The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-03-14

/ Correspondence OF the Associated Press)
On Board the Steamer Venus. Legas-
pi, Luzon, Jan. 23.-Five companies Of
the Forty-seventh volunteer infantry,
aided by the gunboat Nashville, today
fought their way into the native towns
Of Legaspi and Albay. We had five men
slightly wounded. Forty-fiye dead Fill
pinos had been counted by nightfall,
and we are caring for a dozen of their
wounded.
Smells from the Nashville ignited two
warehouses filed with baled hemp.
Ihese hres could not be put out, and
s.oOV Dales, with a total valuation of
SlzO'OVo, were destroyed by nightfall.
After the lighting was over and men
mad time 10 talk, an officer said:
by God! is this what I've been wait
ING thirty years to see-the shooting
rabbits?"
The distorted, shattered and bloody
oooies OF our former enemies lie in two
rows IN Legaspi's principal street, two
plazlnS warehouses glare and roar in
the darkness, and the American SOL
dlers are stumbling through the village
streets, working to get settled for the
Companies H, F, G, f and c Of the
b'orty-seventh came back on the Han
cock from Manila TO Sorsogon. For
conveyance from SOrsogon to Legaspi,
THESE companies were transferred to
the local steamers Venus and Castel-
lano, accompanying the expedition as
transports ana late yesterday after
noon the two vessels, conveyed by the
Nashville, with General Kobbe on
board, sailed from Sorsogon bay for
Legaspi.
Retreat of the Insurgents.
Sorsogon is on the west and Legaspi
on the east side of the southern ex-
tremlty OF LuZOn island. The run be-
tween the two ports is about 10 miles
by sea, though not more than ten miles
overland. So the insurgent soldiers
who abandoned Sorsogon 70 US three
Gays ago have had ample time TO come
over TO Legaspi and swell the ranks
OF the garrison here, granting, of
course, that they did not prefer the
greater security of the mountains.
Early this morning the Venus, close
~ followed by the Castellano, with the
Nashville an hour and a half behind
Them steamed into Albay bay and,
three, miles off Legaspi, waited for the
WarShlp. Legaspi, on the coast, and
Aloay, a mile and a half inland, are
at the base of the MayOu volcano. on
the southern edge OF Legaspi and at
our left as the ships steam in. there is
a steep hill used as a lookout station.
Here can be seen, with the aid of
strong glasses, a Filipino flag. There
are no flags over the warehouses Of the
town, and those two facts point 70
probable resistance 10 our landing. We
have heard that General Panan, a Chi
nese half-caste. commands here, and
that he will fight.
Trenches Well Manned.
At 7:45 the Nashville passed us and
steamed close in TO the beach. She
examined the shore, and from the We
nus we could see long line Of black
sand trenches to the right of the town,
also between the stone warehouse in
the center of the village there were
other trenches and heavy stone walls.
The trenches were crowded with men,
some with rifles and uniformed, others
in white They watched the actions Of
our vessels closely. but no shot was
fired on either side. The NashYille's
inspection of Legaspi was long and
careful.
The English gunboat Plover came in
behind US this morning and followed
the Nashville close 10 the beach. Her
big white flag swung out in the breeze,
telling those on shore she was not of
our party, but merely neutral and
inactive spectator.
At 9:45 the Nashville came alongside
the Venus and General KObbe mega
phoned TO Major Shipton, commanding
the battalion on board. Move your
Chi in n ha 81 K1-f1q rf mr. a n
men,
There is deep water off Legaspi and
cOasting steamers can swing their
steTns into any of the several hundred
docks in front of the hemp warehouses.
But the captain Of the Venus demurred.
He had seen the trenches lined with
Filipinos, he had seen galloping officers
giving orders concentrating their SOL
diers into positions from which they
would have his vessel under a cross
fire if he landed at the wharf.
Was Afraid to Land.
He explained that it was impossible
to get into this dock with less than
one hours backing and hauling; fur
Their, that his stern lines had TO be Ia
ken ashore and made fast TO anchors
well upon the beach; that his crew
would be shot to pieces if he attempt
ed to land: in short, landing there and
then was out of the question.
Meantime boat from the Plover had
gone to the Nashville and from there
to the beach. Her mission was to re-
move any Englishmen who might be in
the town from the danger OF the
threatened fighting. There were two
Englishmen in Legaspi, but the Filipi-
nos declined to allow them to leave.
When the Flowers boat returned, and
during the subsequent fighting the Eng
lish gunboat remained half mile out
of the bay.
Captain Brad 'ey, quarteTmasfer of the
Hancock, was on board the Nashville
with General Kobbe. He was sent to
the Venus TO learn why that ship did
not back into the dock as directed. The
Spanish captain of the Venus ain ex-
planned how long this operation would
take, and Captain Bradley went back to
the Nashville to report. From him it
was learned that the Filipinos had re-
moved the planking in the docks. leav-
ing only the bamboo stringers;, this
they had seen from the Nashville.
Soon Captain Bradley returned, say
ing that the landing would be made at
a point about half a mile down the
beach, to the north Of Legaspi, and
about 500 yards beyond the end of the
heavy sand entertainments; that this
landing party would advance into the
town. and that the Nashville would
shell the -enemy's works in front of our
men as they came along the beach
Making a Landing.
Then there was much hustle and ac-
tivity on board the Venus as details
of the sharpshooters from each of the
four companies were loaded into our
own three available boats, and the two
boats sent over from the Nashville to
help in the landing Our men en-
barked from our StarbOard side. the
side of the ship exposed TO the enemy's
trenches, only 500 yards away.
cr1Hra1fH