Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-08-08
launch. The captain Immediately or

launch. The captain Immediately or
dered an expedition to be fitted out
and sent to the rescue of our men.
Two steam launches, one sailing
launch and a cutter We're armed with
rifles and the rapid-fre guns, ammu-
milton, water and provisions, and were
sent with all haste to the crew on the
stranded boat. While these prepara-
tions were going on another small sail
was sighted and a launch was sent out
to overhaul it. 1t proved to be an Off
Ger and portion of the Paragua's
crew in; search of the Concord. When
they were brought on board they were
surprised to learn that we were al
ready preparing to assist them. The
officer and his men had left the gum
boat the night before our launch dis
covered them and had been sailing
about a number of hours looking for
the Concord, which had gone to Hong
Kong.
"The expedition got away only to
return again as the water was too
shallow to approach the stranded ves-
sci from that point, and as it was
then dusk the movement was aban-
doned until daylight. That night, al
though the Paragua was ten miles
from where we lay, we succeeded in
'wig-wagging' the following message
with the long brilliant flashes of the
search light:
"'Will send rescuing party in the
morning. Ensign Davidson and men
are safe aboard Oregon.
"The message must have brought
sor - \ - -. IL
Early in the morning the expedition
started out again, this time taking a
different course and succeeded in
reaching the gunboat safely. Ffom
that time to the present writing the
men have worked hard to get the
boat off the rock but all in vain. This
morning we were visited by the Zafiro,
enroute from Hong Kong, through
Manila, with Admiral Watson, the new
commander in chief of the naval forces
of the Asiatic station on board. At
$3.50 a. m. the Zafiro got under way for
Manila.
"Our stay here is short, only week
or SO longer. We are to go to Manila
and thence to Hong Kong. If, as re-
ported, the docks at that place are de-
fective we will repair in Russia or Ja>
pan.
"June 2O-The gunboas successfully
f1oated at $3.50 a. m. during a phenom-
email high tide. Herman Kehm."
Rev. J. NJ. Hoober, of Chillicothe, is
in receipt of the following letters from
his son Clyde, a member of the Fifty
first Iowa in the Philippines:
San Fernando, p. l., June 16, '99.
Dear ones at home: Have Just
gotten somewhat cleaned up and shall
write you while have little time.
just had things livened up some this
morning. Don't know whether the
insurgents thought they would recap
ture San Fernando or only wanted to
let us know that they were still in the
country. About daylight we were
Weakened by several heavy volleys,
seemingly from all about the town.
We Immediately started for the out
posts. Sure enough they had made
an attack, advancing to within O hum
bred yards of our men, when they ops
ened up. We drove them back a mile
or so when we were ordered to return.
There seems to be no general advance
made so it was useless to drive them
any farther. The rebels have been
quite noticeable lately on our outpost.
Every night we could hear their bu-
giles or hear them talking, and during
the day we could see them strengthen
ing their trenches, building their
shacks and making things as comfort
able as possible. Today we saw what
they had been doing and they really
'fhad things arranged quite comfort
abls..
1 In all probability they will have