The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-13


department yesterday:
Manila, Feb. Il.
Reported that insurgent representa-
tive at Washington telegraphed Ag-
uinaldo to drive out Americans before
arrival of reinforcements. Dispatch re-
ceived at Hong Kong and mailed TO
Malolos, which decided on attack to be
made about Eth inst Eagerness Of in
surgent troops to engage precipitated
battle.
Very quiet today on lines from Cal
ocean. on north, TO Panay on south
Yesterday small reconnoitering party,
u miles south OF city, fired on; two men
slightly wounded. Two insurgents with
arms captured Affair OF 10th. Near
thurs division very successful
Enemy's loss considerable: have col
lected 20 dead bodies; more not yet dis
covered; Insurgents reported to be
gathering in force II miles north on
railway, but evidently perplexed.
Quiet along the entire line, nothing
having happened up to this hour 4:50
y. m) 10 disturb the peace of the Sab
bath. In Manila the inhabitants have
generally recovered from the alarm oc-
casicned by the fear of native uprising
and are resuming their ordinary bust
ness. The shipping interests are natural
ly suffering. Stree there have been no
Clet RANGES for Philippine ports within
a week; but. on the other hand. foreign
shi, ping has increased, espeC Sly for
Hong Kong. very steamer hound thither
being crowded with tlm!d refugees.
DESPITE however, this Sunday quie-
tude many are asking whether the prob
lem is not Il far from solution. a week
ago those Ni . took an optimistic view
predicted that q terrible lessor just ad-
nias.ered to the rebels would settle the
q eton ~ III iTino independence in
snort az But this prediction has not
been 81 q 4. As a matter of fact the
teH. are now altered throughout the
ptt ~ bushwhacling, except at
Nalabon, whore they ere gathered I'm
force. Even there their methods SAVIOR
N ore OF guerilla than Of civilized war
IA e every bush, clump and tree fur
nisn'ng cover for their sharpshooters.
Unfortunately for miles around, the
lard l. I'd with bamboo jungle; and
opcr are few and far between.
y natives, who fight bet
ter GER a distinct advante &c.
In A., cts the jungle Is so dense
the. the eye cannot penetrate IT. ana
only by the 9"shes OF their rifles is the
whereabalts o re enemy indicated.
Under such r. ditions ii Is remarkable
that the American casualties should be
so few; while the number Of dead natives
found in he brush after every skrmish
testifi 5 T. the precision OF our fire. Last
week th-re was not q single day without
fighting; but the Americans steadily ad-
vanced. carrying everything before then
ard generally increasing their semi
circle, until now 1t spread fan-shaped
from four to 10 miles around Manila. the
waterwork being the most distant point.
1t is no Gown that the Filipino loss
IL fully z5, aG. with wounded vastly
in excess OF nCmber, and thousands
are held prisor ers. All this has been
achieved at the cost Of 55 Americans
killed and 257 wounded. There are two
Americans + ssirg and unaccounted for.
No fewer { ar 20 native Villages have
surrendered or been captured. Several
have been destroyed because their houses
harbored men. frequently disguised 81
female attire, who shot from windows
and roof tops at the American troops.
Many rifles ard a ton Of ammunition
have been seized. AS might be expect
ed, there has been some ooting i'm the
outskirts, but 1t has not been general and
has been in secret and In violation Of or
ders.
The only incident that has broken the
quiet OF the day followed the arrival OF
the German frst-class cruiser Kaiserin
Augusta. When she saluted Admiral
Dewey this afternoon a report spread |
rapidly that the American warships were
Malabon.
Today crowds have visited the scenes
OF last weeks fighting. All the roads !
from the city were thronged with vehi-
cles. But beyond burned villages and
the new mounds In the fields there was
little to be seen. A close inspection
showed that most of the enemy's dead
had remained at their posts to the last. /
rs the bodies were usually surrounded .
by empty cartridges, while in the /
trenches. wherever there were no dead, |
there was little and often no ammuni- |
tion.
Among the distinguished prisoners |
captured i'm Manila since the outbreak OF !
hostilities are Captain Escamillo
Aguinaldo's private secretary; Captain
Veraguth, Colorel Martin de les Reys
Ind Senior Thomas del Roasrlo. n r1cm-
ber OF the so-called Filipino congress in
session at Malolos.A few minor Filipino
officials are also in custody.
General SOtis had another victory TO
record sahlrday. End though the action
before Cafoocan did not result I'm as
heavy loss 10 the American side as the
battle "A week sro Saturday night and
Sunday morning, n Is believed TO have
been quite in portant In results. Caloo-
ran is on the line II railroad connecting
Manila with Naloi r., the lnsurgent can't
ial. and Il may d. that the capture OF the
first named 'o"r vill rake IL possible
10 advance rnr by rail upon the ir-
surgent he's rtcrs II IL shall be
ieemcd necessorv 60 force the lighting
and undertake the capture OF Aguinaldo.
The officials here were encouraged by
General Ctlt' quotation Of the opinion OF
,redltab'c nr1 one Ffiplnos. it is under
stood. & erect that Aguinaldo n,