The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-27
HIKING 1T IN FAR LUZON.
SIDE EXPEDITIONS AFTER THE OC.
CUPATION or NUEVA CACEREs.

Ob,erying . Philippine Volcano In Full
Eruptiou-M Ma ,on Spouts for the Entertain
m~ut Of the strangers -Gunboat Paraxua
Rams slap Bang Upon an Vncharted Rock
-Prosr~ss Of the work OF Pacincation
and Of the Rescue Of spanish Capuye,.
Transport ATHENIAN. March After
the occupation of Nueva Caceres several side
EXPEDITIONS were sent out as soon as possible
That Of Col. Dorst To Iriga and Buhi was the
most important. but there we're two Others that
were worth making. One was under command
OF Lieut. Co Parker OF the Forty-ffth. Hs
started early on the morning OF Feb. 20 from
| Nueva Caceres with about three companies Of
| his gimen and went 10 Pasacao on the east
! coast OF Luzon. This was once a mail station
and the military road had a branch to it from
the capital of the province The people fled
from the Americans all along the road as usual.
and there were no insurgents anywhere in sight.
Near one little village a few miles from Pas
acao there was a barracks for about NIFTY men.
| and a big trench had been built. but there were
no men for either barracks or trench. One
thing Col. Parker did find. however. in great
abundance. That was water, There was a
stream every few hundred yards, nearly always
Of good water. The detailed sketch Of the road
which he submitted with his report showed
1OTty-tWO bridges tIdt Iffu'u H'oi' '" vs. "
pair work. Some Of them could be made ser
viceable in a few hours and by a few men, but
many OF them will require IA long time and sew
eral men with "A lot Of material. when they
are in. the road will be seryiceable at all sea-
sons for the transport Of supplies 20 the troops
in Nueva Cacercs. 1t will not take more than
two hours for the trip. And a. PasacGo Is only
twenty hours from Manila that il, likely 10 be
a., ,rAtnry,l ,,,,a Das4tnn IL 81 lffIp fEtlnv
village and the only respectable buildings In it
are the old godowns of Russell Sturges * Co..
who did business there years ago. The town
was empty when our men struck 1t, and eight
big. old smooth bore iron cannon, too heavy to
drag away. were the only signs Of instrgent
occupation The morning after the taking of
Pasacao the Venus came in with rations. Gen.
Bates had sent her around from san Miguel
Bay. Col. Parker stayed one day to see the sup
plies unloaded and then came back TO Nueva
Caceres. The Venus then went back TO Lagouoy
to pick up Major McNamee'S battalion of the
Fortieth. which was TO reconcthirate there
after a hike around old Isarog.
NcNamee's battalion left NueNa Caceres early
on the morning Of the ?6th. The Major himself
with two companies was headed Tor his goalby
a trail that led along the south SIDE Of the noun
tain. through Mabatobaio, Tigaon and San Jose,
The other two companies. under Capt. kendrick
were 10 go around the north side Of the noun
tain. The two columns were 10 Join al San Jose
on the ?sth. McNamec expected 10 80 10 PHI
and then take a traitor Mahatobato. where some
insurgents were said TO be with q few Span
ish prisoners. He had for a guide a ~Spaniard
who had lust escaped from the insurgents and
had been over the ground within a few days,
At P~alestina he told the Major that there was a
trail from there direct TO Mabatoba,o, and the
Major decided 10 take Il II was a trail and
nothing more. II led through dense Jungle tan
gle Of all sorts OF brush and creepers. The men
had to go In single fle all the way. and Il was
with the utmost difficulty that they managed
10 get the two little pack ponies through. But
the guide was rs good as his word. and they
camped IN Mahatoba'o soon after o'clock That
afternoon. The next morning they set out a.
so'Clock. The trail was a. narrow as that OF the
day before. and soon II entered thick timber,
crossing many mountain streams. The under
br rush was SO thick and heavy that the men made
frequent use Of the bolos they had taken from the
insurgents at the Lithuanian fight. There were no
natives along the trail, but the men soon came
upon the usual evidences NJ hasty flight. boxes
and bundles Of clothing, bedding rolls and last
and dearest, pillows.
About four miles from Tigaon the trail came
10 an unusually large stream. The Major went
ahead and made a personal reconnaissance 81
the other side with his glasses, hut saw no ind,-
cations Of the enemy, The brush was so thick,
however, that he advanced very cautiously, for
IL was a wonderful place to lay an ambush.
He had six officers and 1853 men. As the point
was about 10 enter the water there was a roar
ahead and all the air was filed with nails and
bits Of iron. bolts. NUS and broken links Of
chain. The insurgents had two old cannon on
the other side and had fired them both n once.
At the same time they opened with rifles. both
Rerlingtons and Mau~eTs. and the bullets Cut
through the brush with "A great noise. The FIRST
fire had hlt the Majors pony and wounded one
of the men in the point. These men got under
cover Immediately. aud ne many as could get
into any sort Of n position where they could do
any good crowded 10 the front. There we're
about twcnty Of them IN all. l. seemed 10 the
Major. rs he studied the opposite bank and
tried 10 max" out the position of the insurgents,
that they had made a trench across the trail
concealed by the thick hrish and we're behind II
in some force. The -'rea m was rather wide and
swift, with very steep banks. and there did NOT
seem to he any place where II could be crossed
except s~quarely in front Of tho trench. His men
had spread ont into the brush beside tho trail
across the stream with great rapidity. But so few
Of them could get into II N all that there was
slim prospect Of driving the insurgents out in
that way. So he determined IN charge across,
With Dr. Roemig. the Captain-Surgeon
Of the regiment, and Lieut.. Pouri". who had
the scouts and fifteen or twenty men. all who
could get into position from. which they could
start. the Major went a. the stream with a
yell. They received = hot fire and one man
was killed and two wounded But the charge
succeeded, and they chased the Insurgents
out NJ their trench. As soon rs the wounded
men could he cared for the column went on.
They made no search Of the ground. but seven
There were a few rifles and two old cannon.
The Major tried to take the cannon but gave
II up for lack Of transport. spiked them and
threw them into n river in n deep pool
Two Of the wounded men had n be carried
as we'll as the dead man. Rough sings we're
made and the men struggled along with their
burdens as best they could, The insurgents
kept ND an ANNOYING fro from front and tanks
for half a mile or SO and then gave II M. Our
advance had been too much for them. bur
they got away by going into the brush. where
our mon simply could not follow. As the
column approached Tigaon the trail opened
out 40 that something like n formation could
hiking for town ne fast as circumstances would
allow when the -four men In the rear point
looked back lust in time IN soc three natives
come out Of the brush and strike I'D the trail
after them. All three were mounted Two
had short lances and the other had a bow and
arrows They charged the point with all
the fury and enthusiasm Of knights ~ tho
ing about II, and the point met them ms il would
have met n lot Of American Indians, living
down behind rocks. and waiting the right time
to fire, When. II came all four mon fired NJ
once, and all three Of the knights Of the thir-
tenth century wore knocked from their horses.
w.A.A Inf H. d. - .4l -