The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-03
How American Troops Sup
pressed Incendiaries in
Suburbs of Manila.
BRAVE NIGHT BATTLE
Fully Two Thousand Buildings De-
stroyed Before the Flames Had
Finally Been Subdued.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.


MANILA, March AFTER many
false alarms and frustrated attempts,
the oft-repeated threats of the rebels
to burn Manila and massacre every
European and American within it's
walls eliminated in a disastrous con-
hagration and an attempted uprising,
which was promptly checked, on the
night of Washington's birthday. That
preconcerted arrangements had been
made to fire the city in half a dozen
different places simultaneously there
can be no doubt, but fortunately the
plans miscarried, for various reasons,
and the natives themselves, or at least
their sympathizers lost as much, if
not more, than those upon whom they
sought to wreak their vengeance.
A quieter day than that of February %
it would be difficult to imagine. All the
banks and leading mercantile houses were
closed and except for the fact that the
saloons were open it seemed more like
Sunday than a holiday, the excessive heat
and the condition of affairs outside having
kept most people indoors. About sun
down, however, the town bestirred itself,
and the streets were soon filled with peo-
pie taking an airing before dinner, it
and retire Immediately afterward. Just
as the long strings of carriages which
daily pass and repass each other on the
Luneta were forming for the PROCESSION
homeWard a dense black column OF smoke
rolled up above the Intervening roofs, ana
almost Immediately afterward an omlnouS
red glare was reflected from the sky
Murmurs of horror were followed by
sharp orders to coachmen, and there was
a wild scramble for the city. Even when
this was reached and it was ascertalned
that the fire was in Santa Cruz district,
some distance from the residence secuon,
the alarm was not abated, for no one
doubted that incendiarieS were at work
and none knew where the next blaze
might be started.
on the streets in the vicinity of the fire,
which was within two blocks of the Es-
colta the widest confusion reigned for
some time people scurrying here, there
and everywhere. The blaze haq sIarteu
in a. row of tWo-story modern buildings
with brick foundations on the Gale La
coste, in the center Of the ChlneSe sec
ton, and as several of these mad been
fred within a few minutes Of each other
it soon assumed alarming proportions
The local fire brigade turned out with
commemorate promptitude, but with more
zeal than discretion proceeded to pour
three tiny streams of water from as many
lines of hose upon the red-hot brick walls
of the first building fired, which was al
ready doomed, instead of attempting 10
prevent those opposite and adjacent from
igniting The consequence was that by
the time General Hughes and his men
arrived on the scene and commenced 10
clear the streets the fire was spreading
on both sides of the Gale Lacoste and
stiff breeze was tanning it forward.
During the excitement the hose was cut
five times and other impedimentsp placed IN
the way of the firemen. Upon learning
of this General Hughes issued orders TO
his men to shoot the first man VINO inter-
fered with the checking OF the names OF
attempted to start others. Several natives
who picked up burning brands and darted
off with them were either shot or pay,
oneted by the guards, and then general
roundup of all natives on the streets
in the vicinity was ordered. AS thousands
Of people were vacating their houses
and carrying off their effects and the SIDE
walks and roadways were Uttered with
furniture for blocks, this was work or
some difficulty, but by degrees the SOL
diers corraled hundreds Of protesting ma,
tives and hustled them into yards and
vacant lots, where they were guarded
until the excitement subsidized.
About 9 o'clock the European volunteer
fire brigade arrived on the scene with
modern engine, and after three hours
work the fire was controlled. Meantime
the whole Of the block in which the
the opposite side of the street, and
block and a half west of it had been COM
pletely Quilted.
was a magnificent sight, the flames leap
ing from the wooden structures fifty feet
into the air, while millions OF sparks gins
and fell in golden showers upon adjacent
roofs. Scores of fires were started by
these sparks to windward, but as every
one was alive to this danger they were
promptly quenched in their incipiency.
Shortly after midnight, just as the
weary workers and watchers were repair
ing to their quarters, congratulating
themselves that the fire, bad though it
was had been no worse, another blaze
was reflected from the smoke-beclouded
sky in the direction of Tondo. This being
6AnSelV DODnlatpC native dis
trict in the city, which had always been
identified with the rebel cause, prepara-
tons were at once made for trouble, and
it was not long in coming.
No sooner had the fire brigade coupled
its hose and commenced to play upon the
flames, which had again started in a block
shots were fired at the men from the
windows of the adjacent houses. Com
panies and NJ, of the Second Oregon
Volunteers and NJ and G of the Thir-
teenth Minnesota Volunteers, under Major
Willis. were hastily reinforced by Major
Goodale's battalion of the Twenty-third
Infantry, and an attempt was made to
clean out the neighborhood. Suddenly,
however, shots were fired from half a
dozen streets at once, and when this fusil-
lade. was followed by volleys from Maus-
ers in the vicinity of the railway station,
It was realized that the enemy had
sneaked around to the left flank of the
creeks and estuaries of Villas District, and
that there was other work than fighting
the nre to be done.
AS the strength of the enemy was I'M
known it was a ticklish situation to cone
with, but it had to be met and the Amer
leans regulars and volunteers alike. met
1t like men. A skirmish line fully a quar-
ter of a mile lone was formed and adj
vanced under cover of huts and trees
until the rebels were discovered behind
hastily formed barricades of paving
stones and street car rails commanding
two streets, and within two stone build
ings. The firing from bushes and rhacks
became so hot that 1t was found neces-
sary to set fire to other shacks to wind
ward in order to smoke the rebels out,
and this having been done, an advance
was made upon the barbados. Both
We're carried with rush. but the rebels
made a determined stand within the
ruins of an old church, and it was not
until a detachment of the Oregon Volun-
teers flanked them from an adjacent
| brick building that they were moved
! Thirty were shot within this Enclosure
and six more in another. Once the rebels
commenced to fall back 1t was easy to
keep them moving, although they threw
up barricades and hastily entrenched
themselves near the terminus or the
Malabon street railway.
This, however, occupied all of Thursday
morning, the rebels not being driven out
of the city limits until long after dav-
light. While they left 113 dead on the
ground and several hundred We're taken
/ uriSOOprs MANY eSca ned into tho eu,a ,,,,1