The Portland daily press., 1899-02-24
ATTEMPT TO BURN MANILA.
A Night of Terror For Inhabitants of
Philippine city.

n AIEht oI ~ w
Philippine city.
|: Manila. February 2s.-Last night
was one Of terror. to thousands OF
the inhabitants of Mantle. the rebels
making good their repeated threats to
the extent Of burning scores Of buildings,
wounding an officer and three men by
firing through windows during the ex-
citement.
At so'clock an inoendiary fire oc-
Cured In block Of brick buildings occu-
pied by Chinese on Gale Lasoste. In the
Santa Cruz district stih breeze was
blowing and the infiammabiiity OF the
structure caused the blaze to spread with
alarming rapidity.
The city fire department WAS hopelrssly
incompetent, and the English volunteer
bril- from Santa Mesa was summoned
and with q modern engine pumping
adequate streams from the:canal, succeed
cd after four hours work in getting the
blaze under control
Meantime the entire block and the
greater part tssv OF two ou,sss Others across inc
Every available man was despatched
tn the region of the lire. Impeuiments
were placed in the way OF the nremen
and the hose was cut ive times. This
resulted In all the natives being driven
| off the streets, those In tie immediate VI
cin,ty of the blaze being corralled In va
can't lots and guarded until the excite
rncnt WAS over.
In many instances the natives slwere IN
ngsot. paid no regard to the orders given
| them and the solo,ers were compelled to
use harsh measures.
shortly after midnight anotherl lbigtfire
was started in. the 1ondo district. where
the natives are thiokest. and when the
nremen and soldiers attempted to work
a fusiIads OF rifle and revolver shots
was fired from the Windows and roofs
of the buildings
The liiremen, escorted by soldiers, pro
oeedsd to clean ouis the houses
Bules flew in every direc-
lion. In almost .very street In the
Iondo and binondo district, causing the
most intense excitement. Capt Robin
son of Co. c. 18Th Minnesota, and three
men were wounded.
All night long the IRE spread through
the Tondo district sweeping away rows
of houses and devastating acres OF terri
tory y,..
day light punitive measures were decided
upon and the Americans. though tired
| after their sleepless nights work, soon
cleared the district OF every natlvo aIter
| "a slight resistance.
With daylight this morning the enemy
commenced worrying tactics at various
parts of the American line. apparently
| for the purpose of withdrawing attention
| from affairs inside ths city. An attempt
was made TO rush through our extreine
| left near Caloocan. but 10 was promptly
checked by hot and effective musEetry
and artillery fire.
.In the meantime small bodies of rebels
| evidently some of those engaged last
night In the cowardly work at Tondo.
! spread out between the city and the
outposts Every available man was sent
| to drive them away with the result that
| there was desultory firing all the morn
ing IN On .,o un,,.a s,a,ss
double e-turreted monitor Monadnook
| Joined in the enRagement hurting ten
Inch shells over the American lines into
bodies Of the enemy as Indicated by the
| Signal corps. ~
So far our casualties are one man killed
ana ten wounded.
At II o'clock there were sharp engage
| ments at the Chinese cemetery ana at
San Pedo Macati almost simultaneously,
but 4 the artillery from both positions
drove the enemy back From the high
towers OF the city fires can be seen burn
| ing ct dozen different points inside.
| Some of these are probably due to the
Monahnook' shells.
| Scores of rsbels have been arrested In
the 1ondo district. One band of sixty
rebels. having two carloads of arms ana
accoutrrments was captured In q house.
business Is practically suspended.
| Major General Otis today Issued gen.
eral order directing all the inhabitants
of Manila, until otherwise ordered. TO
contne themselves TO their homes after
o'clock in the evening, when the streets
will be cleared by the police
The general also warns ineendiariss and
suspects that all will be severely dealt
with If discovered in any locality.
CABLE FROM OTIS.
| Washington, February 90. -General Otis
cabled the war department. as follows:
| Manila, February 2S. 1899.
! To Adjutant General, Washington:
| Dstsrmired endeavoIs TO burn last
night. Buildings fired in three different
sections of city. Fires controlled by
troops after severe labor. considerable
| mum ber Of incendinries shot and few
soldiers wounded.
Early this moruing q large body OF In
| surgents made a demonstration on Nc
| Arthur's front. near Caioocan. and were
repulsed. Loss of property by lire last
night probably half million dollars
| OTIS.
| LAY IT TO AMERICAN SHELLS.
| Paris, February 2s.-Agents in this city
| of the Filipinos have received news from
Iloilo that the outbreak of tire there was
not the work of the natives but was
whole commercial quarter OF lloilo, IL ap,
pears was destroyed nth four-niths ol
the rest OF the town.