The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-17
Manila'S Quiet Nights Shaken BY
Firing On the Line.
DAILY TRIPS TO HOSPITAL
INSURGENTS HAVE LATEST
STYLE OF RIFLES.
Souvenir Hunters Follow the Army
Chinese Are Scavengers of the
War Flocking Down Upon the
Ashes of Every Hut-General
Otis Report of Dead and Wounded

Correspondence of the Associated Press.)
Manila, March 10 (via San Francisco,
April 16).-War has become so COM
monplace an experience to Manila that
the average citizen no longer thinks of
becoming excited over it Every night
some point of the horizon is crimsoned
by the reflection from burning huts
kindled by the soldiers to deprive the
insurgents of hiding places. Every
night quiet is shaken by the firing
from the line encompassing the city
Every morning brings it's pitiful little
consignment of accomplishing wound
ed to the hospital Manila forms an
American oasis in the island of Luzon.
Around the city stretches a thin line
fifteen miles long of entrenched SOL
diers.
The Filipino goes into the field I'M
encUmbered with useless baggage.
Following the course of their retreat
beyond Guadeloupe church went the
souvenir enthusiasts who hang about
the American army, but they found
nothing more than a few tin cooking
utensils and empty cartridge shells,
whose pattern prove that the insur
gents have the very latest style of
rifles. Trousers or drawers, a shirt
worn outside them, a straw hat, cart
ridge belt and rifle, a section of bam-
boo stalk filed with rice, u handful OF
green peppers tied in a handkerchief,
sometimes sandals-these form the
equipment of a Filipino soldier.
No finer country for defensive fight
ing and no more embarrassing for Of
fensive operations than the land
around Pasig lake could be imagined.
CHINESE ARE SCAvENGERS.
The Chinese are the scavengers of
the war Like vultures, they hover in
the wake of the army, flocking down
upon the ashes of every hut and the
ruins of churches to dig out stuff that
no white man could possibly use. Be
ing beyond suspicion of any interest in
the hostilities save gain, they are adj
mitted to the camps and employed as
servants. Some of them peddle water
and cigarettes on the line. One, more
daring than most, crept about the
trenches of the Kansas regiment under
a hot fire and did a good trade. When
competitors appeared he FASTENED to
point out to them the spot where a
soldier had been wounded, seemingly
impressing on them the dangers of
their position, for they ran away.
The forces of destruction are con-
centrated upon the churches. They are
all solid buildings of stone, so the ma
tives use them as forts. Some church
has served as the keystone of nearly
every Filipino defense, and the Amer
lean artillery is compelled to batter
them. Caloocan church is a picture of
the havoc of war. There General Mac
Arthur has his headquarters. The roof.
a sky-blue frescO studded with gilt
stars, has jagged holes where shells
from Dewey's ships came through.
Within the chancel rail is the office of
the staff and the pulpits are used for
desks. The rail holds a string of sad
dies a telephone hangs beside the
statue of a saint. while the telegraph
clicks necessarily in an alcove. Cots
and hammocks fill the body of the
church, where soldiers are sprawled out
smoking and reading when off duty. A
hospital occupies a chapel in a corner.
The soldiers do not lack reverence, but
everything must bend before their
work
General Otis has put stop to the
plans Of officers who wanted to bring
their wives and families to Manila. He
said: This is not a picnic nor a G. A.
r. encampment. This is war"