The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-21
PHILIPPINE FUNERAL.
Interesting Descriptive Letter From
Ransan at the Front

independence, Kan, Aug. PA let
ter from a Kansas boy in the Philip
pines gives an interesting account of
the burial of the captain of the mont
tor Monadnock, who died from heart
trouble. The letter is dated June IA,
and is as follows;
a few days ago we heard Of the
death of the captain of the MonadnOck,
and as we had permission to leave. we
concluded to go over to CaVite. At 1880
we wendell our way down to the ferry
dock on the river and took the little
side-wheeI City of Manila. We steamed
down the Pasig river lodging in and
out among the trading ships and our
mosquito" fleet that lay at anchor out
in Manila bay.
ITO our right lay the Oregon, Balti-
more and some other smaller gunboats,
together with the transports that are
to carry home the brave volunteers who
have been the back bone of the army
over here. After passing the ships that
lay at anchor on the Manila side, we
came to an expanSe of water decked
here and there with steam launches
bearing some naval officers cOmpl
ments to a friend on some other YES
sci, or taking orders back and forth.
when we came within three or four
miles of Cavite we began to notice
trademarks that have been copy
righted by one George Dewey, in the
shape of maStS, SmOke-StackS, fighting
tops davits and occasionally a bow or
stern of some Inflated Spanish vessel
which argued too long on the first day
of May in the year of our Lord 1898. I
counted the remains of eleven boats
that had been put out of running order
on that eventful day, sticking out of
the water.
In an hour and twenty minutes we
were standing on the landing at Cavite.
AS we went down the street, Sunday
morning appeared to be the market
day, for we noticed numbers of native
women in front Of the markets buying
eggs, fish, meats, vegetables, rice, etc.
The piece of meat they buy is about the
size of ones hand and cut like a steak,
and we were told that one of these
pieces makes a meal for six or eight
people.
The women fuss and argue with the
Chinamen-whO, by the way, have con-
troll of the butcher business-as no
other women of all the other nations
can do. Finally they go away seeming
~ cOntented, with their meat in their
hands without any wrapping paper on
it. Down at the end of this street is
the Cavite Arsenal, inclOsed by a high
stone wall and iron fence, where the
First Pennsylvania are quartered. Near
the arsenal are the dry docks where
the small vessels are repaired and
scraped, but they are too small for yes
sells of our fleet which have to be sent
for repairs to Hong Kong.
THE funeral of the captain of the
MOnadnOck took place at y o'clock at
the cemetery at San Rogue, about three
miles around the point. We passed
hurriedly through the ruins of San
Rogue. where street after street was
deserted, the houses having been looted
and some of them burned.
We walked over a mile and did not
see a living soul Occasionally a shell
from one of the monitors in the bay
would shrek over our heads and burst
in the Insurgents lines three or four
miles away. We got around to the
navy yard about twenty minutes before
u he
with the body.
AS the funeral cortege left the pier
the bugles and drums played a funeral
march Just behind came the marines
in columns of tours, dressed in linen
suits, canvas leggings and white he'll
NETS. Next came the coffin, wrapped
in the flag, on q caisson, followed by
officers of the various ships of our fleet.
The marines formed company to the
right Of the grave; an officer read the
burial service; the marines fired three
volleys over the grave; the buglers
sounded taps" and the burial was
over