Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-31
CLIMATE MIGHT BE WORSE
Impressions of the Philippines as Given by a
Washington Boy.
characteristics of the Filipino War
rfOrs-SharpshOOter Tied to Trees
business Openings.
IA

A letter has been received by a friend in
this city from Mr.. Frank Van SAINT, a
former Washington boy and graduate of
the Linthicum Institute, who. during the
Spanish-American war, enlisted in the navy
and has been assigned as paymaster's clerk
aboard the U. S. S. Princeton. The letter
Is dated Cavite. Philippine Islands, July A.
and arrived here last week. 1t is in part
as follows:
1.-The climate is not the kind that induces
energy, I tell you, but 1t might be worse.
We are having the rainy season now, and
I never saw or imagined there could be so
much rain before in such short time.
Outside in the bay typhoons are raging
entirely too frequent. one being reported
today. We are tied up here for repairs and
likely to be in port for two weeks or more.
This is a good season for repairs, because
operations have almost ceased there being
nothing but few skrmishes and
then. The whole thing is a series of Skin
mishes, for the Filipinos will not mass to-
gether and make stand, but believe in
the old saw, He who fights etc.
1.-The Mausers have longer range than
the old Springfield rifles, that so many of
our troops have. and the natives know this
They fire until the Americans come within
range of the Sprngfelds and then run Off
They build some excellent trenches, but
they will not stand In them They vamoose
when things begin to get hot They take
turns manning the trenches some for a
day, and then they go home and are re-
neved by others, and SO on.
Afraid of a Gun.
''They do not understand the use of a
gun and are afraid of it. They fire one
shot aiming from the shoulder, and then
drop the rifle to a charge bayonet atti-
tude, and discharge the cartridges in the
magazine as fast as they can pull the trig-
ger. Moral-If you don't want to get shot
keep in the front ranks. Some of the troops
off the firing line near Malolos said they
heard some one giving orders, or rather
swearing at the insurgents. in English to
fire low.
In the palm trees which form the woods
1t is hard to get a footing. So the insur-
gents tie the sharpshooters to the trees
fastening straps around the waist and legs,
leaving the hands free to work the rifle
Che sharpshoOtcr was found just off from
Paranaque. where we bombarded and back
ed up Lawton in his advance on these
towns along the bay. tied in this fashion
and mis- body had been riddled with bullets
by the Americans. Gen. Lawton cleaned
out the whole place from Manila to Cavite.
In the prison at Cavite a plague has
broken out and il has carried off 600 out of
1850. and taking more every day / saw
a band of about forty being marched
around town today under a guard The
navy is faTing much better than the army
In the rainy season, for the soldiers, when
they have TO live in tents, wake up some
mornings and find themselves lying in
water.
transports are leaving every week or
so with the volunteers on board. Very few
transports are coming in. If the govern
nent don't have a large number of troops
here by the end of the rainy season this