The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-05
FROM MANILA

Hospital steward Lahna Returns
from the Philippines-His Views
About the War-He Saw Some Of the
Battles Around ESTABLISHMENTS OF
the War
Mr.. Frank Lahna, hospital steward,
United States army. who left Fort Cas-
well last March for service in the Phil
ippines, returned here last evening on
furlough. He is on his way to see his
wife who is with her mother at Sup
ply, N. c.
Mr.. Lahna left Manila the latter part
of June on the hospital ship Relief and
reached San Francisco early IN August.
He came across he continent WIN the
Pennsylvania regiment, which returned
from the Philippines and was at Pits
burg several days ago When h home
coming troops received their welcome
home.
On the Relief when Mr.. Lahna came
over were 300 wounded n sick Amer
ican soldiers, and he tells us of two
remarkable wounds from which recov-
cries were made. One man recovered
in six weeks from a wound by a Maui
ser bullet that passed clean through
both temples Another soldier was shot
in the forehead and the bullet came
out in the temple, after carrying away
a large piece Of the frontal bone. He
SAYS the prevailing diseases among
our troops in the Philippines are rheu-
matism and dysentery. He states
that he attended very few cases of ma
1aria.
While in the Philippines, Mr.. Lahna
witnessed considerable fighting be-
tween our troops and the Fflipinos
around Manila. He was an eye witness
of the two days battle on the 10Th and
OnTI 20 T,raa haip~ xith tho fold hnc-
pital corps attending the wounded. He
brings back many souvenirs of the war
including a poisoned arrow shot at our
troops by the Ysogodas and which was
found in the top Of a palm tree near
Manila where the Filipinos first at
tackled our troops on the 9Th OF F'ebru-
airy. He is now suffering from an ugly
wound on his hand accidentally received
from the point of the arrow. Fearing
poisoning he cauteriZed the wound i'm
mediately and is suffering 10 i'll effect
from the wound, except that 1T is ugly
looking.
Being asked about the progress of
the war, Mr.. Lahna says the American
troops have been victorious over the
Filipinos everywhere but as to wheth-
er the insurrection is broken depends
on the recuperatiVe power Of the Fill
pino army during the rainy season
while our troops cannot reach them
The Americans nave never yet
been able to ascertain the strength
of the enemy's army, although it is
known that they have more men h
arms. He is confident that the re-
cruits now being sent to the Philip
pines will enable General Otis to crush
the insdrrection.
Mr.. Lahna says the Philippines may
be all right, for a single man., but not
for a married man. He stopped over in
Honolulu, Hawaii, and was much i'm
pressed with that city. 1t is being
A~mericanized rapidly and shows pro-
gress and push on all sides. The people
of Honolulu gave our returning troops
a warm welcome, sending them baskets
of flowers and barrels of food n
fruits of all kinds.
Mr.. Lahna brought back with him
quite a number of things he secured in
the east. Among them is a handsome
checker board made by a Japanese and
inlaid with 1000 bits of different wood,
and a and carved bamboo cane. He
also has a stone battle Ike a lot of fans,
silks, and china and agateware, etc.
Some of his curios are on exhibition
at the BonitZ House.