New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-21
SOME FILIPINO STUDIES.
THE MANILA WATER sUPPLY-TRoUBLE
AMONG THE MoROs.

Manila. Nov. rs 6peciaD.-Every American in
Manila is more less engrossed with the study Of
Filipino character We have not been here long
enough to form an accurate conception of It; but
the Whoie' we think well of the Filipino. We get
angry with him many times day. castgation is at
times resorted to when all other methods fail with
a thieving insubordnate ''mucbacho" and we
declare every time risk our lives in a
hred vehtcle that OF ali reckless careless drivers
ana gocd-for-nothing people these are the worst.
yet when the muttered maedictions greet the
cocheros" ears he turns about and gives you
an affable grin, which you instinctively respond
to-and there you are!
probably most of the insurgents gathered in
the north, but there enough in the vicinity of
Mania TO make eternal vigilance necessary
posts. One OF these which is the most important
on the outskirts Of Manila is at the Deposito This
is part of the system of fine waterworks with
which the city Of Manila is truly blessed. The
pumping station Is about three miles further on.
The Deposito is the building In the lower part of
which the water is forced into the great main
which carries it into the city of Manila. In the
upper part of this building. which surmounts a
hilltop and commands charming view of the sur
rounding country General Halls headquar-
ters 1t is large, and of an oblong shape Doors
open on each side of the ground floor, which
have been curiously fortified by the Spaniards. In
the hall Immediately inside each door is built a
wall of solid masonry, with a step behind 1t on
which could stand while shooting. These
walls are bullet proof. and the of the lower
story composed of stone and cement several feet
thick stout resistance could be offered here to
an infantry attack though modern artillery would
knock the whole thing to pieces
HISTORY OF THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM.
1t will readily be understood why the Deposto
station is such important Should the
Manila water supply be shut off and the people be
obliged to fall back the Pasig water the sick
ness and suffering in consequence would be- great
There several public works in Manila which
are opponents of modern civilization and progress
and which a surprise to most newcomers. who
expect to find, not only a smaller city, but one
with far less in the way of conveniences and i'm
provements The waterworks and the electric lights
throughout the city may be mentioned. The
former is one of the finest In the world. but its
history is In keeping with Manila traditions. In
the last century / wealthy and public spirited cit
izen realizing the Imperative need of pure water
for the city, left his fortune in trust, to be de-
voted that purpose so soon as 1t should &C
cumuate sufficiently to cover the outlay. In the
eyes of certain archbishop and captain-general
a sum of money lying idle like that in the treas
ury was a folly to be submitted TO. Conse-
quently, the disbursed in ways known 70
themselves But this was a State fund.- the
existence of which was known to the people, us
disappearance was noted and suit brought against
the two functonarias. Now, the surprising part OF
this story is not that the money was appropriated
that was but natural-but that 1t was ever recoV-
cred for the suit won and the money was
at last devoted 20 the use for which 1t was IN
tended with the best results.
Both the Deposito and the pumping station
have been in the hands of the insurgents. mat
they die not destroy them and cut off the supply
from the city has been attributed to humanitarian
Impulses more rational explanation lies In the
fact that Mr.. AguinadO is financially ntereseu IN
the for t5 @ Of mat oeEs There
shaft. perhaps thirty feet from top to bottom, SUNG
the water main below, and covered by iron
grating at the top It is not an inviting looking ing
Deposito say that when they get noid OF Agu i+
and left there for private meditation
CLEANLINESS THAT WAS NOT ODDLY.
funny volunteer story is told in connection
with the Deposito. The place where the water
enters the main is in the depths underneath the
long building. This is reached by several narrow
staircases which lead down through Mother Earth.
and are partly hewn out of the solid rock. AS you
descend them in the dim light of candle you feel
as if you were traversing the secret way OF some
a Wbisper You finally emerge into small cham
Der and step out on the main pipe itself Here the
voice echoes and re-echoes down the long arched
way through which the main is carried for about
three hundred yards.
By turning crank at this place the water spurts
out in small stream but with great force A
member of General Halls staff says that one day
mysterious, muffled sounds issued from this vault
and were heard in the building above. These con-
the main had burst or some of the insurrectos had
crawled in through the long archway and were
armed men descended the narrow stone stairway
emerged into the subterrancan vault and here they
found-no followers of AguinaIdo, but two mem
bers of a volunteer regiment. who, DESTROYS of a
bath, had turned the crank referred to and, like
woodland nymphs, or. more properly speaking,
goody stream OF water which flowed forth. The
historian of the incident adds that the bath ended
at this juncture.
THE SITUATION AT JoLO.
Reports less vague, have up from
Jolo concerning certain outbreaks among the
Moros There have been no hostile demonstrations
against the Government yet. but simply some
internal quarrels One of the dates, chiefs, re-
belled against the Sultan of Sulu and the latter de-
voted himself for week two to chopping up the
followers of the former. To any who has
visited the island of Sulu and who knows anything
about Moro character and history, it seems only
matter of time, and of short time too, before the
United States will become embroiled with her new
Mahometan subjects in the southern islands. There
is, first of all, the possibility that the SOL
dterS at JOo may offend Moro, and that their
fierce passions aroused. they will fall upon the gar
rison when their onslaught is least expected and
peat the tragedy enacted there only few years
before when the Spanish garrison was murdered.
No Moros are allowed to enter the town with their
arms, but American privates and officers wander
freely about unarmed outside the wall, and
possible that vigilance may be relaxed in other re-
the United States to allow wholesale murders to be
carried on without its interference in any of its
possessions. The datos continually fled
with one another and with their overload the Sui
a piramentadO gets loose In any community lives
pay the price. If the Americans should attempt to
interfere they might find that they had ali the
Moros to fight. This might be nasty a Job as
lively few Moros