Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-20

MANILA, March I5.-There arc
hundreds of miles of the Pacific coast
of this island unknown to our army,
hundreds of miles where we have no
%g.-risons, a long stretch of cost famil-
lar only to such naval officers whose
| duty has led them to patrol or sound
, the eastern side of Luzon. There are
| very few towns or villages on this
coast and one can cruise along it for
days seeing no sign Of human occupa-
ton. Down south in the Camarines
and Albay provinces there are a few
ports on the Pacific side, such as Lee
gaspi, Tobacco and Daet, and these We
have lately occupied and garrisoned;
but with these exceptions and that of
Baler, the Pacific coast of Luzon ISL
and is practically unknown to our
army Of occupation.
Gen. Funston last month led an x
petition into Baler, on the Pacific side,
and a little north of Manila, and left
there a garrison of the Thirty-fourth
Volunteer Infantry.
A Spaniard in Spain or here in Ma
Mia would never think of calling this
little hamlet simply Baler. With him
it would be "Baler, so heroically de-
Tended by the Spanish soldiers" or
Glorious Baler," and to-day if a SOL
der of Spain can truthfully say: Il
was at Baler," he at once becomes
great and envied in the eyes of his
companions. He is the subject of a
hero worship of a distinctly CONNER
cial and gratifying eharacter-it is
considered an honor to drink with a
Hero of Baler."
During the summer OF 1898 the
Spanish forces at Baler were having
their customary trouble with the Fill
pinos in that vicinity. Some of this
Spanish garrison was withdrawn, 9TH
ers were killed, until, finally, about so
Spaniards, commanded by a captain,
withdrew with a years provisions, into
the now historical Church of Baler,
and there they were besieged by the
rebels for eleven months. This garri-
son reduced to 80 souls, surrendered to
the Filipinos with all the honors of
war July 2, 1899.
In the summer of 1899, the head OF
the Spanish army in the Philippines,
realized that the resistance of this
Baler garrison was needless and rather
cut of place, inasmuch as the United
States had ~vanquished Spain, destroy
ed her sovereignty over the Filipino
people and was engaged in Guelling
their revolt. 1t was consequently de-
fcided to communicate with this garri-
son, explain to them these facts and
order them to quit. With this end in
view Lieut.. Col. Aguilar arrived of the
town of Baler May 80, and explaining
his mission to the Philippine officer
commanding that district, received the
latter's permission to land and COM
municate with the besieged Spaniards.
Early one morning Col. Aguilar APP
preached the church with a white and
Spanish flag, only to be told by the
guards to come back that same after
noon at 8 o'clock, as the commanding
officer, Lieut.. Saturnio Martin Csrezo,
had been up all night, was then sleep
ing and could not be disturbed. At 8
o'clock the colonel was accorded the
privilege of speaking to the lieutenant
and handed him a letter from the
lieutenant commanding officer directing
him to place himself under Col. Agui-
lars orders. The lieutenant refused to
follow these orders, and even after he
had been shown newspapers which
proved that his resistance was need
less and inopportune, he still declined
to surrender or leave the church he
had so long defended. II have pro-
visions enough to last my garrison un-
til August 10; not until these are ex-
hausted will I surrender" he said. Col.
Aguilar returned to Manila without ac-
complishing the object of his trip.
Later, in July, a Spanish commission
from Manila went to the Filipino lines
to try and bring about the release of
the $500 Spanish prisoners still held
by the rebels. Their efforts were I'M
successful, except in the case of the
defenders of the Baler garrison num-
bering 33 all told. This band had sur
rendered July 2, their ammunition and
food being exhausted.
For n Canal.
WASHINGTON, April Ex-senator
Mncnn was to-day aufhnriZpd hY the