The times., 1899-07-28
OPERATIONS OF THE NAVY.
Further Details of the Gunboat EN-
pIoits in the Philippines.

/
The Navy Department has received from
Capt. A. s. Barker, who was temporarily
in command OF the Asiatic station. re-
port CT the operations of the Navy, in con-
| Junction with the Army in the movement
| under General Lawton which resulted in
| the capture OF Paransque and Las Pinas.
| large town between Manila and Cayite,
| OF June 10. Il was arranged between
\ General Otis and Captain Barker that all
| suitable light draft naval vessels shoald
| be stationed along the shore as close in as
| they could get with instructions 10 fire
| on retreating Filipino soldiers. but refrain
from firing on women. children. and
| towns. and also be careful that the shots
| should not reach the American troops.
/ During the day lookouts on the ships were
| stationed aloft and could see the soldiers
| advancing from the foot hills. that the
vessels did good execution along shore.
| The Helena was stationed SO that the re
treating soldiers could be seen distinctly
| when crossing a certain bridge, but her
| fire was frequently interrupted in order
Lot to hurt tGe women and children who
we're at times mixed up with the soldiers
| on their retreat. The Wheeling guarded
! and did good work in knocking out bat
! tory and driving the insurgents away from
that neighborhood. 1t was during this en-
| sagement that Captain Nichols. OF the
Monadnock. stationed of Paranque, was
overcome by heat and died suddenly. The
| American vessels that took part in the en-
gsgement were the Monadnock. Helena,
| Princeton, Monterey. Caliao. Wheeling.
and some of the little gunboats. General
| Iawton on June II closely examined the
country from the fighting top OF the
| Helena, which steamed up and down e,ose
| in shore In his report Captain Barker
says:
The Helena is greatly appreciated here.
Indeed, the comparatively small draft of
the Monadnock, Monterey. and Helena Eas
| made the services of those vesse-s inval-
liable
Captain Barker encloses two reports
| from Commander W. P. Swinburne. of the
| Helena. Concerning the action OF June 10,
| Commander Swinburne says: BY good
| luck our position commanded dixie and
| bridge across an arm of the river over
which the road passes. and clear stretch
| of open land about 300 yards in width.
back to the line OF trees at the foot hills
Either across this open ground, or by
the bridge. a very large number of the re-
treating enemy passed during the after
noon, and we were able to harasS them
good deal. The gun practice was excel
lent"
The other report from Commander Swim
burne is dated at Sulu. May 20. and de-
pelago and a visit to ZaInboango, the eapi-
tai of the Island of Mindanao. where the
Spanish gunboats and military forces con-
centIated after the taking OF Manila by tn
Americans. At Zamboanga Commander
Swinburne found the Castine and the Span
ish transport Porto Rico. Commander
Swinburne. in company with Commander
Veery. of the Castine. called on the Spanish
General Rios on board the Porto Rico, and
he
important that the Leon XIII, which car
ried the American garrison, should arrive
at Sulu before any man-of-war flying the
American ensign arrived to avoid trouble
with the natives. Commander Swinburne
agreed not to enter the harbor IL he should
find no vessels anchored there. A small
part OF the town OF Zamboanga had been
burned. There were no guns in the fort.
At the time the report was written Fam
boanga had been practically turned over to
the insurgent forces by the Spaniards.
The Helena reached Sulu on the morning
OF May 20, and found that the Leon XIII,
which had arrived the day before. had
nearly finished disembarking the American
troops Continuing. Commander Swim
burne says: Captain Pratt. commanding
the two battalions CT the Twenty-third
Infantry, informed me that the Spanish en-
sign would be hauled down at p. m. in
the presence OF the troops Of the two ma
tions, and the United States ensign hoist
ed. suggested the prCprety o. my firing
a salute TO each flag, which was agreed
to. At 3 p. m. the troops Of the two gar
risons marched out under arms and we're
paraded facing the Governors palace. the
United States troops ca the right Signal
was made to the Helena, and a salute of
twenty-One guns was fired, the Spanish
flag being hauled down at the last gun, and
the band of the Twenty-third playing the
Spanish national air. The United States
ensign was then hosted and saIuted by the
guns Of the Helena, with the same cere-
monies, after which the Spanish troops
marched past the front of cur line with the
usual salute. to their quarters. and are
now embarking with the expectation OF
leaving for Manila via Zamboanga, at a
m. tomorrow Everything appears per-
feotly quiet here. The Sultan is absent but
is expected here shortly