
and the big mail boats always lie there in
the had weather of the wet season.
"The Zafiro stopped among the deep
water ships anchored three miles off the
breakwater, and wheezy launch took her
five passengers up the river TO the Gus
tomhouse-on the right. old Manila itself,
surrounded by wallsand basdons; on the
left. the mile and half stone quay. the
light shipping and the business houses all
sizzling under iron roofs made in Ger
witty. lighters dischargins hemp. brsgs I'M
loading sugar. steamers hoistnig out rice.
coolies carrying tobacco bales. Old women
cooking heaven knows what in greasy pots
and young Eiris selling lottery tickets.
small boys playing about in under shirts.
and native clerks in wwhite suits and fly
ing shirt tails tallying weighs or count
ing cocoauuts.
1.-The land in and around Manila for 10
miles is almost as fiat as the hay itself,
and scarcely lifts its surface a yard above
it. In the rainy season tine River PaSig.
which flows down through the city divsd-
ing il in two, pushes its swollen volume
III vain asainst the tide heaped in by the
southwest wind. ard. not finding free out-
let by keeping within bounds. overdowsits
banks and makes Manila practically what
* has been often called-the Venice 90 1he
Far East. III sthen that the narrow road
ways. in the suburbs. that run between
the rice fields, become dangerous. and
ones wwhoie turnou5-horSe. wagon. and
al-slumps Of into eight feet Of water
when one tres 70 reach The English club
BY this time everybody ought 10 know
that MARila's streets are narrow. is
houses lew- as people short. is carriages
without humber. ard Ks horses al stat
lion ponies; ;hart everyeae smokes. mea
cigarettes and women cigars: that all wear
white cloth suits. and No one walks II
he has the money 70 ride; that the city.