The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-08

Wlidl lldt lilScItL dilu ~ w AiAFQ III e'AS
news, which you w read ere this In
America.
.sRumor has it that the GERMAN guhboat
Irene interfered. Dewey sfgnaIled Her to
Get OUT She did not obey, and then he
signalled that if she did not vamoose he
would fire on heE Still persistings the
Olympia put a shot through her and sunk
her. This is only one Of dozen runners,
so you can judge Of. the excitement.
Coming into the hotel tonight on the train
the wind turned my umbrella inside out
and tore it to pieces, while it picked me
up, tossed me On my side, bruised my
hip and sprained my left arm almost from
wrist to elbow.
Mr.. Russell wrote nothing more until
three months later, November 20, when
he resumes his narrative at Calcutta,
going into all the details Of his experience
after leaving Hong Kong and up to his
arrival in Calcutta. He writes
Reaching Manila almost with the last
echo of Dewey's guns l ave since coasted
from Hong Kong to Singapore and from
Singapore to Calcutta, meeting men of all
nationalities.
II will begin where I left off. I will
travel by balloon and stop where the drag
rope catches. Well, the next morning the
news of the surrender of Manila vas
abroad and later in the day the Zafira
moved down. into the harbor just oppo-
tsite our office. / was all used up by my
fall, but applied for a nance to return
on her. The people of Hong Kong were
anxious that she, should be permitted to
stay as long as she wanted, but the Gov
arnnr potI1d mt aconda IN thic and nati-
fed her sheg must leave within twenty
four hours. Late in the afternoon the
Consul sent word that the Admiral had
instructed him that inasmuch as the port
of Manila was now opened no civilians
could be taken on Government vessels,
and l could not go over on her.
The night my wife Joined me Mr..
Wheeler said that the Verona had been
chartered for a trip to Manila, and want
ed to know if l could not go over on her.
The next morning I saw the agents and
they said they could give me good accom-
modations, and if matters were unsettled
we could stay on board ship while in Man
liza. Mrs. Wheeler finally concluded to go
with me and we sailed the following day,
August 27. About noon of the Seth we
east anchor in the harbor Of Manila, hav-
ing passed the Olympia on her way from
Hong Kong.
w lay between the Kaiserin and Bal
timore, the German and American flag
ships, and just as the anchor was let go
the huge guns of the Augusta belchedl
forth. For an instant we were startled,
but directly a launch flying Old Glory
came around her stern and passed just
underneath the stern of the Verona,
permitting US to recognize Admiral Dewey
and General Merritt. The answering guns
of the Baltimore shook the air and an
hour later the China steamed out bearing
General Merritt on his way to Paris.
After some delay our revenue flag was
seer floating from a launch coming across
the bay and coming alongside a mesl ais-
reputable looking lot of men with cart
ridge belts and gun cane IN beard,
dressed in a nasty butternut covered with
dirt and grease, shoes in pieces, and hair
sticking through holes in their soft hats
We had a large passenger list, mostly
ladies returning to their homes, uncertain
whether any rning of their belongings
were left, .exiled PHILIPPINES, etc, all OF
whom drew instinetively back at their
coming, ard ever Mr.. Wheeler said
"Can-these be our boys?v
" AS soon as they had completed their
official interview 1 went to them and
found they were of the First Nebraska.
I had a chat with them, but / do not
think there was another soul who would
go near them. The captain even came
to me and said
81 can't ask these chaps to come to
the table"
I replied, "All right, don't. but you
will find them gentlemen before you get
through with them" and | VIII say
right here that a week later the captain
came to me and said
NJ Russell you were right, they are
gentlemen. Every man aboard loves
them. and there is nothing aboard this
ship too good for Them
And yet they wore the same Disgrace
ful toggery. 1t is a crying shame that
America should ave no needlessly hum
bled her loyal so~ns-should have brought
a blush of shame to the cheeks of those
men for the uniforms 90 they wore. For
they all felt it, but were too proud to
show or admit it to any but one of their
own. Nothing can be said too good of
the boys nor too bad of the official in
competence tina made possible such a
condition.
ut was late before the last boat load
could be taken ashore and the Sergeant
advised me to remain aboard until morn-
ing, when he would come off for US.
This gave us an opportunity to chat with
the boys andslearn, through them, of the
movements of the fight before Manii1h
they having been in the thick of it in the
trenches at Malate. And they were so
glad to see my wife and talk with an
American woman! The next morning he
came for us and as we entered the mouth
of the Pasig River we saw the first near
by indication of war, for we passed two
sunken gunboats.
Landing at the customs wharf we
went at once into the office of General
Whittier, and / presented my letter from
was very cordial and detained us till
tifin time; then drove my wife in his
carriage to tiffin, while / went to find our
office and At four o'clock he
took us on his launch up the Pasig,
some ten miles away outside of our lines
and among the rebels. Returning we left
him at the palace of the Governor Cen
eral, his headquarters, he ordering the
launch to take US to the steamship.
But on reaching the mouth of the river
it was so rough that the Philippine pilot
refused to go out and we perforce were
compelled to return and trust ourselves
to the tender mercies of the Hotel de L