The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-03-03
APPLY TH[ TORCH
Insurgents Set Fire to Manila and
Cause Immense Damage.
6OO0R 700 BUILDINGS BURNED
Fire Apparatus Burned, Presumably by
Nanves-Tighting in tho Streets, In
Which Number of Insurgents Are
Killed.

MANILA, Feb. "a. Immense damage
has been done by fires which are be
lieved to have been started by insur
gents last night. The fire department
has experienced great difficulty il
fighting the flames owing to defective
apparatus. 1t is reported that the
natives have damaged the apparatus
There was some fighting in the
streets during the 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 residences and business
houses have been destroyed. Fires
were started at several points stimuli
taneously and spreading with great
rapidity resisted all efforts to control
them. Hundreds of homeless natives
arc huddled in the streets making pa
troll duty of the Americans very diff
ficult.
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
fammabiity of the structure caused
the blaze to spread with alarming ra-
pidity. The city fire department was
hopclessly incompetent, and the Eng
lish volunteer brigade from Santa
Mesa was summoned and with mod
ern engine pumping adequate streams
from the canal, succeeded after four
hours work, in getting the blaze I'M
der control.
Meantime the entire block and the
greater part of two Others across the
street were completely Quilted. Hun
dreds of inhabitants were rendered
homeless. The Chinese and natives
lined the adjacent streets, while hun
dreds more, fearing general conla-
grafton, removed their furniture and
other portable goods in every drec-
ton within a radius of a quarter of
mile, when the alarm was first given.
Impediments were placed in the way
of the tiremen and the hose was cut
five different times. This resulted in
all the natives being driven off the
streets, those in the immediate vicin-
ity of the blaze being corralled in va
cant lots until the excitement was
over. In many instances the natives
were insolent and paid no regard to
the orders given them and the soldiers
were compelled to use harsh measures.
The butts OF their rifles and their bay
onets were freely applied
Shortly after midnight another big
fire was started in the Tondo district,
where the natives are thicllest; and
when the fremen and soldiers at
tempted to work regular fusilade of
rife and revolver shots was fred from
the windows and roofs of the build
.ngs.
The fremen, escorted by soldiers,
proceeded to clean out the houses
while the fire was unheeded. The
Thirteenth Minnesota was reinforced
by detachments from the Third in
fantry, the Second Oregon, the Third
artillery and the Tenth Pennsylvania
Bullets flew in every direction, in al
most every street in the Tondo and
Binondo districts, causing the most
intense excitement.
Lieutenant Eugene S. French of
Company L, First Montana volunteers,
and Private Oscar FELTON, of Company
G, South Dakota volunteers, were
killed and two other Dakotans were
Captain Robinson of Company C,
Minnesota, and three men
were wounded.
Many timid persons, imagining that
the rebels had effected an entrance
through the American lines and were
into the city, hurried fran
tically from the hotels and houses,
only to be stopped at the first corner
by guard. The sounding of native
bugle call Immediately preceding the
firing lent color to the story. Thous-
ands 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 territory. The damage was ines
Unable.