The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-23
MANILA AIF!RE AZ
Natives Apply the Torch Twice
in Night
And Cut the Hose in Various
Places.
FIGHTING THE FIRE
Is Abandoned For a Time by
the American Troops
While They Drive the FilipinOs
Out of the City.
Acres Of the City Burned Over
and Loss is Great.

Manila, Feb. %, 1850 a. m.-Last night
was one of terror to the thousands of
inhabitants of Manila, the rebels maxi
ing good their oft-repeated threats to
the extent of burning scores of build
ings, wounding an officer and three men
by firing through the windows during
the excitement.
AT o'clock an incendiary fire oc
CURED in block of brick buildings oc-
cupied by Chinese on the Call La Coste
in the Santa Cruz district. A stiff
breeze was blowing and the infiamma-
BILE material of the structure caused
the blaze to spread with alarming rap
idity. The city fire departments were
hopelessly incompetent and the English
volunteer brigade from Santa Mesa
was summoned, and with a modern en-
gine pumping adequate streams from
the canal succeeded after four hours
work in getting the blaze under con-
troll
Meantime the entire block and the
greater part of two others across the
street were completely ruined.
Hundreds of inhabitants were rem
dered homeless.
The Chinese and natives lined the
adjacent streets, while hundreds more,
moved their furniture and other porta-
BILE goods in every direction within a
radius of a quarter of a mile when the
alarm was first given.
Gen. Hughes personally superintend-
ed the police arrangements. The whole
city was thoroughly patrolled and the
guards were doubled. Every available
man was dispatched to the region of the
fire
Impediments were placed in the way
of the firemen and the hose was cut
five different times. This resulted in all
the natives being driven off the streets,
those in the immediate vicinity of the
blaze being cOrraled in vacant lots and
guarded until the excitement was over
In many instances the natives were in
SOlent and paid regard to the orders
given them and the soldiers were com
PEELED to use harsh measures. The butts
of their rifles and their bayonets were
freely applied.
The danger from live electric light wires
necesSitated the closing of the circuit in
the burning region, and the only light in
certain parts of the city that furnish
Shortly after midnight another big fire
was started in the Tondo district, where
the natives the thickest. and when
the firemen and soldiers attempted to work
a regular t4S1llaos OF rine @ ana reye'iVeI
roofs of the buildings.
The fremen, escorted by the soldiers.
proceeded to clean out the houses, while
the fire was unheeded. The. Thirteenth
from the Third infantry tRs Second ore
gon. the Third artillery and the Tenth
Pennsylvania. Bullets flew in every direc-
tion in almost every street in the Tondo
and Binonda districts, causing the most
intense excitement.
Captain Robinson of company c, Thir-
teenth Minnesota, and three men were
wounded.
Many timid persons imagining that the
rebels had effected an entrance through
into the city hurried frantically from the
hotels and houses, only to be stopped at
the first corner by a guard. The sounding
of native bugle call, Immediately pre-
ceding the firing, lent color to the story.
Thousands of Chinese crossed the bridges
and plazas under fire, hurrying with their
bundles to the Chinese consulate. All
night long the fire spread throughout the
Tondo district. sweeping away rows of
houses and devastating acres of territory.
The damage is inestimable.
With daylight punitive measures were
decided upon, and the Americans, although
tired after their sleepless nights work.
soon cleared the district of every native
after a slight resistance.