Connecticut western news., 1899-04-20
CAPTURED BY REBELS.
Fifteen of Yorktown's Men Tn
 Hands of Filipinos.
TRYING TO RESCUE sPANIARDS.

Dispatch From Admiral Dewey, Much
 of Which Is Not DecipherabIe-Fnte
 of the Cnptives Not Known-Lieu-
 tenant Gilmore Taken.
 Washington. April 19.-As a result ot an ambush one officer and IA men of the gunboat Yorktown have been cap- tured and perhaps killed by insurgent Fflipinos on the east coast of Luzon. Details of the affair were communi- cated to Secretary Long by Admiral Dewey in the following dispatch:
 "The Yorktown visited Baler. Luzon, east coast of Luzon. P. l., April 12, for the purpose of rescuing and bringing away the Spanish forces. consisting of so soldiers. three officers and two priests. who were surrounded by 400 in- surgents.
 Some of the insurgents. armed with Mauser rifles by natives. Lieu tenant J. c. Gilmore. while making ambushed were fired upon and captured. Fate unknown. as insurgents refused to communicate afterward.
 "The following are missing: The off, cer previously referred to, Chief Quar- termaster W. Walton. Coxswain J. Els worth, Gunner's Mate E. J. Hygard, Sailmaker's Mate Vandoit. Seamen w. H. Rynders and O. W. Woodbury. Alp prentices D. G. A. Kenville and A. J. Peterson. Ordinary Seamen F. Brisolese and o. B. Mcdonald and Landsmen L. T. Edwards. F. Anderson, J. Dillon and c. A. Morrissey."
 Parts of the dispatch could not be de- ciphered by the code experts, and these are indicated by asterisks.
 Secretary Long Informed.
 AS soon as the import of the message became known a copy was sent to the White House for the information of the president. and Secretary Long subse- quently discussed the matter with him. The department also telegraphed to the nearest relatives of the men reported to be missing. informing them of the oc- currence and advising them that every thing possible would be done to ascer- tain the fate of the men and rescue them, If still alive.
 This is the first capture of an Amer ican officer and his men made by the Filipinos since the insurrection began. The Filipinos have three American sol- diers held as prisoners. but these were taken before hostilties actually began.
 Baler is on the east. or Pacific ocean. side of Luzon, about S5 miles in a straight line overland. east by north from Manila. By water it is about 65O miles around the northern end of Luzon and about 500 around the southern end. The town lies back from the coast a few miles. A small bay of the same name on the coast is little known. It offers bad anchorage. exposed to all the winds and sea from the Pacific ocean.
 Baler is the capital of Fl Principe province It has a population of 1911 and under Spanish rule was the resi- dence of the governor of the province and a small force of gendarmery. In or der to communicate with Manila by land 1t is necessary to go to Bomgabong by horseback or in a hammock carriage, making a Iaborious journey of three days, during which neither shelter nor provisions can be found.
 Everything is quiet at Malolos. The telegraph lines are down. and the re- eeipt of news from there is slow. The Twelfth infantry and the battalion of the Seventeenth infantry. which arrived on board the transport Sheridan. were disembarked and encamped on the Lu- meta. They report having been cor dially received and entertained at the British stations at which they stopped.
 Major General Lawton's expedition to the Laguna de Bay district has return ed to Manila after a nine days cam paign. bringing all the men and the captured insurgent boats.
 It's objects. the capture of the insur- gents boats and the distribution of the proclamation, emphasized by a lesson of American power throughout the lake region, have been attained.
 In the absence of General Lawton's expedition the insurgents have been concentrating at the northern end of the lake, near Pasig, and the American scouts report that several thousand are already there.
 A number of prominent and wealthy Filipinos are organizing committee to take steps to bring about, if possible. an understanding between the rebels and the Americans. One branch of this committee intends to ask the United States Philippine commission to make a statement as to what terms will be offered the rebels if the latter will sur render. Another branch of the commit tee will approach Aguinaldo with the terms and will endeayor to persuade him to accept them. It is considered doubtful. however, if any members of the committee will dare to confer per sonally with the rebel leader. The com mittee includes several persons recently condemned to death by Aguinaldo for petitioning him to cease fighting.