The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-15
(snecial Correspondence.l

Special Correspondence.)
Manila, p l., May 19.-The Utah bat
tcries are fit for but little more duty.
Their guns are about done for and
So are the gunners. 1t is enough to
make one sick at heart to see the fei-
lows who. a few months ago. were
physical giants. now lying or sitting
around the barracks with hardly
enough life in them to move. They
served the guns till the steel barrels
grew worn and useless. and then they
came into town
The Utah guns of the 2-10-inch pat
tern are an old model. not made for
smokeless powder, and the heavier
saells which go with it. They have
proven unequal to the strain, and can
not be fired without hazarding the
lives Of everyone connected with the
piece. Time after time the copper por-
t.crs of the breechblock have blown out
Captain Wedgewood was injured by
flying piece Of breechblock a few
weeks ago.
The Nordenfeldt guns have played
out entirely. and the sections which
were handling them have been ordered
in. The other guns will be ordered in
in the near future. and either replaced
by some of the new ordnance or the
Utah boys will get the welcome order
to 20 home.
Guns For Salt Lake.
Major Young has secured permission
10 bring the old original pieces home
vita him, and they will probably be
parked in the armOry of the national
guard at Salt Lake City.
The prospects. are very bright in Ma
Mia for young, energetic Americans.
and not few of the battery members
are contemplating remaining here for
a few years, in the hope of making an
Independent fortune in the next de-
csade- There are hundreds of big
chances, and already number OF men
have made their piles. They have been
mostly in the whisky and beer business
and in government contracts. The
newspaper business has paid those who
were engaged in il. and the editor Of
the American has made his stake OF
$4,000 since starting his paper There
are several very successful papers here.
Doings of Utah Soldiers.
There are rumors of peace floating
in every day. We are crying Peace.
peace" but yet there is no peace Lieu
tenant Nayior is operating an armored
car at San Fernando, and Major Young
has charge of the artillery at that
point. They are preparing to go into
camp for the rainy season. Lieutenant
Webb has transferred his flag to one
of the small gunboatS bought from
Spain. The Oeste has given up its
warlike career and gone into the tug
business
Admiral Grant now has his fiotiila
up the Rio Grande. and is protecting
the depots of stores being located along
the banks.
Lieutenant Webb was ordered to go .
on a scouting expedition up the river
on Sunday last. and while engaged in
the work he met with large band OF
insurgents entrenched along the banks
in such a position that he could not
train his guns on them successfully
The blacks riddled the vulnerable parts
Of the beat with Mauser bullets, play
ing havoc with the dinner which was
cooking on the stove in the rear. They
shot up the coffee boiler until there
was a small lake of coffee on deck. and
the boys were angered very much at
the idea of losing their dinner But
it was the fortune OF war.
Death of Ford Fisher.
In this fight Utah lost the best man
in the ranks. Sergeant Fisher. who,
while firing the forward one-pound gun.
was shot through the temple and in
stantly killed. Sergeant Fisher would
have received the next commission. as
he had made a wonderful record for
bravery and ability The only time he
disobeyed orders was when he was
made sergeant of the camp guard on
the day Manila was TO be attacked.
Then he declared that ne would rather
lose mis- stripes than be left in camp.
He was in charge of a gun at Santa
Mesa. and stayed with it till the water
works were taken and there was no
possibility of more fighting in that d.
rection. He then transferred to the
gunboat where he served till he was
killed. Major Young has frequently re- I
ferred TO him as the best man in the
ranks He was police sergeant during
times of peace. and his rigid sanitary
precautions are partly responsible fos-
the splendid health conditions of the
men. All the men who could leave
their positions attended his funeral He
was buried in Pace. along in the trenct
where over 800 American soldiers are
sleeping.
When Mabey Quit.
Sergeant Mabey has got a very wide
streak of fighting blood in him. and
finding things too tame at the water
works. he transferred to Lieutenanr
Webb's boat. and when the fight oc-
CURED up the river he was on top of
the boat. looking for the enemy He
was unable TO get down when the FIR
ing occurred. and he stayed there pick
ing them off with his rifle until il was
shot out of his hands He then sought
shelter behind small steel projections
Just big enough to lay behind. It was
hit twenty times by Mausers while be
was behind it. The boat was dented
in 12s places by the fire On Wedne4-
day the boys had their revenge They
again advanced over this ground. go1nx !
clear up 10 San Louis. thirty miles u0
the river from San Fernando On the /
way Lieutenant Webb made eighty
seven good niggers with his Gatling9-
Payne Returning Home