The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-07
MESSAGE FROM DEWEY.
Officials Uncertain Whether 1t Is a BE-
lated Dispatch.


WASHINGTON, Feb. e--Admiral Dewey
cabled the Navy Department to-day as fol-
lows. under date of Manila, Feb. 6:
insurgents have attacked Manila. The
Boston leaves to-day for Iloilo to relieve
the Baltimore which will return to Manila.
Two men wounded yesterday on board the
Monadnock, one seriously"
The receipt of Admiral Dewey's dispatch
caused a commotion in the War Department
as the text of the dispatch was transmitted
there by the Navy Department. The first
conclusion reached was that another battle
was on and that the insurgents were not
confining their attacks to the American
lines, but were directing them at the city of
Manila itself But, upon consideration, the
officials reached the conclusion that they
were mistaken in this conclusion and that
by some of those mishaps that frequently
occur this was simply a delayed dispatch
from Dewey. General Corbin pointed out in
support of his idea that the postscript to
General Otis's dispatch last night describ-
ing the battle of Saturday night and Sun
day morning was received at the War De-
partment at IL o'clock last night, more
than four hours in advance in receipt of the
story of the battle, which should have pre-
ceded it. Then, too, General Otiss last
message was of such a reassuring nature
and spoke so decisivey of the driving off
of the insurgents that it was believed
scarcely probable that they could have re-
newed the attack upon the Americans so
soon after their defeat.
The naval opinion was just the reverse Of
this Naval officers felt sure that Dewey's
dispatches had not been inverted and that
there had been more fighting. OF the out
come they had little doubt, pointing out
that Dewey's guns command the entire city
and the approaches beyond, affording a
most satisfactory backing for General
Otis's operations. AS between these vary
ing views there must be taken into con-
sideration the opinion of the Filipinos at
tached to the junto here to the effect that
the attack of Saturday was entirely precipi
tated and not premeditated; that it was so
preciptated by the unexpected killing OF a
Filipino by an American guard, and that
the result was to bring on an attack of the
weakest part of the Filipino line. If this
opinion is well founded it would seem to be
possible that the naval view is correct and
that the Filipinos have now begun action
at their strongest point, namely between
Manila and Malolos, the insurgent capital,
about fifteen miles distant from Manila.
When the news came this morning that
another dispatch had been received from
General Otis it was awaited with the great
est interest. 1t turned out, however.
to be the usual periodical sick
ness and casualty report. The in
teresting part about it is the disclos-
ure of death rate among the American
troops from smallpox of one man per day
for the past nine days. The report dated
Manila. Feb g. read as follows:
Following deaths since last report: Jan.
2S, Royal q. Fletcher. private, Company b,
First Washington, typhoid fever. Jan. %,
Albert Watson, private Company A,
Thirteenth Minnesota, variola Walter Dug
gard. private, Company G, First Idaho, ty-
phoid fever. Jan. so. Isaac Cooper, private,
Company b, Twentieth Kansas varioIa.
Feb. l. Murgher r. Jones private, Com
pany F.. Twenty-third Infantry. variola;
Continued on Second Page.)