The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1899-02-24
NIGHT OF TERROR IN MANILA
Immense Damage Wrought by a Fire
Thought to Have Been Started by In
surgents Many Buildings Burned.

MANILA, Feb. S.-Wednesday night |
was one of terror to thousands of the |
inhabitants of Manila, the rebels MAX
ing good their oft-repeated threats to |
the extent of burning acres of build
ings, wounding an officer and three |
men by firing through windows during |
the excitement.
At o'clock an incendiary fire oc-
Cured in a block of brick buildings |
occupied by Chinese on the Gale La
coste, in the Santa Cruz district. A
stiff breeze was blowing, and the in
f1ammability of the structures caused
the blaze to spread with alarming
rapidity. The city fire department
was hopelessly incompetent and
the English volunteer brigade
from Santa Mesa was summoned and |
with a modern engine pumping ade-
quate streams from the canal, succeed
ed after four hours work in getting
the blaze under control. Meantime
the entire block and the greater part
of two others across the street were
completely Quilted.
The fremen, escorted by soldiers,
proceeded to clean out the houses,
while the fire was UNDECIDED.
The 18th Minnesota was reinforced
by detachments from the Sd infantry,
the I'd Oregon, the Sd artillery and the
| 10th Pennsylvania. Bullets flew in al
most every direction in the Tondo and
Binondo districts, causing the most in
tense excitement. Capt. Robinson, of
Company c, 18th Minnesota and three
men were wounded.
| Many timid persons, imagining that
the rebels had effected an entrance
through the American lines, and were
advancing into the city, hurried fran
tically from their hotels and houses
only to be stopped at the first corner
by a guard. The sounding of native
bugle call, Immediately preceding the
fire, lent color to the story. Thousands
of Chinese crossed the bridges and
plazas under fire, hurrying with their
bundles to the Chinese consulate. All
night long the fire spread through the
Tondo district, sweeping away rows of
houses and devastating acres of terri
tory.
The damage was inestimable. With
daylight punitive measures were de-
cided upon, and the Americans, though
tired after their sleepless nights
work, soon cleared the district of
every native after a slight resistance.
Impediments were placed in the way
of the firemen, and the hose was cut
five different times. This resulted
in all the natives being driven
off the streets, those in the
immediate vicinity of the blaze being
corralled in vacant lots and guarded
until the excit ement was over. In
many instances the natives were inso-
lent and paid no regard to the orders
given them and the soldiers were com
PEELED to use harsh measures. The
butts of their rifles and their bayonets
were freely applied.
The danger from live electric light
wires necessitated the closing of the
circuit in the burning region, and the
only light in certain parts of the city
was that furnished by the blaze.
Shortly after midnight another big
fire was started in the Tondo distri ct
where natives are the thickest, and wheT
the fremen and soldiers attempted tt
work, regular fusllade of rifle ant
revolver shots were fred from the
windows and roofs of the buildings.
There was some fighting in the
streets during Tuesday night but the
Americans quickly quelled the upris
' ing. A number of the insurgents were
killed and several American soldiers
were wounded. A large market place
was among the first to burn. Between
six and seven hundred residence
and business houses have beer
destroyed. Fires were started at sew
eral points simultaneously and spread
ing with great rapidity resisted all eff
forts to control them. Hundreds o
homeless natives are huddled in tn,
b. streets, making the patrol duty of tn
Americans very difficult