The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-07-23

OF her bridge a part only remains. the
rest evidently having been blown Into
atoms by a shell. which went on and
struck the funnel near the base and ap-
parently exploded itself. causing a
dreadful havoc In the engine-room.
II Is thought that unless peace is signed
without further delay Manila is a doomed
city, for the insurgents are closing in
rapidly and the city could no more sur
ylve a big battle than a house Of cards
could Withstand typhoon.
Here Is a rich seaport, a metropolis al.
most as large as Liverpool. but the ma
jority Of the buildings are OF a highly in
fiammable type, fires are frequent In or
dlnary times and little shelling would
burn the whole city to the ground. Here
Is a population OF a quarter Of a million
full-blooded Malays. ordinarily lndolent.
but intensely exciteable on occasions and
capaole OF anything at a time such as the
storming OF the city by their kinsmen un-
der the insurgent flag.
Neither the place nor the people can go
through a week OF what Paris had to en-
dure for six weeks. Yet the Spanlards
are as desperately unyieIding as the
French were in 1870. as confident in their
unavalling valor, and as ignorant OF the
irresistible forces they defy.
Every day and all day there is an exo-
dus from the city, stimulated every few
days by some new scare. Large. clumsy
river boats tOwed by steam launches or
poled by natives, start up the river. con-
veying families and goods and come down
again for more. Every road leading out
Of the city Is thronged day after day with
a similar traffic until the roads are one
by one dec ared unsafe beyond stated
points on account OF the insurgents.
The first news OF Aguinaldo's advance
on the city increased the refugee move
ment, but now that he is reported within
nine miles Of the city limits and COM
plete panic prevails Soldiers are being
hurried to the front and are coming back
horribly slashed with the foresters knives
OF the natives All day long the wounded
are filing through the streets. a pitiful
procession after the bravery and trumpet
ing that hearalded their departure. The
careless swagger and the naughty strut
which characterized the Spanish soldlery
in the streets OF Manila has given place
to weary shuttle and a sullen trudge.
1t Is pitiful to see so many schoolDoys
valiantly taking part in the war and
most OF the men have never been out OF
their native villages until now. The boy
ish appearance is not lessened by the uni-
form, which looks almost a burlesQue,
light straw hat, high crown and wide
brim like that Of typical stage brigand,
blue striped cotton clothes. black leath-
er belt and footgear Of many sorts. Many
OF the poor fellows have no shoes at all
and they got their feet shockingly lacer-
ated in the country. 1t is said that over
90 per cent of the army hospital cases are
feet fostering from thOrns.
The Spanish army suggests comic
opera. There are burly Falstaff officers
swarming about the cafes and beer sa-
loons. Spanish officers might, at any rate,
devote two or three hours per day to the
question whether there Is anything in the
world worse than an officer asleep on a
beer-shop lounge in the forenoon when
the enemy is at the gates Of the city.
The rank and file can only be pltied.
There are whole regiments of STRIPPING
just from Spain, picturesquely attired,
ready and willing to do anything and
never count the odds, or finch from