New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-28
DETAILS FROM MANILA.
HOW THE AMERICAN COLONY LEE i
CITY BEFORE THE WAR BROKE ooi
PLANS OF ADMIRAL DEWEf'

CITY BEFORE THE WAR BROKE OUT
PLANS OF ADMIRAL DEWEY.
San Francisco. May 81 (specaD.-The Pacihc
Mail steamer China. which arrived to-uay HUH
Hong Kong and Yokohama brought little news
Of the situation at Manila or OF the movements
~ the American fleet 1t expected that
many new details would be published in Yoko-
hama and Toxic papers. but II the japanese
Government received full accounts OF Dewey's
victory, they were not given out, even 10 OH
cial organs Of the Government
English newspa pers printed in Yokohama were
loud in their complaints Of inadequate cable
news service. as the papers printed on May I'D
had far less details than were printed IN THIS
country the day before Consul Williams. who
WAS warned on April u by cable to leave Ma
Mia sent warning to the American residents
and began negotiations with Governor-ienerai
Primo de Rivera to hand over the affairs OF the
American Consulate TO the British Consu. Ell A..
Rawson Walker.
Rivera professed tc be ignorant or the
strained relations between the United States and
Spain. so he cabled to Madrid for Instructions
as Spanish consent was necessary for the trans
fer Rivera temporzed for several days. until
the arrival OF General August. his successor,
colony AZ Manila consisted Of twenty-five per-
sons engaged In business Williams warned
them to wind UP business and leave Manila as
soon as possible Several went away. but the
majority went on board British vessels In the
harbor to await the outcome Of Dewsy's arrival
One American named Johnson refused to go.
as his wife had just given birth To a child
and could not be moved. Consul Williams was
cd uft
deserted the consulate the insignia Of the United
States on the shield over the door were taken
down and kicked into spnters Only one Amer
lean ship was left In the harbor, the great
Admiral. which loading hemp for New
York. Captain Strings papers were not accu-
rate and he feared to sail lest some Spanish
cruiser would seize him because OF defective
papers
Consul Williams went away on the steamer
Esmeralda. The Chinese. who feared their
property would be looted. offered large sums
for passage the steamer. One hundred and
fifty dollars bonus offered above the ordi-
nary fare OF $50. and some paid as high as $3.50
merely for deck passage. The steamer Is al
lowed to take two hundred deck passengers,
but this number was largely increased.
When Consul Williams reached Hong Kong he
made his headquarters with Committeeman
Rounsevie Wildman.
He bought complete maps OF the harbor and
plans of all the fortiications With Widman ne
went down to the feet at Mires Bay and held a
conference with Admiral Dewey, at which the
plan Of attack perfected. II was decided
Dewey should attack the Spanish fleet wherever
re found 1t. It wos recognized IT would be
more important to destroy or cripple the fleet
than TO capture Manila, a. then American ner-
chant vessels would be safe.
II also decided that. having whipped the
feet Dewey should demand the capitulaton OF
Manila within thirty minutes or bombardment
would follow. The insurgent leader. Allan
drni-not acknowledgements Admiral
Dewey with Consul Williams 10 Manila
on April II the mail steamer Leo XIII railed
from Manila for Singapore. crowded with Span
ish passengers including officials and their fam
ilies. who were leaving the island. Among the
passengers were General Rivera his nephew
and the Bshop-elect of Porto Rico. The ship
was crowded that the saloon floors were used
as sleeping accommodations Great anxiety was
felt lest the vessel encounter an American man.
of-war. and the steamer was provided with r
couple OF 4-nch Hontoria guns abeam OF the
funnel and two Nordenfeldts In her bow. The
guns were mounted In a hurry, the carriages
being bolted through the deck. and. II fired. the
shock would probably have carried away their
fastenings