The Washington times., 1901-10-11
THE ISLAND OF sAMAR.
The Scene of the Recent Massacre of
American Troops.

| American Troops
| From official material compiled in the
| Division of Insuar Affairs of the War
( Department an abstract has been pre-
| pared concerning the island of Samar
This island lies along the Pacific line or
| treaty boundary, with its north shore
thirty-four miles south of the centre of
| latitude Of the archipelago Ii is the
| northeastern and largest of the islands OF
the Visayan group The Pacific Ocean
| extends along the north and east. Across
] an arm of the ocean on the south, at
| distance of thirty-five miles, lies Dinagat
| the most northern island of Mindanao-
| The bay of San Pedro and San Pablo and
| the strait of San Juanico pass between
| it and Leyte on the southwest The Sea
| of Samar on the west separates it from
the island of Biliran and the province of
Masbate
! With respect to the trade of the north
ern Pacific, Samar is probably the most
advantageously situated of the Philippine
Islands. The strait of San Bernardino
divides its northwestern point from the
southeastern extreme of Luzon. This well
lighted channel is the thoroughfare of
steam commerce between the United
States and the islands of the Pacific by
the southern route to Manila.
Samar is the third island in size in the
archipelago, being 156 miles rom north
west to southeast, and seventy-five miles
from east to west, with an area of main
land of 5,l9S square miles, and dependent
islands go square miles, or total of 54S6
square miles. 1t is 1876 square miles larger
than Connecticut twice the size of Della
ware. and over four and half times as
large as Rhode Island.
This island is almost a continuation of
the southeastern peninsula of Luzon. be-
ing separated from it by the strait of San
Rernardino, but ten and one-half miles
wide. A mountain chain of moderate
height, scarcely exceeding 1,7OO to
1900 feet, trends from north to
south, with lower hills toward the
coast. The extensive valleys be-
tween these ranges are watered by
number of rivers. among them the Oras,
Suribac and Ulut, emptying' on the east;
the Laguan, Bato and Timonini on the
north; the Buqui on the south, and Sill
ango, Matinao, Bac-hao Bangahon Pag-
sanhan and Mau on the west. There are
also four large lakes. one of which.
Caiibga, is natural curiosity on account
OF the enormous boulders which line its
shores
In population, Santar has 1s5. .3se
native refugees living in the mountains
away from local authority The inhabit-
ants are wholly of Visayan stock there
being no material infusion of other blood
although in numbers not so large Is
the neighboring islands, these people have
always held themselves well in hand as
against the encroachments of Spain. OF
the two dominant races in the Philippine
islands the Nlsayans number almost two
TO one. They occupy the islands which
bear their name. and have shown them
selves a higher type than their rival, the
Tagaiog. being a co!onizing race Iess
given to politics, and more to industry.
They also show strongly the characters
ties of their Malay origin.
CatbaloSan, the capital open to coast
ing trade, and military station has
large trade with Manila in hemp, sugar,
rice and cocoanut oil 1t has a popula-
tion of 6,012 A peak 1.fS3 feet rises to
the southwest, forming conspicuous
landmark for navigators.
Balang1ga, the scene of the recent at
tack upon a detachment of Company c.
Ninth United States Infantry. is situated
about the centre of the south coast, on
a blight to the east of San Pedro and San
Pablo Bay, at the mouth of Puray River,
tfty-fiye miles southeast by south of
Catbalogan. The country inland is ex-
tremely rugged, and traVerSed by numer-
Gus streams. the Catiao and Hiptolos
Rivers entering the Pacific Ocean on the
east and the Taguiti and Lauaan on the
west. Within d radius of nineteen miles
are the towns of Salceda and Quinapun-
dan. besides number of villages. mainly
on the coast. Within the same limits are
no less than twenty eight mapped noun
taia SUBMITS. of which ten are craterS
of extinct volcanoes, and besides the rivers
named, are the hsadwaters of the Lam
aug, Tonquip and Naubay, which empty
into the Pacific Ocean on the opposite
side of the island, toward the northwest.
In agriculture Samar ranks among the
most promising of the islands. The hemp
product for shipment amounts annually
to = ,0GG. coo pounds There is also a large
output of sugar, rice, cocoanut oil.
coffee, chocolate. tobacco, wheat, corn
and products Of less Importance. The
pastoral industry is also large, horses,
cattle, carabaO, goats and hogs being
raised in large numbers.
Owing to the hostility of the natives of
the interior. little has been done in the
way of scientific enquiry TO establish the
mineral possibilities of Samar Coal. Gin
nabar and gold are reported to exist in
quantities of commercial value Copper
is also found. particularly on Capul
Island. in an almost pure state.
The forests abound in woods useful for
cabinet work and shipbuilding. The me
chanicaI industries are devoted almost
wholly to the supply of home consump-
tion. The manufacture of sugar from the
cane and the extraction of oil from the
cocoanut are the chief product of manu-
facture for export
After the preliminary movement which
led TO the establishment of jurisdiction
over the archipelago and the occupation
Of strategic points the island of Samar
became part o. the Fourth district of the
Military Department of Southern LuZon.
The presence of troops from the very
beginning met with more or less resist
ance In April, 1860. on the day the brig
adler general Il. p. Hughes, assumed
command of the Department of the Vis-
ayas. of which Samar was part, de-
tachment of Company II, Forty-third
Infantry was attacked at Catubig, on
the river OF that name, nine miles above
its mouth on the north coast. and after
a desperate resistance of four days. suf-
fered a loss of nineteen killed and three
wounded before relieved
AS yet civil government has not been
established on the island.