The evening times., 1900-05-05
II. S. F. s. BROOKLYN.
"Cavite. P. l.. March 4. 1st

In obedience 10 your orders of the 18th
instant. ! took command OF the United
State stransport General Alava, with a de-
tail of officers and men from the Brooklyn.
on the afternoon OF that day. and pro-
ceeded at once TO the vicinity OF San Mar
eiso. Gulf Of Ragay, in search of the Span
ish and American prisoners said 10 be at
or near that place.
"At $3.50 D. m. February 20. when on
Punta GOrda, Gulf OF Ragay, | picked uD
a small boat flying white flag and con-
tanning FIVE Spaniards and two Filipinos-
Spanish captain acted as spokesman.
and stated that one OF the Filipinos Was
Commandante Esteban Mandie;a The par
~ had left GuinyabaR at the head OF the
guIt on the 10th instant. Ostensibly to make
arrangements for Guartering the prisoners
at some other town. food getting
scarce at GrinayabaI. The Filipincs were
searched and PLACED under observation.
The commandante rad been armed with
revolver. His papers include. a list OF
prisoners whom he had been ordered 10
taKe 20 the province OF Camarines. t.
Spanish captain reported that when he let
there were between SEQ and 500 prisoners
at GuiRayaban under 4 guard of two SOL
dIers with MauSers and = number Of 90
10 men.
We proceeded north from Punta Gor,Io
and anchored of Puata Bagutayoc at S.Ie
p. m. At $50 a. m. February y | sent
Naval Cadet Mcintyre in the steam launch
carrying a ll-milimetTe machine gun in
the bow, an armed crew. and detail OF
marines not 10 land. Captain Egido and
two Spanish guides accompanied this ex-
peditiCn. At $50 sent Naval Cadet Fen
ner. with an armed boats crew to eOast
along the mouth Of the Rio Cat2banga. in
the vicinity Of the ship, 10 see whether
there were any signs of the Spanish pris-
oners passing that way 10 Camarincs- a.
Is Cadet FenneT returned. having seen
nc,hing CT the Spani2rd5 At $50 Cadet
Mcintyre returned with the following in
formation. Arriving o0 Guinayab1n, ne
was met b. boat from shore containing
a Spanish merchant and some Spanish
prisoners. who told him that the main boly
cf prisoners, including some Americans.
had left there the morning before. and
VAS marching along the western coast OF
/ the Gulf. en- route TO PiT!ss that thirty
eight Spanish prisoners. unable 20 proceed,
had been left behind in the town.
y got Up anchor Immediately aad stood
! across the Gulf for Piris Bay. I blew fre-
Quent long blasts on the steam whistle
and fred gun to attract attention. Be
fore entering the bay I sent Gunner Chiles
in the steam launch TO strike the coast
about Eve miles above Point PusgO. the
northern point Of the bay. then 20 skirt
I
SEARCH c. prisoners Al 1I-30 a. IN We
ClIae 10 anchcr in PIris Bay As the viii
lage Of Firis was Up . narrow river. /
Sut beat manned b. some CT the Fill
pine crew OF the Alava. in charge OF
{ Spanish Cffcer. to rscC-loitre the mOGth
Of theNiver and TO seek inf5rmatioa abozt
the main body o. prisoners. 4 Spanish
merchant went as guide I issued CEe
aIauSCr rife with ammunition to the Span
i=h officer. At l2-30 p. IN. Gunner Chiles
returned in the steam launch having in
to~ a large bancl IN which were twelve
fC-mer prisoners. six Of whom were Amer
leans These reported that they had heard
CT a steamer being in the gulf fro the
/ natives. that they had escaped from the
maia body. and that they had picked Up
the banca on the beach Further insc-ma-
ton was obtained from them thai The
Filipino guard consisted OF two meu with
Mausers and about twenty men with bO,Os
and that the main body Of prisoners rad
probably arrived a; Piris
A landing party was organized consist
ing Of Lieutenant Brown L. g. ~ C.. with
a squad OF twenty marines embarked in
the large bGnca. and two pulling boats
with armed creWs-the whole in tcw Of the
steam IauEch. Naval Cadet Mcintyre was
put in charge Of the boats. with iustruc-
tious not 10 land his men but 70 hold them
as a reserve. Assistant Surgeon Grove was
I detailed to accompany the landing party.
with Instructions 10 inspect the prisoners
and TO prevent The emharkatiOn CT any
person with contagious disease. Capt J. I.
Michael quartermaster. United States Ar
my who had been sent BY the Army au-
thorties TO take charge Of 1860 rati0r5
for the prisoners. volunteered 20 accompa-
ny the landing party, and was furnished
with a Mauser rifle and ammunition. At l
p. N the boat that had been sent out in
charge OF a Spanish iieutenant to recoBnoi-
tre was seen coming out OF the mouth Of
the river The boat expedition was imma-
diately sent out TO meet them and learned
that they had proceeded only short dis
lance up the river when they had fallen
in with some Spanish prisoners in ban
- who told them that the main body was
al PiTis. three miles further up the river.
Naval Cadet Mcintyre took the guide IN
the steam launch and sent the Spanish
lieutenant back to the Alava 20 report. the
latter arriving at 1-f0 2. m with two Span
ism prisoners. Meantime the steam launch
was found to draw too much water TO cross
the bar on the mouth OF the Piris River.
so she was left at that point. the officers
transferring 10 the other bOats-two cut
ters and the banca-which proceeded
three miles up the river under cars Sew
eral canoes containing Spanish prisoners
were met with or the way up. and these
were directed TO communicate with che
steam launch. These Spaniards all con
firmsd the news that the main body was at
Piris They stated that the guards bad
fed to the mountains when they heard the
gun fired in the forenoon, but that there
Eaissl.t DC zuruc or them lurking in the Vi
cinity. Happily no resistance was en-
counteFed, and the boats arrived at Piris
safely.
Here the main body OF prisoners was
found. After inspection by Assistant Sur
geon Grove. the sick and inirm were en-
the number of seventy-seven, incIud ng
two Americans Naval Cadet Mcintyre and
Assistant Surgeon Grove returned to the
ship with these people. All the able-bcd-
led prisoners were taken charge OF by
Lieutenant Brown, with the marine F,Iard.
and marched over a very difficult path to
guide lost his way. and there was much
ground. heavy raiRstOrm passed over
the river about this time. and all hands
were wet through
The pulling boats reached the lNsva in
tow of the steam launch about 5 D. m
the ship having moved as ciose in snors
as her draft-thirteel feet-would perm
and shortly 9sterEard Lieutenant Brown 5
party appeared on the beach. | sent in
boats to begin bringing off the prisoners.
but after two boatlaOds had been disoharg-
ed captain Michael. United States Army.
being among the passengersl darkness set
in. | then sent in boat with blankets.
rations. water. and wood for fire. with
ordprS for iRlIrPDaDf RTOwn tn hfx0uao fo-