Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-02-16
TAKING OF IL0lL0.
Particulars Concerning Its Capture
by the Americans.
OFFICIALS At WASHINGTON PLEASED
The War Department Feared That the
Landing Of Our Troops Would he
Bi00dier Affair than 1t Was
The Military situation.

Iue miltbry StuAtiOu
Manila, Feb. 1b.-Particulsrs OF the
capture OF lloilo by the United States
lorces under Brig. Gen. Miller have
been received here. On the morning
II February 10 Gen. Miller sent ar
nltimatum to the commander Of the
.sbels on shore, notifying him that it
was his intention 10 take Iloilo, by
force, II necessary. Non-combatants
and foreigners were warned to leave
The town within "a hours. The rebels
we're also warned that they must make
40 further belligerent preparations.
The gunboat Petrol was then moved
TO position close in shore and near
the end Of the rebel fort, while the
,ruiser Boston took up her station at
the other end Of the town.
Friday passed quietly. During the
lay many refugees left the town OF
Iloilo. The majority of them were
taken on board foreign ships lying in
the harbor. Searchlights from the
United States wafships were kept all
night long illumin ating the town and
its defenses. The rebels, SO far as the
lookouts on the ships could discover,
remained quiescent throughout the
night. M
At three o'clock on the morning OF
Saturday, February II, the gunboat
Petrol signaled to the cruiser Boston
that the rebels were working in their
trenches. In return the Petrol was
ordered to fire warning shots upon the
town from her three Founders This
was done and the rebels replied with
harmless fusillsde The Boston and
the Petrol then bonn barded the rebels
trenches, completely clearing them of
their occupants in very short space
Of time
Soon after the bombardment began,
flames broke out simultaneously in
various parts Of the town. Thereupon
IS marines, acting as infantry and ar.
tillery, were landed from the cruiser
Boston, and company was sent
ashore from the gunboat Petrol. These
detachments marched straight into
the town of lloilo, and, hosting the
stars and stripes over the fort, took
possession of the place in the name of
the United States.
The capture of the town and its de-
fences having been accomplished, the
marines and soldiers who had been
sent ashore proceeded to the task OF
saving the American, English and
German consulates from destruction
by fire, which was raging among the
frail and intlammabe buildings OF the
town. The Swiss consuPs residence,
which was in the same row as the
consuls named, was burned. The en-
tire Chinese and native sections of the
town were destroyed, but foreign
mercantile property escaped with
slight damage. There was some de-
sultory firing by the enemy in the out.
skirts of lloilo, but not single Amer
lean was injured.
OFFICIALS AT WASHINGTON PLEASED.
Washington, Feb l5.-The confirma-
ton of the press reports detailing the
capture of lloilo were received at the
war department yesterday with con-
siderable satisfaction. While no ap-
prehenson had been felt as to Gen.
Mller's ability to capture the capital
of the Viscayan federation, or for that
matter, anything else that was wanted
in the archipelago, the reports of
strong intrenchments that the natives
had been constructing around the
town led the department to fear that
the landing would be bloodier affair
than either Of the battles Of Manila.
1t was with great satisfaction, there
fore, that Admiral Dewey's dispatch
was received saying that we had lost
no men at all, and the casualties
among the natives were much
smaller than at first reported.
The fact that foreign interests at
lloilo are being satisfactorily guarded
is another source of qualification to
the administration. What the future
will be, it is scarcely safe to say. The
president, from the inception of the
Spanish war, has been earnestly in
favor Of the most humane policy and
it is not intended to follow the severe
check to the Filipinos with u war of
subjugation il the insurgents will al
low this government to avoid it. Still,
1t is recognized that Admiral Dewey
and Gen, Otis have a much better
grasp of the local situation than is
possible here and the administration
does not propose to tie their hands
with unnecessary instructions.
THE MILITARY SITUATION.
New York, Feb. Is. "A dispatch to
the Herald from Manila says; Gen.
Otis said to the Herald correspondent:
The situation is excellent now. A few DAYS
ago Filipnos, under Kapunan and Dolomen,
came down the river strong on the TondO dis
trct in the rear Of Gen MacArthur's division.
At that time the situation was alarming.
ordered an attack upon Caloocan The order
was to clear out the enemy, at least in 'front.' so
we would not be taken between the Filipino
army and the forces OF Kapunan and Dolomen
Aguinaldo is collecting forces somewhere near
Polo. His present estimated strength is 80 900
How many more he will be able to collect 1t is
Impossible to tell perchance as many as Il, 600
a