The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-29
TIE CAPTURE OF LEGASPI.
A SPECTACULAR FIGHT ~ SOUTH.
ERN LIZON UNDER Kobe.

The Expedition Found a Well Fortified Town
with Fiiipino< Prepared 70 Fixht-Ihe
Wn,cuity Of Landing spanish Commander
Of u Transport In Rebellion Attack Had
to lie Made by a fiankinE Movement with
the Gnnboats Assisting - The Exciting En-
counter at Two "Godowns"-F nip'nos In .
Death Trap The Full Victory.
manila. Feb 10 -Iegaspi j. the most i'm
portant point commercially in southern lh!-
son. " l. the port from which the hemp OF
4 large district Il shipped. and the quality
of The hcrnp il about the best Tho town lies
nj the head Of tie bay of the same name IL
Is a long, narrow town. its two or three streets
parallslling the beach IN the arc OF a very large
circle. with hardly better than an alley across
them, save where the highroad leads out To
Albay. the capital Of Albay province, ana 10
Daroga. the best town OF the district. In
the matter Of some few residences legaspi
a well built. in the solid masonry OF the old
Spanish days. There is also the church, but
that doesn't count. for no matter how poor
the Philippine town. tho church IL sure TO DO
biz. solid and fine. Along the southern edge
OF the town a broad, sluggish stream wrigglesits
slow. muddy way TO the bay. ls southern
bank rises abruptly in high, steep hills which
swing in a wide curve behind Albay about
three miles inland. To the north OF Legaspi
there is a swampy fiat through which another.
smaller, stream meanders. Beyond this nat
rises the smooth beautiful slopes that Climb
steadily TO the base Of Mayor. the huge vol
cano that heaves its deeply furrowed sides
up into the clouds at seemingly half rifle range
From the entrance to the bay the course
to Legaspi Is almost due west. The southern
shore of the bay Is formed by the main island
nj. ..,,t i.t,aIa fNrp, tho nnrth-
ern side and help to break up the long. heavy
swell from tho Pacific, II was just at day
light when we turned into the bay. Gen.
Kobbe was on the gunboat Nashville. which
led the way. Major SYMPTOMS battalion of
the Forty-seventh United States Volunteer
Infantry. which was TO garrison Legaspi and
Albay, was on the Venus. a little coaster char
tered as a transport, and Bishops company
OF the same regiment was on the Castellano,
another chartered transport. This com pany
was bound for Niroe. on the Island OF Catan-
duanes. The British gunboat Plover came
along lust to see. The white ball of mist on
Mayors bead turned rose pink. first herald
OF the advancing day. Hills on both shores
stood out In sharp outlines. The line OF yell
low travelled down the mountain and reached
the bay, vanishing In prismatic glory as
a breeze sprang up and ruiiied the smooth
waters. Then over the northern hills mist ana
cloud settled down, and all the world was duh
and gray.
We made very slow progress. The Nash
Vile was spying out tho land. The captain
of the Venus said that on the top Of that bold
hill at the left We should see a stafi and possibly
q flag. Leeaspi lay just under 1t at the right.
We were still too far away TO make out even
q roof top. As We went along natives came
out on the beach Of the northern islands and be-
ran the days fishing. Canoes moved along
the shore. In the open spaces We saw cara
baos driven about. On the mainland, at the
foot of the mountain. appeared a solid white
church. A little closer in and sure enough
there was the STAFF on that hill at the south.
Then another staff appeared on the second
hill. Then a flag on the first stan. But the
breeze had all died out and the flag hung list
less about the stan. legaspi rose out OF the
uncertain haze along the shore. Not = flag
was flying In the town. 1t was a bad sign.
Nevertheless, Capt. Symonds, eager for a fight.
and disappointed because the big guns were
not already In action, made IA bet OF $50 gold
that not an armeS lnsurgent would be seen or
heard of automatically that day, Gen Kobbe's
information had led him also 10 believe that
there would be no resistance. Yet legaspi
iurhishcu ono VI Wv W. '
ances of the expedition.
III was apout o'io'h "ne" We
enough 10 'nc 'o"h W mani o'' w" "
the prospect ana theh una, "nS g" MH''
changed The atttude ana 'ah Oh ro'h oiN'ers
ana men, a niue oreeHe 7"AshVeheu o"'
the nag on the hliitop' ana II was .he iaiihiar
red ana pile oi 'he insuisen's' iha' was '"o
first. Then we saw the mel-ln their trehcheS
- 1, ..... E.ht
and we knew IL was hsht'
The beach at legaspl Is broad ana SMOOTH
but dips rapidly ana the water Is deep az a
very short distance from the shore rive piers
built of heavy plllng ARE used In peaceiui tunes
for loading and discharglng ships lhey
stand, three close together. and two at inter-
walls Of a hundred yards. In front OF the centre
OF the town. Each pier Is SIXTY or seventy
yards long, Along the beach behind these
piers range the heavy stone godoWns' a
few nipa huts are clustered about the southern
piers, South OF the southernmost pier the
insurgents had constructed a turret win a huge
breastwork in front OF It, Between THIS pier
and the next was another similar iortncauon'
SO between each TWO piers was one OF these
tremendous ana TO the north. be-
yond the last per was q ioruhcauon nan a
mile or more long. mus they were prepared
to join In a cross nre on every pier from
north to south their line was more Than a mile
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