The record-union., 1899-04-03

HreS were started by these sparks tc
windward, but as everyone was alive to
this danger they We're promptly
quenched in their incipiency.
Shortly after midnight, just as the
weary workers and watchers were re-
pairing to their quarters, congratu-
lating themselves that the fire, bad
though it was, had been no worse, an
other blaze was reflected from the
smoke beclouded sky in the direction
of Tondo. This being the most densely
populated native district in the city,
which has always been identified with
the rebel cause, preparations We're at
once made for trouble, and it was not
long in coming.
No sooner had the fire brigade coupled
it's hose and commenced to play upon
the flames, which had again started in
a block of buildings occupied by
Chinese. than shots were fired at the
men from the windows of adjacent
houses Companies E and M of the
Second Oregon Volunteers, and M and
c of the Thirteenth Minnesota Volun-
teers, 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 down half dozen streets at
once, and when this fusillade was fol-
lowed by volleys from Mausers in the
vicinity of the railway station it was
realized that the enemy had sneakeo
around to the left flank of the out
posts at Calcoocan by way of the creeks
and estuaries in the Vitas district, and
that there was other work than fighting
fire to be done.
AS the strength of the enemy was
unknown, it was a ticklish situation TO
cope with, but it had to be met, and the
Americans. regulars and volunteers
alike, met it like men. A sklrmlsh Inc
fully a quarter of a mile long was
formed. and advanced under cover OF
huts and trees until the rebels were
discovered behind hastily formed bar
rcades of paving stones and street car
rails, commanding two streets, anu
within two stone buildings. The nrlnS
from bushes and shacks became SO
hot that it was found necessary TO set
fire to other shacks to smoke the repeis
out, and this having been done an al
vance was made upon the barrlcades.
Both were carried with rush, put the
rebels made a determined stand WITHIN
the ruins of an old church, and 1t was
not until detachment OF the oregon
Volunteers flanked them from an du-
jacent brick building that they Wele
moved. Thirty were shot WITHIN thls
Enclosure. and six more IN anothel'
Once the rebels commenced to- tall pach
it was easy to keep them moving ai
though they threw up barricades anu
hastily intrenched themselves near the
terminus of the Malabon street railway
This. however, occupied all OF 1hui
day morning, the rebels not peihs
driven out of the city limits until long
after daylight While they left llo
dead on the ground and several nun
bred were taken prisoners, many es
caDed into the swamp lands nortn oi
the city this side of Caloocan, and are
still believed to be in hiding there IN
order to guard against further ATTACKS
of this nature. the whole of this sec
ton has been cleared, all the natlVe
shacks having been destroyed by nfe.
The American loss was one private OIL
the Twenty-t third Infantry killed, an
Officer and three privates OF the MIL
nesota Volunteers and a private OF the
Oregon Volunteers wounded
While all this was happening beyond
the scene of the fire, the flames rapldly
consumed whole blocks OF pampoo
structures. the popping of the exploo-
inc; canes conveying the impression tnal
a regular battle was being fought %
LONG az the fire was confined to TINS
class of buildings no effort was maze
to suppress it. but when it spread 10
other streets lined with stone ana prlch
h,i1dines a battalion of the twenty
third Infantry relieved the native nre-
men and fought the flames until noor'
hen tbev were finally subdued-
II is impossible to estimate the
amount of damage done by these TWO
fres fully 1000 buildings being de-
s+roved together with their contents.