The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-04-03

workers and watchers were repairing %
tAeiT quarters eongratulasing themselves
that the fire. lad thcugh y was had been
80 worse, another blaze was reflected from
tse s-rsoks-heciou3ess sky in the direction
of the Toudo- This hsirx tae mos, serse.x
populated district In the city which hass
always been identified with the rehs.
cause. Preparations were al once made for
trouble and II was not long in coming.
The FIrenen shot At.
NO sooner had the fire brigade coupled rs
hose and commenced "a play upon the
flames which had again STARTED IN a bunch
OF buildings occupied hy Chinese. than
shots were fred az the men from the win
dcws OF adjacent houses Companies Z
and n OF the Second Oregon volunteers
and NJ and of the Thirteenth Minnesota
volunteers, under MAJ. Williams. were
hastily reinforced BY Maj. Gooda.e's bat
talon Of the Twenty-third infantry. ard
an attempt was made 10 clean ost the
eIghborhood.
Insurgents Had Sneaked In.
Suddenly, however. shots were fired down
half dozen streets AZ once. and when this
fusi-lafe was followed by volieys from
Mausers in the vicinity OF the railway sta
ton II was realized that the enemy had
sneaked around 10 the left flank OF the
outposts al caloocan by way CT the creeks
and es;aaries in the vifas district and
that there was other work than fighting
fire 10 be done. AS the strength of the
enemy was unknown, /. was a tick.!sh sit
uasion TO cope with. but i, had to be met,
and the Americans, regulars and vo!un-
teers alike. met II like men. A skirm.sh
line fully a quarter OF mile long was
formed and advanced under cover of huts
and trees until the rebels were discovered
behind hastiiyformed barricades OF paw
ing stones and street car rails, command
ing TWO streets, and within two stone
buildings.
The Rebels Smoked Ont.
The firing from the bushes and shacks
became so hot that 1t was found necessary
TO set fire 10 other shacks 20 windwaFd IN
order to smoke the Rebels out, and this
having been done an advance was made
upon the harricades. Both were carried
with a rush. but ths rebels made determ-
ined stand within the ruins of an old
church. and 1t was not until a detachmen,
an adjacent brick building that they were
moved. Thirty were shot within the in
closure and six more In another Once the
rebels commenced 10 fall back il was easy
10 keep them moving. although they threw
UP barrcaies and hastily intrenched them
selves near the terminus of the Malabon
street railway. This however, occupied
all OF Thursday morning, the rebels not
being driven out of the city limits until
long after daylight. While they left il3
dead on the ground and several hundred
were taken prisoners. many escaped into
the swamp land north OF the city. this side
OF Caiooean. and are stll believed to be in
hiding there.
In order 10 guard against further attacks
Of this nature. the whole Of this section
has been cleared. all the native shacks hav-
ing been destroyed by fire. The American
loss was one private OF the Twenty third
infantry killed. an officer and three privates
of the Minnesota volunteers and private
OF the Oregon volunteers wounded
Whole Blocks of Huts Consumed.
While all this was happening beyond the
scene OF the fire, the flames rapidly con-
surned whole blocks of bamboo structures,
the popping OF the exploding canes convey
ing the impression that Il regular battle
was being fought. So long as the fire was
confined to this class OF buildings no effort
was made TO suppress II: but when Ii
spread 10 other streets. lined with stone
and brick buildings. a battalion OF the
Twentythird infantry relieved the native
firennen and fought the flames until noon.
when they were finally subjued.
IL is impossible 10 estimate the amount
Of damage done by these two fires, fully
700 buildings being destroyed, together
with their contents