The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-05-02

Philippine Island Insurgents Are, 1t Is
Said, Occupying All the Ellis Surround
ing Manila in Radius of Ten to Twenty
MiIes-They Were Awaiting the Arrival
ofthe American Fleet-Tactics of Spanish
to Keep Up the Courage of the Fighting
Forces.
Copyright, 1885, The Associated Press.)
Hong Kong, May Letters to the
insurgents junta here, which were
smuggled on board the British steamer
Mannon at Manila, which arrived here
yesterday from the capital of the Phil
ippine Islands, assert that the Philip
pine Island insurgents are occupying
all the hills surrounding Manila in a
radius of ten to twenty miles, awaiting
the arrival of the United States fleet
under Commodore Dewey, which was
expected off Manila at any moment
when the Mannon sailed. The insur-
gents say that if the United States fleet
blockades Manila they can starve the
place into submission in about two
weeks.
Confederation has been received of
the report that the British residents of
Manila expected that. the British
steamer Esmeralda, which went there
to take on board the specie belonging
to the Hong Kong banks, would have a
full cargo of foodstuff as usual, but
this was not the case and much distress
is anticipated in consequence, If the in
surgents' land blockade and the United
States sea blockade are enforced Ac-
cording to the insurgent leaders, the
forces of the Philippine Island insur-
gents propose, when the right moment
arrives, to make a feint attack upon
the city of Manila, to make strong
and determined attack upon the sea-
ward forts. This plan, however, may
be upset by the Spanish authorities,
who are we'll aware of the intention of
the insurgents to cooperate with the
United States fleet.
Little definite information has been
ascertained regarding the whereabouts
of the Spanish fleet as a whole. But it
is said by the insurgents that warships
of Spain are in hiding, watching outside
the entrance of the harbor for the COM
ing of the American ships. The real
danger appears to be from internal
causes at Manila, where massacre of
the foreign population is apprehended.
The British consul there, e. Fl. Raw
SON. Walker, has eabled here asking for
the dispatch to Manila Immediately of
the British first-elass cruiser Migar to
protect British interests there. An idea
of the tactics adopted by the Spanish
authorities to keep UP the courage Of
the fighting forces of Spain can be
gathered from the fact that they have
issued placard stating that a Spanish
cruiser on Monday last engaged and
sank two American warships.
1t is asserted that the Spanish cruiser
Castillo, of 3,342 tons displacement and
4,400 indicated horsepower, recently
grounded near the entrance of Manila
bay and was afterwards scuttled in
shallow water. 1t is added that it is
the intention of the Spaniards to use
her as a stationary battery, although
some of her guns have been landed and
mounted on the Notifications at the en-
trance of the harbor, where other guns
have also recently been mounted. 1t is
generally believed here that Ad-
miraI Dewey has arranged with the
Philippine insurgents to seize a harbor
| near Manila to be used as a base of
operations for the prolonged siege of
Manila which is anticipated, unless the
American commander can induce the
Spanish feet to come out and accept a
general engagement.