The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-08
FERGUSON'S DEED
Tells how He Crossed the CAL
umrit Bridge.
Chicago Records Story Of the
Heroic Act
OF A KANSAS BOY.
1t Was a Narrow Path and 3
Murky Night.
Was Near to Capture by a Fill
Pine Sentinel.

San Fernando, p. T., June 14-Arthur
M. Ferguson, whose home is in Burling-
ton, Kan, is corporal of company E,
| Twentieth Kansas. He is real hero,
too, for his was a daring deed on the
night before the battle of Calumpit,
April 26.
The Rio Grande de Pampanga flowed
between the two forces. the Americans
in the open and the FiIipinos in the
trenches. The great iron bridge placed
there by the railroad company was the
only visible means of crossing, and the
sleepers had been torn from that
Col. Funston-he won his stars at this
fght-was looking for a way to get
across and make q night attack, give
the FilipinOs a scare and practically
turn the tide of battle before it begun.
The bridge stood there in all the glory
of steel girders. But right across where
the railroad track once ran was a Fill
ipinO trench, and there was every rea-
son to believe it was there to defend
the bridge. The night was cloudy and
threatening rain Once in awhile the
lightning would flash, making all things
as clear as at MONDAY.
Col Funston called for a volunteer to
go across the bridge with the object of
learning if it could be crossed by a
body of men, and what they would find
at the Othe end. Ferguson volunteer
ed. The colonel shook hands with him
as they stood there in the shadow of
the emban1ment. Remember, I do not
send you, Ferguson" the colonel said
and if we do not meet again you know
daring deeds of the war"
Ferguson went.
He pulled off his uniform, wearing
only his brown underolothes and his
belt and revolver. Ferguson told the
story one day as we sat in the shade of
the bamboo hedge at San Fernando. He
IS young man with a brown mustache
and hair that has a slight inclination
to curl. He is stocl1y, too, the severe
campaigning he has passed through
putting him in good condition physical
". OF course he is tanned. In fact,
he is brown as an Indian.
Il don't think it was much of
trick he said, as he twisted a bamboo
branch. 1T could easily be done in the
daylight. OF course, I didn't walk
across or creep across. The lightning
prevented that. I had to get out of
sight. My underclOthes would obably
have blended me with the bridge in the
darkness, but the lightning would come
once in awhile and make everything
light as day. 1 knew I would be seen.
So tried it another way.
THE bridge is strongly built Of steel,
with steel cross pieces running parallel
to the Orders, and just underneath
them made my way up over the stone
abutment, and I hoped it would not
tighten until got well down under the
irons. 1t did, though, and for the life of
me I don't see how they missed me.
But they never saw me, and the light
gave me chance to see where to put
my feet. I could see, too, that the
bridge had been stripped of everything
that would do to put foot on, with
the exception of a couple of stringers
alongside the handrail. I saw that if
this ran the length of the bridge a sin
gle file could come along by holding to
the rail. made up my mind to follow
it.
1T was ticklish crawling along there.
with the river right under me, but I
knew if I was careful I could get
across. I crawled along until I came
to the first pier. Here found the iron
girder was broad and solid. It rested
on the top of the stone pier and I had
something mighty solid under my feet.
It was necessary to go around it, and
that brought me out in view of the
trenches again. There was no use try
ing to go fast. When it was dark it
was so dark I couldn't see, and when
the lightning came I was partly blind
ed by the flash. So I had to depend
mostly on touch and somewhat on my
general knowledge Of the construction
of bridges.
I managed to get around the big iron
and then began to crawl along the cross
pieces again. BY this time had learned
about how they ran and got along a lit
tie faster than I did at first. At last
I came to the second or middle pier.
All this time of course, I was getting
nearer and nearer to the F'ilipinos. I
went around the second and third piers.
There was but one span between me
and the insurgents. I raised up and
pOked my head just a little way above
the ironwOrk-just enough to see-and
presently. and there, right in the cen
ter of the bridge, was a sentry looking
UP the bridge for all he was worth.
But he missed me. I guess I was too
close. Then If they had opened fire
they could not have done much hurt to
me on account of the ironwork. I made
up my mind to go a little closer, SO
crept along about half way across the
span.
LAS I raised up again my pistol
struck the ironwork. There was a hist
from the sentinel and every shovel
dropped. I could hear them digging
before I raised up. I squatted down
quick and I could guess that those fell
lows were doing whole lot of looking
After awhile they went to work again
and I again peeped over the irons I
could make out a trench right across
the road commanding the bridge and all
of its approaches. At this end I found
a part of the foOtbridge that ran be-
tween the railroad. In my Judgment
this was too far away for any body of
soldiers to reach without being discov-
cred.
After I got all the Information
could I started back. When I climbed
over the bank Colonel Funston was
there waiting for me. He seemed glad
would have to crOss-One hand on the
rail and both feet on a six-inch stringer
the colonel hesitated and then said
he would not try it. After that the
colonel tried to cross on a. raft and was
discovered and fired on"
1t IS currently reported by those who
heard him that Colonel Funston said to
Ferguson; Il fell off every little bridge
cross it. won't ask the boys to go
where cannot go myself"
This deed Of Ferguson's may or may
not get into the histories. but it was
as daring, as anyone will allow who
will look upon the 1000 feet of iron
work he crawled through that night.