The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-03-07
OUR TROOPS
IN A FIGHT
Patrol OF the Second Oregon
Ambushed by the In
surgents.
THE BOYS FOUGHT NOBLY
HcIu tuCII VI tOuuu OHuSI HCoNl
Fire Until the Arrival Of
Assistance.
THIRTY NATIVES KILLED
Two OF Our Men woBn5ed-
Are Preparing for an Aitsek. Whieh
VIII Soon Be Made.
THIRTY NATIVES KILLED

MANILA. March "a p. m.-.no rebels
have been concentrating In The vicinity
OF the reservoir Today tho patrol of
company O. Second Orsron volunteers
was taken In ambush. Two men We're
wounded. but tho organization held It's
ground under heavy fire Until the r.
malndcr Of the company. assisted by two
companies Of the First Nebraska regi-
ment fanked tho enemy. killing 99 and
woundlng several more.
Two batialions OF the Twentieth regu-
lar infantry have reinforced General
Haie's brigade.
All the native huis have been de-
strdyeSf at Mariquna and the country
thas~Ig pretty well cleared. but the rcb-
els werc returning In small bodies at
sundownS1
Apparently they have secured na&s
supply OF smokcless ammunition recently,
aa there has been noticeable differ
encc during the las, few days.
The rebels. anticipating an American
advance. are busy throwing up defenses
In every direction. and II Is reported that
they are icyying nsn and supplies in
every quarter Of the province. As a
result great dissatisfaction prevails
among the tribes ordinarily unfriendly
to Tagalos. particularly among Fto-
canon. who assert their desire to as
aist IN conquering Tagalos II furnished
with arms.
The civil members OF the United
States Philippine commission, who ar
rived here Saturday afternoon from
Hongkong on the cruiser Baltimore. land
cd today and are nov Installed in quar-
ters especially provided for them on the
MaIato waterfront. while awaiting the
arrival OF Colonel Charles DENLY. form
erly United States minister 10 China
and the other members Of the commis-
sion they will devote their time TO sight
seeing and getting familiar with local
conditions
Until Colonel DENLY arrives the COM
mission will be incomplete and can do
nothing officially,
The troops which arrived on Saturday
on the transport Senator and those thai
arrived yesterday on the transport ono
are disembarking. and all preparations
are being made to proceed with an ag-
gresslve campaign before the wet sea
son sets In,
The Spanish commissioners who are en-
deavoring to secure the release OF the
Spanish prison ls IN the hands OF Agu-
inaldo have returned to Malolos TO offer
Sc 2.OOO,O OOO for their release. As Aguinaldo
has been demanding SO@,co It is not
likely that their mission Will be sue
ccssful.
The following order has been issued re-
gardlng the movement OF transports: The
Arizona will saf for San Francisco, via
Hongkong, with all the sick, on March
2. the Newport, via Nagasaki' Japan
with all returning officers and their
wives, on March 10; the scandia. va
Nagasakl. with discharged soldiers, on
March II. and the Morgan city via Nag
asalxi, on March II.
DECISIVE BLOW TO BE STRUCK.
WASHINGTON, March S-There is
reason TO expect important news from
Manila within the next fortnight 1t has
developed that General Otis has practl-
caly completed his plans ltr grand
onslaught ON the insurgents wh'N IS
expected to deprive them of Offer we
power at least
1t Is probable that he win form
large part OF his force into columns as
soon as his reinforcements arrive ana
will push these in parallel lines straight
through the jungles, clearing out the In
surgents in every direction as the troops
move forward.
The American troops are becoming
restless and nervous under the petty but
ANNOYING sharpshootlng of the Fihplnos,
and are so anxious to put stop to this
that General Otis has yielded to their
desire.
TROOPS 5FoR THE PHILIPPINES,
WASHINGTON, March 6.-Forty-one
thousand officers and men OF the COM
bined army and navy forces comprise the
approximate total Of the American
strength now at and enroute under orders
for service in the Philippines. The forces
of the two services already stationed In
and about the archipelago consist OF 20
regiments of infantry, one engineer bat
TALON, seven troops Of cavalry and Il
batteries Of artillery, an aggregate or
about 2i,5OO men. Nineteen vessels, with
an aggregate Of 297 officers, 200 men
and marines, make up the naval con-
tlngent.
LIGHT DRAFT VESSELS NEEDED.
NEW YORK. March "a dispatch TO
the Herald from Washington says: The
necessity Of suppresslng filibustering ex-
petitions Is the cause OF Admiral Dewey
asking that the department send him
more vessels Of light draught.
On account Of the number Of Philippine
islands, the natives are able TO transport
from the Asiatic coast a large quantity