The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-14

| MANILA, Feb. 14.-News has reached
here of the capture of Iloilo. on Satur-
day, by the American forces under
Brig. Gen. Miller
Gen. Miller informs Gen. Otis that
the town of Iloilo, capital of the island
of Panay and seat of the so-called gov
ernment of the Visayas Federation,
was captured on Saturday last, after
a severe bombardment, necessitated
| by the refusal Of the FiIipinos to sur
render
Gen. Miller called upon the insur-
gents to surrender, giving them until
nightfall to evacuate the place. Their
response was an insolent display of
hostility and defiance, and as a re-
| suit, an engagement was brought on in
the morning.
The big guns of the American war;
ships were trained upon the native
quarter, and. when the shells began
to fall, the rebels set their part of the
town on fire and retreated precipitate-
lily.
| The American troops effected land
! ing, under the protection of the guns
| of the warships, and succeeded in eX-
damage had been done.
| The European and other foreign por-
| tions of the place escaped uninjured
by the flames.
| The American forcec dicDlova1 orao+
| GOODNESS, and so perfect was the plan
of attack that not single casualty
was chronicled on the American side
Gen. Miller's forces are now in COM
plete control of Iloilo and the adjacent
country. The rebels have fled to the
| interior.
| PETREL BRINGS NEWS.
The United States gunboat Petrol,
which arrived late last evening,
brought the dispatches from Brig. Gen.
Miller to Maj. Gen. Otis, announcing
| that Iloilo had been taken by the mill
tary and naval forces on Saturday
morning. Gen. Miller, on receipt of his
| instructions from Manila, sent the ma
| tive commissioners ashore from the
United States transport st. Paul, with
| q communication for the rebel gov
ernor of Iloilo, calling upon him to sur
! render within time stated, and warn
ing him not to make demonstration
in the interval. The natives immedi-
ately moved their guns and prepared
| to defend their position. Thereupon
the Petrol fired two warning guns, the
rebels Immediately opening fire on
her. The Petrol and Baltimore then
| bombarded the town, which the rebels.
having set on fire, evacuated.
American troops were promptly land
ed and extinguished the fires in all
| cases of foreign residence, but not be-
! fore considerable damage was DONE
| 1t is believed the enemy's loss dur
| ing the bombardment was heavy, but
no American casualties are reported.
SITUATION FAVORED NATIVES.
The situation of Iloilo gave the ma
tives an advantage. but it was of no
| great avail. The town lies in from
| the bay and of the three warships
available-the Baltimore, the Boston
and the Petrel-only the Petrol was
able to pass up the river opposite the
| city. The depth of water in the chan
mel is but sixteen feet quite sufficient
| for the little Petrol drawing but twelve
! feet. but not enough for the Boston,
drawing seventeen feet, or the Balti-
more with a depth of nineteen feet
But the Boston and the Baltimore were
not out Of it despite their greater
| to use their big guns and drop shells
| into the city and do almost as effec-
| tive work as if they were in the river
Before the Petrol was able to pass up
the river it was necessary to silence
| the small fort on the sand spit, which
| projects out into the stream. This was
| the first task of the naval vessels, and
| it was quickly accomplished.
TNSURGENT FORCE.
| The exact insurgent force in the city
is not accurately known, but the ma
| tive soldiers have been pouring in In
| large numbers during the past few
| weeks and the city was probably de-
Tended by about $500 of the followers
of Aguinaldo armed with Remington
and Mauser rifles. Ammunition also
had been brought In large quantities