New-York tribune., 1899-07-28
GALLANT NAVAL EXPLOITS.
EFFECTIVE WORK OF THE HELENA IN
THE PHILIPPINES.
NOT MENTIONED IN GENERAL OTISs DIS
PATCHEs-OFFICIAL REPORTS OF CAP
TAIN BARKER AND COMMAND
ER SWINBURNE.
rnY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBuNE.l

I
ports made public at the Navy Department TO-
! dav IT is almost incredible that no mention
was made Of II in cable dispatches from General
! Otis's headauarters unless there was actually
more or less intimidation Of naval cooperation.
as recently charged. The first Of these reports
which was made by Admiral Deweys successor
within a short time after the Olympia started
for home, is follows:
United States Naval Force Asiatic Station,
! Flagship Baltimore.
Manila Philippine Islands. June 10, lS99
Sir: First have the honor to report that on
the 10th inst. there was an advance OF some OF
our troops under General Lawton, when result
ed in the capture of Paranaque ana Las IlhdS'
large towns between Manila and CaVlte. -
Second-Having had an understanding WIN
| General Otis in regard to their advance had
stationed all our suitable light draught Vesseis
along the shore as close IN as they coulu ers'
with instructions to fire on retreatins soIuleis'
but to refrain from firing on women ana chll-
dren and towns; also to he careful that our
shots should not reach our own troops
Third-The brush is very thick all along tne
shore rendering it difficult to see the main
road except from the high tops OF our vessels
During the day our lookOuts aoft could see the
soldiers advancing from the foothllls' ana our
vessels did good execution along the shore.
Fourth-The Helena was stationed so that
she could distinctly the retreating soldiers
when crossing certain bridge but her fire was
frequently interrupted In order not TO hurt the
women and children who were al times 1nlAeu
up with the soldiers on tnelr retreat
Fifth-The Wheeling guarded the narrow
neck and did good work in knocking out a bat.
terry and driving the insurgents away from that
neghbOrhOod
Sixth-As has been reported previously, 1t was
during this engagement that Captain Nichols:
of the Monadnock. which vessel was stationtn
off Paranaque, was overcome by heat and sOu-
denly died.
SEVENTH inclose map of the scene Of opera
tions. showing the approximate positions OF our
vessels viz: The MOnadnock the Helena. the
prtn ha
ing and some of the little gunboats.
Eighth-My cipher dispatch was not sent as
soon as II should have been. as / supposed the
advance was to be continued until the nsur-
gents were driven out of the country between
Manila and Cavite and delayed reporting on
that account
Ninth-Yesterday General Lawton closely ex-
amined the country from the fighting top Of the
Helena, which vessel steamed up and down
close in shore.
Tenth-The Helena is greatly appreciated
here Indeed the comparatively small draught
of the Monadnock, the Monterey and the He
lena has made the services OF those vessels In
valuable. Very respectfully.
A. S. BARKER. Captain. L. S. Navy.
Commanding U. S Naval Force on Asiatc Sta
ton
The Secretary Of the Navy. Navy Department,
Washington, D. c.
AID GIVEN TO GENERAL LAwTON.
Commander swinburne, commanding the
| Helena. modestly tells what assistance he af-
forded to General Lawton in the following re-
| port TO Captain Barker dated off Las Pinas.
| June 10:
| In obedience to your verbal order of yester-
! day got under way at $50 this morning, and
stood in shore between Bacoor and Las Plnas'
| 10 assist in cooperating with the Army in It's
! advance to the southwark. We passed 300
yards inshore Of the wreck of the Mlndanao,
| carrying seventeen feet Of water at about
half tide. and anchored just to the southwark
| Of the mouth of the river Zapote. about nv
yards from the beach. BY good luck our posi-
| tion commanded a dixie and bridge across an
| arm of the river over which the road passes,
and clear stretch Of open land about 300 YARDS
in width. back to the line Of trees at the foot
hills. Either across this open ground. or by the
bridge. a very large number Of the retreaung
enemy passed during the afternoon. and we
were able to harass them good deal me gun
practice was excellent. BY dark our Army had
advanced beyond Las Plnas.
Commander Leutze has offered to send me
thirty tons Of coal early tomorrow morning
which was gladly accepted. and which VIII eX-
| plain the apparent discrepancy In my coal re-
port tomorrow noon.
Commander swinbvrne added the following
| postscript the next morning at $50 O'Clock;
| General Lawton signalled from Las Pinas
| church this morning: Can we communicate
with Manila?" I have sent the steam launch
| in and he will probably proceed to Manila In her.
HOSTING THE FLAG IN THE sULUS.
| Details have hitherto been lacking Of the
| ceremonv Of hoisting the Stars and Stripes
| the Sulu Archipelago the southernmost pos
| sessions Of the United States and in many re-
| srects the least known. Commander Swinburne
| supples these and at the same time throws
| some light upon the precipitate evacuation by
| the Spaniards Of the largest island in the Phil
| ippines. in the following report written at Sulu.
| May 20:
| have the honor to report that in obedience
| 70 your verbal orders left Manila May 10 at
At 11:1O o'clock a. m. May H. we sighted the
wreck which was reported lying on the northern
| side Of Apo Shoal as described in the report
Of the master of the steamship Taituan.
coasted along the island Of Mindon, but saw no
signs Of boats but observed steamer working
| along shore apparently in search also. had
been informed just before sailed by the cap
| tain of the port that it was the intention to
| send a steamer to search for the crew VINO were
| believed TO have gone 70 lloilo
| At 12:45 p. m. on May ~ ! anchored in the
| harbor OF Zamboanga, where FOUND the Castlne
| and the Spanish transport Porto Rico shortly
! after the steamer Uranus came in and anchored
In company with Commander Very, called on
| General Rios on board the Porto Rico. and he
told me that he thought 1t very important that
| the Leon XIII should arrive at Sulu before any
man-of-war flying the United states ensign ar
| rived to avoid trouble with the natives, so |
agreed not TO enter the harbor II | should find no
| vessel anchored there when arrived small
part Of the town Of Zamboanga has been burned.
| Commander Very reports no guns IN the FORT.
| BY this time Zamboanga is practically turned
| over TO the insurgent forces.
At 4 p. m. / left Zamboanga and anchored on
the shoal off Teinga Island until O'Clock this
morning. when | got under way and anchored
here at 10:45 a. m, finding the Leon XIII had
| arrived yesterday afternoon. and had nearly
finished disembarkng our troops
The general commanding the Spanish troops
| and the officer commanding the American forces
sent officers to call. which calls returned at
| once Captain Pratt commanding the two bat
| talons Of the 23d Infantry. Informed me that
the Spani ensign would be hauled down at D
! o. m in the presence Of the troops Of the two
| nations and the United States ensign hosted.
| suggested the propriety Of firing salute TO