The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-08
NOTES Of MANILA.
Mr.. Wheeler Writes Home
His Impressions Of
the City.
SHELLS DID LITTLE DAMAGE
Wild Rumors at Hong Kong
at Time of Dewey's
Victory Described.
CONDITION OF OUR BOYS
They Had Disgracefui Uni
forms--Were Delighted to
See an American Woman.

nue., this city, VINO was Iof Twelve years
Superintendent of Registry in the New
York Postoffice, and is now Auditor for
the Standard Oil Company in the Far
East, has written to his mother and
friends an interesting letter about the
situation in and about Manila, as he saw
it directly after the fall of Manila. He
had exceptional opportunities for seeing
and hearing what went on during the ex-
citing period preceding the declaration of
an armistice. His letter is in the form
of a diary. 1t was begun early in Au-
gust. Mr.. Russell says
1.-THE generally held opinions of the Oc-
cident concerning the Orient are wide
very wide, of the truth. They are sup
posedly human beings and to that degree
are kin, but beyond. | will not pur-
sue the subject further, the field is too
large for one letter or a dozen letters,
and were l to write exclusively of the
matter you would not-you could not UNI
derstand. No words can convey to you
the wide gulf between them and us. Only
by actual association and observation can
one begin to family realize that they are
not of us, nor will their lives ever be
amenable to the rules that govern, or
should govern ours. Race, climate, edu-
cation, are all against it and no human
power can prevail against it."
The letter is resumed on August II at
the Peak Hotel, Hong Kong. Mr.. Russell
tells of a terrible storm encountered at
sea, of his arrival in Hong Kong. and
then continues:-'I went with my steam
ship friends to the Hong Kong Hotel and
then crossed over to the old club. The
- 49, x,o-r1 7 n ~
for. / went at once to our Consul General
ar inquired as to may chances of getting
to Manila. The steamship he had char
tered for the dispatches was in dock and
he could not tell how soon the next
steamship would go. but said he would adj
wise me in the morning and try to pro-
vide for me. I had just risen to go when
he was called to the phone. On his re-
turn he said
The German cruiser. Kaiserin Au-
gusta, is just in and we will soon have
news He had hardly spoken when an
attache of the German Consul came in
and this was the conversation as near as
/ can recall
&c. C.-The Kaiserin Augusta has just
come in from Manila
"U. S. C.-'When did she leave?'
&c. C.-.Saturday.'
~. S. Care there any dispatches for
me?'
&c. C.-Nothing.'
gu. S. C.-'That is odd. What was the
situation when she left?'
&c. C.-.No change so far as 1 know,
only I hear it reported that the American
ships had moved in from Cavite to the
front of the city,
"u. S. C.-And the Admiral sent over
nothing by her.?
&c. C.-Nothing.' :
"U. S. C.-Did he know she was COM
ing to Hong Kong.
&c. CT have no information on that
point
"And then he left. There were~a few
quick earnest words passed between the
U. S. C. and myself and he went for the
phone and l for my chair. Crossing
Queens Road I was stopped by an
Englishman who breathlessly said, the
Governor General of the Philippines is at
the Hong Kong, just come over on the
German cruiser
".Come off, I replied.
"sGod's truth, l have seen him. and
he hurried off.
81 went at once to the office and we
called up the hotel ON the phone. Reply
came, all darned rot and shortly we left
for the Peak. Each arrival brought diff
ferent stories. but about one O'Clock there
came over the phone the absolute state
ment that he was at the Hong Kong
This was confirmed by the morning
papers and nine o'clock saw Mr.. Wheeler
and me at the office Of our Consul Cen
eral. He said the Spanish Consul had
admitted the arrival of the Governor Gen,
eral and we fell to discussing the mean
ing of his transportation on a German
cruiser.
1.-The day passed, however. without a
word. although rumors were plentiful.
The Englishmen were more bitter than
the Americans and a dozen times | heard
the wish expressed that the Powerful,
which lay broadside on not 500 yards
from the Kaiserin Augusta would open
her gun batteries and blow her out of the
water. This morning the typhoon signals
were up md the junks were hurrying to
shelter. In fact, the blow began early
this morning, and the hopes entertained
that one of our despatch boats would be
in had almost been dissipated when about
9:45 o'clock, as / was talking with Mr..
Wheeler our bookkeeper rushed in say
ing Old Glory was floating from the
semaphore over at Kewloon. Glasses
were at once Ieveled and the signal read,
American steamer The only American
steamers in these waters are at Manila,
so we knew she was from there
For half an hour we ~anxiously watch
ed for her appearance out of Lyemoon
pass and then up went the signal, Gone
into Junk Bay She had run into Chi
nese waters to avoid the twenty-four
hour limit, while coaling and landing de-
spatches. The harbor was getting decid-
edIy lumpy, but we saw the Petit Com
znodore's launch put out, but nothing of
the Consuls launch. Tired of waiting
and watching, we concluded it was too
rough for the Consups aunch and, went
in to discuss, for the hundredth time, the
situation. /, CHANGING to step out on the
balcony, saw Old Glory flying on a
launch at the foot OF the pier and d.
rectly the Consul General started up in
his chair. As he passed we yelled at
him, asking the news, but he shook his
head ard went on. He had come in on
the Pacific Mall launch, SO we rushed
down stairs and over to the Office three