The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-08

MANILA, Jan. Z, 8 p. m.-Lieut ]. Q.
Gilmore, of the United States gunboat
Yorktown, who was captured by the In
sursents last April near Baler. on the
coast Of Luzon, and rescued few days
ago by Col. Luther r. Hare. Of the Thir-
ty-third volunteer infantry. sat today In
the apartment OF his sister. Mrs. Maj.
Price, at the Hotel Oriente. in Manila.
and told a remarkable story of his eight
months in captivity. ending with his dra-
matte deliverance from a death that
seemed inevitable.
The steamer Venus came into the harbor
last evening. from Vigan, province OF
South Ilocos, with Lieut.. Gilmore and
nineteen other American prisoners. includ-
ing seven of his sailors from the York.
town. Lieut. Gilmore. after reporting.
came ashore and hobbled along. with the
aid of cane, to the Hotel Oriente, where
American officers and ladies where waltz
ing through the halls to the strains Of
"Aguinaldos March
Praise Aguinaldo.
Although tanned and ruddy from ex-
,posure. he is weak and nervous, showing
the results of long hardships. He speaks
warmly of Aguinaldo and very bitterly
against Gen. Tino, declaring that while
In the formers jurisdiction he was treated
splendidly, but that after he fell into IT,
nos hands he suffered everything.
Col. Hare and Lieut. Col Howe, the
latter of tho Thirty-fourth volunteer In
fantry, rescued Gillmore's party on De-
cember Is, near the headwaters Of the
Abault river, where they had been aban-
doned by the Filipinos and were expecting
death by the savage tribes around them.
When the rescuing force reached them
they were nearly starved. but were build
ing RATS in the hope of getting down the
river to the coast
Lieut.. GilImore's story.
Lieut.. Gilmore made the following
statement to the Associated Press:
"The Filipnos abandoned us on the
night of December 16. We had reached
the Abault river near its source that
morning and the Filipinos RATED us over.
We then went down the stream, along
rough TRAIL guarded by company of Fill
ipinos. That night we were separated
from this guard, and another company.
armed with Mausers. was put in charge of
us. suspected something and questioned
the lieutenant in command. He said: I
have orders from Gen. Tino to shoot you
all. but my conscience forbids. I shall
leave you here.
Deserted by Fflipinos.
II begged him for two rifles to protect
us from savages. adding that would give
him letters to the Americans, who would
pay him well and keep him from all harm.
He refused this, however, saying he would
not dare to comply. Soon afterward he
left with his company.
I'VE had seen some savages In war
paint around us and we prepared to fight
them with cobblestones. the only weapons
that were available to us. The next morn
ing we followed the trail of the Filipino
soldiers, feeling that 1t was better to stick
to them than to be murdered by savages,
but we could not keep up with them. Then
I ordered the men to build RATS, In the
hope Of floating down the river. 1t was a
forlorn hope, but l knew the river must
empty into the sea somewhere. I was so
weak myself that did not expect to get
out, but thought some Of the men could.
Rescue by Americans.
ION the morning Of December IS. while
we were working on the RATS. the Ameri-
cans came toward US. yelling. One of
my men shouted. They are on U.S. He
was laSnluS d Tdlt Oh DdIuDOOS. i, now
ever, knew 1t was not the yell Of savages,
but the yell Of Americans The rescuing
troops thought we had Filipino guards,
and called to us In English to lie down,
so that they could shoot the Filipinos.
That was the finest body of officers and
men ever saw"
Floats Down ON Rats.
Lieut.. Gilmore could not speak enthusi-
astically enugh of the 1i0 picked men who
had rescued him and his party.
The command spent the day in making
RATS. Col. Hare thought Lieut.. Gilmore
too weak to live through the trip, but
there was no alternative. They shot many
rapids, the men losing all their effects
and Lieut. Gilmore some valuable papers,
Only fourteen out of .thirty-seven RATS
survived the first nights experience, and
eighty men were practically unable to
walk when Vigan was reached.
Chewing Grass and Bark.
Describing the flight from Benguet,
when the Americans approached, Lieut..
Gilmore said
1.-THE Filipinos, completely terrified, left
Beneuet on December T. They hurried
retracing the trail, not knowing where
almost without food for three days, they
killed several horses. and we lived on
horsefiesh for several days. I did not
paye full meal from December until