The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-08-18

by Little GunbOat With Her Rapid
Fire Guns-Stations of Foreign Fleets.
LONDON, Aug. 17.-The Manila cor.
respondent of The Daily Telegraph, tel.
egraphing Saturday, says:
Nothing could be more humane than
the Americans capture of the town.
General Merritts and Admiral Dewey's
plan was to spare every object but the
armed defenses and the trenches. Ap.
parently the American losses were ex.
tremely small. The Spanish entrench.
ments varied in point of distance from
two to four miles from the center of
Old Manila.
Defending this long line of at least
ten miles were not over, and probably
uuder, 5000 Spanish regular troops,
volunteers and natives. About half
that number were in the hospital. The
attacking force numbered from 10000 TO
10000 natives and 10000 Americans, ON
shore and aboard the feet. In every
respect the advantage was ON the side
of the attack. The American field guns
threw heavier metal and had longer
range than the Spanish, the marksmau.
ship of the United States gunners was
much superior to that of the Spaniards,
and the men were stronger and in bet
ter condition.
1.-THE Spaniards are small race COM
pared with their stalwart opponents
and worn out by hundred days siege
and disappointed by the failure 60 ar
rive OF the promised Spanish relief
squadron, they had lost heart. Ii was
hopeless struggle.
"Looking over the bay it was curious
to notice the foreign fleets arrange
themselves according to their sympa-
thies. The English and the Japanese
were near the Americans and the Ger
mans and French on the opposite side
of the bay north of the Paslg river. The
British cruiser Immortalite and her
consorts kept fairly near the American
line. The attacking squadron formed
in line between Malate and Old Manila
with the Concord watching the fort at
the mouth OF the Pasig. The American
feet lay outside the breakYater. a
!.The. Olympia fred the first shot at
9:4O and a fairly continuous, but by no
means furious, cannonade was kept up
until ll:20 BY that time the Malate
fort was silenced and the American
troops then stormed the intrenchments.
The Spaniards who were in the earth.
works tell me that the quick firing guns
of the little gunboat RapidO, which lay
close to the shore, were far more terri.
BILE in their effects than was the raking
fire of the ships.
Resistance to the American attacl;
was impossible. The First Colorado
regiment was the earliest to charge the
Spaniards, who retired to the second
line, but, soon Outnumbered, they We're
forced into the old city. a part of Ma.
late suffered severely from the lombard.
ment. The vaunted intramures de.
fenses were not tried.
1.-THE Spanish commander, convinced
that further resistance was hopeless,
boisted a white flag at 1880 and the
order TO cease hiring was . issued
in the center of the town, but in the
outskirts street fighting confined for
sometime afterward between the rebels
and Spaniards.
HONGKONG, Aug. 17.-Further state.
ments regarding the fighting at Manila
are that Admiral Dewey gave General
August an hour in which to surrender,
at the time of the last demand, made on
Saturday. General August refused to
comply.
The bom6ardment, which Began at
$3.50 O. m, was continued for two hours
and then the Americans stormed the
trenches, sweeping all before them.
Those within the walls attempted no
resistance. The First Colorado yoluu.
teers stormed the outer trenches and
drove the Spaniards into the second
line Of defenses. Then the American
troops swept on, driving all the Span.
iards into the inner Notifications, 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 5000
men. The American attacking force
numbered about 10000 and Americans
were better armed, better trained and
III better condition.
The American warships engaged were
the Olympia, Petrol, Raleigh, McCul.
loch, Boston, Monterey Charleston and
Baltimore.
The Spaniards assert that the fire of
the Americans for the most part fell
short, the only effective fire being from
small gunboat, armed with quick fir.
ing guns, that was close in shore 1t is
also asserted by the Spaniards that
"the Americans lost heavily in the
storming, owing to the faulty oonstruc.
tion OF their entertainments, which the
Spaniards could command from the
heights, and upon which they poured a
Ialling fire."
The Spanish trench extended around
Manila at distaNe of from two to
four miles from - . walled city, form.
ing circle ten me- IN circumference,
and it was impossible, the Spaniards
say, to hold so long a line against the
American attack.
Admiral Dewey and General Merritt,
it is reported, had issued orders TO spare
all except armed defenses of the city,
and consequently the town is under
stood TO have been but little damaged
Some street fighting between the in. |
and the Spauiards occurred on
the outskirts, but order prevailed within !
the walled section,
The American version Of the battle |
IS not yet obtainablc. General August |
former captain general of the Philip. |
pines, expected to start for Madrid TO. |
day by the German mail steamer
A NEW GOLD STRIKE,