Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-08-18
CAPTURE Of MANILA
Our Troops Storm the Trenches,
Sweeping All Before Them.
ADMIRAL DEWEY'S HUMANE Plan.
Every Object Spared but the Armed De-
fensea and the Trenches-Dewey After
More Game-The Ohiclai Report
Expected at Washington

which TO surrender at the time OF the
last demand made on Saturday. Gen.
Augusti refused to comply. The bonn
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
st0rmed 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 Notifications, where
the Spanish commander, seeing
that further resistance was uselesa,
hoisted the white flag and surrendered.
The losses, American and Spanish, are
not yet known. The Spaniards in the
trenches probably numbered 5000 men.
The American attacking force num-
bered 10, 900 and the Americans we're
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, Ra-
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 small
gunboat armed with quick-hring
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 CALLING fire."
The Spanish trench extended around
Manila at q distance of from two to
four miles from the walled city, form
ing circle ten miles in circumfer-
ence, and 1t was impossible, the Span
iards say, to hold so long u line against
the American attack. Admiral Dewey
and Gen. Merritt, 1t 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
Epaniards occurred on the outskirts,
but order prevailed within the walled
section.
ADMIRAL DEwEY's HUMANE PLAN.
London, Aug. 1.-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
Deweys 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,5 900
Spanish regular troops, volunteers and
natives. About half that number were
In the hospital. The attacking force
numbered from 10000 to 30, 900 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 gnnners was
much superior to thatof the Spanards,
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 pasg. The Amer.
lean feet lay outside the breakwater.
The Olympia fred the first shot at o:4O,
and fairly continuous but by no means
furious, cannonade was kept up until
1870 BY that time the Malate fort was
silenced and the American troops had
stormed the intrenchments. The
Spanards who were in the earthworks
tell me that the quick-fring guns
of the little gunboat Rapido, which
lay close to the shore, were far more
terrible In their effect than was the
ral,ing fire of the ships. Resistance
to the American attack was impossible.
The Spanish commander, convinced
that further resistance was hopeless,
hoisted white flag ut 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.
DEWEY AFTER MORE GAME.
Hong Kong, Aug. i7.-Consul Gen.
eral Wildman yesterday received Il re-
port from Admiral Dewey saying that
1t was intended, after the capture OF
Manila, to dispatch cruisers to Iloilo
and Cebu to accept the surrender of
those ports, and also to send cruisers
to Port Royalist in Talawn, to capture
the Spanish gunboats hiding there.
Another ship was detailed to capture
the Spanish steamers plying between
Labaun and lloilo. Four Spanish
gunboats at Bataan, in Panain, were
also to be captured. Consul Wildman
credits the report and says that should |
the vessels have left before the ar
rival AT MANIA or the BRUSH steamer |
Australia, which was chartered to car.
ny the news Of the signing of the pro-
tocol and the cessation of hostilities to
that vlnea n will alec ha IN i,unoee; |