The record-union., 1899-04-03
OF the Event That Opened the War with
the Rebels.
They Chose Washington's Birth
day for the Attempted Uprising
snd Massacre of Americans and
Europeans, but They Heckoned
Without Their Host and Were
Killed or Driven Out OF the
City by Our Troops.

5c.oef Corrasnondence Associated Press)
MANILA P. ID March ISL VIA
s+aanoer Nippon Maru to San FRANCIS
70 April 2.-After many false alarms
and frustrated attempts, tie OFT T pedteu
threats of the rebels to burn Mania
and massacre every European anu
American within its walls, culnllnateo
in a disastrous connagration, and an at
tennted uprising which was promptly
checked on the night of Washington ;
birthday That preconcerted arrange
,nents had been made to fire the CITY III
half a dozen different places slniuita-
neo,,slv there can be no doubt, put lor-
+unatelv the plans miscarried 1of Nari-
o,,s reasons. and the natives themselves
or at least their sympathlZers, lost ao
much. if not more, than those upon
whom they sought to wreak their VEN
geance.
auieter day than that OF Fepruary
22d it would be difficult to imagine All
the banks and leading mercan,iie
houses were closed, and except loi' uiie
fact that the saloons were open, IL
seemed more like Sunday than non
dav the excessive heat and the colui-
tion of affairs outside having kept ihcse
people indoors. About sundoWA' no"
ever the town bestirred ltself, anu ,iie
streets We're soon filed with people tah-
ing an airing before dinner, peins
the custom here to dine at cioSA
md retire Immediately Afterwards
Inst as the long strings OF Carriages
which daily pass and repass eacll oeil0i
on tha Iuneta were forming Tor the
PROCESSION homeward, dense plach coi-
11mn of smoke rolled up above the III
terveuing roofs, and almost lmneui-
ately afterward an onlnous reu siai
was reflected from the sky. Murmurs
of horror were followed by sharp CRU
ers to coachmen, and there was wiz
scramble for the city Even When ihis
was reached and it was ascertalneu
that the fire was in Santa Cruz dlstrict'
some distance from the residence SEC
ton. the alarm was not abated lot no
one doubted that incendiaries were at
work and none knew where the next
blaze might be started.
on the streets in the vicinity OF the
fire. which was within two BLOCKS oi
the Escolta, the widest CONFUSION
reiened for some time, people scurry
ing here. there and everywhere Inc
blaze had started in a row OF Two
story modern dwellings, with prlck
foundations ON the Gale La Coste, III
the canter of the Chinese section, and
ne several of these had been fired with
IN a few minutes of each other, It soon
assumed alarming proportions. Inc
local fire brigade turned out with colh-
mendable promptitude, but with more
zeal than discretion proceeded 10 pour
three tinv streams of water from as
many lines of hose upon the RED not
brick walls of the first building fred,
which was already doomed, instead OF
attempting to prevent those opposite
and adjacent from igniting- Inc con-
sequence was that by the time General
Hughes and his men arrived on the
scene and commenced to clear the
streets. the fire was spreading On poth
sides of the Gale La Coste and SUN
breeze was tanning it forward during
the excitement the hose was cut nVe
times. and other impediments placed III
the way of the firemen- Upon learning
of this General Hughes issued ORDERS 10
his men to shoot the first man VINO ~
terfered with the checking of the names
or attempted to start others SeV-
eral natives who picked up burning
wands and darted off with them We're
either shot or bayoneted by the guards,
and then a general roundup Oh all ma
tiyes on the streets in the vicinity was
ordered AS thousands Of people were
yacating their houses and carrying OF
their effects and the sidewalks and
roadways were Uttered with furniture
for blocks, this was work OF some
difficulty, but by degrees the soldiers
corralled hundreds of protesting natives
and hustled them into yards and vacant
lots where they were guarded until the
excitement subsidized.
About 9 O'Clock the European Nolun-
teer Fire Brigade arrived on the scene
with a modern engine and after three
hours work the fire was controlled
Meantime the whole of the block in
which the blaze originated, two-thirds
of that on the opposite side of the street,
and a block and half west of it had
been completely Quilted
From a spectacular standpoint the
fire was a magnificent sight, the flames
leaping from the wooden structures
fifty feet into the air. while millions of
sparks glistened among the rolling
clouds of smoke. and fell in golden
showers upon adjacent refs. Scores of