The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-06-12


marched into the interior court Of the
Ayuntamiento and quartered there for the
night under the balcony. My own CON-
pany of about IS men had the space about
20 feet on either side of the side entrance
used by the fire department and the en-
trance itself. This passage was foored
with stone blocks, and upon these the
men lay down to sleep, cautioned to be on
the alert in case the fire department
should be ordered out, and not get run
over This danger was not very I'M
minent; not but what there was not more
than usual likelihood of fire that night,
but because, as we afterwards learned,
the fire department was one of the most
leisurely adherents of the rest cure to
be found in Manila. 1t never hurried. A
fire that would not burn long enough to
permit the department to go to it without
getting out of breath was not worth GO
ing to at all, thought these dusky bonn
baderos. The apparatus consisted of
diminutive hand engine and hllpuflan
hose cart. apparently designed for sub
DUNG CONGREGATIONS in doll houses, and the
half-dozen men who composed the hre
company were in size about suited to the
machines.
As for myself slept that night in
marble halls without having to dream
about it. Half way up the broad iron
stairs leading from the entrance way
where the men slept was landing paved
with marble slabs, and upon this my First
Sergeant Sergeant and
myself found bed that was more rest
ing to tired minds than aching bones.
Strict orders had been given that no
whisky should be permitted to get to the
men, but a little before II O'Clock l OBJ
served signs of restlessness, and heard
talking and a snatch of song in the court
around the corner from the entrance. l
made a tour of the sleeping forms and
all was as quiet as the grave. little
later l heard it again, and thought L
recognized voice. l then took
station at the inner end of the passage
and awaited developments. In a few
minutes the person l suspected could stand
it no longer. He suddenly arose, chung to
a post for support, and emptied his rebel
lious stomach of the load of "bino" he
had poured into it. l took him into
headquarters. there being no guard house,
and turned him over to the tender mercles
of the Colonel. who gave him into the
custody of the Sergeant of the Guard with
instructions to set him at work sorting
over ammunition in pile that had been
heaped ON the floor under the stairs of the
main entrance. Here l was assured the
next morning he passed an unpleasant
night in company with several delinquents
from other companies. 1t seems that the
DOmblOefOS were the Dy
the "bino" was struggled in, the men sup
plying the money. the firemen having free
passage IN and out. A guard was then
put at the entrance, the b0mbaderos talked
to vigorously in mongrel Spanish English,
and then 1 lay down again to dream in
marble halls, to be aroused an hour later
by terrific downpour Of rain, which beat
upon the zine roof of the building and the
stones of the street with the roar of a
cataract. Again making a tour of the
company to see if all had shelter, l re-
turned to my marble couch ana heard
nothing more ill the bugle sounded reveillei
just before daylight in the morning.
PROVOST DUTY IN MANILA.
Locally the use of the name Manila is
confined to the walled city, while the
much larger and far more populons dis
trict outside the wall is known by various
names, such as 3. Malate, Pace, San
Nicholas, Rinondo, San Sebastien. Tondo,
etc. Manila proper is the ancient city of
Spanish construction and occupation. It'll
has within its limits no native huts, be-
ing built entirely of stone, wood and
cement. Its population, exclusive OF mill
tary, is about 10000 people, while in the
larger city outside the walls live about
25G,000. 1t stands on the south bank of
the Pasig River and close to the bay, only
the moat, an embankment a broad boule
ward and a stretch of beach lying between
II and the water. To the south of the
wall lie the famous Luneta and its ada
cent open ground used by us as drill
and parade ground, and fine residence
portion of the city, diverging streets lead
ing off in the direction of Malate, Pace
and Santa Ana in the suburbs. The bulk
of the city lies to the north and northeast,
across the Pasig, which turns slightly to-
wards the south q little distance from the
wall. A fine boulevard skirts the wall
and its fortified approaches from the
Luneta around to the river on the cast and
north, where a solid stone bridge. the
Puenta de Espana, leads to the business
portion of the city north of the river. This |
bridge puts an end to all traffic on the |
river above that point for all vessels not
low enough TO go through the arches, thus
only launches, cascos and canoes being seen
on the river above the obstructing bridge. |
Removal of this bridge and extension of
the docks above it is one of the necessary
harbor improvements of Manila. A little |
further mp the stream, around the bend, |
and leading into the city towards the |
northeast is fine steel suspension bridge, |
the Puente Colgante, and a short distance
further up the Puenta Ayala, a combined
stone and iron structure, leads into the IA
nous residence district of the Malacanan, |
where the Governor-Generals palace is |
situated. Here is located the house in
which Aguina!do now remains a voluntary
prisoner because afraid to go ont where
the friends of Gen. Luna. whom he had |
assassina, ed. could get at him. Beyond
lies the less famous but more notorious |
district of Santa Mesa. and further ont
the historic bridge of San Juan del Monte,
where the sturdy Nebraska sentinel fired
the first shot of the Philippine war, and
still further the water reservoir nearby
and the pumping station at SantoIan, some
miles further east.
Crossing the Puenta de Espana, one
comes at once into the chief business Dor
ton of the city. Here is the famous
Escolta, running parallel with the river |
Here are rhe stores that cater to the for
eign trade, belonging chiefly to Germans,
Spaniards. Englishmen and East indians
formerly, and now having liberal sprnk- |
ling OF American proprietors. The Escota |
leads past the post Office, or correo and
across little bridge spanning one of the |
numerous sloughs or narrow channels that
run out from the Pasig in various parts
of the city and off towards the San Sc
bastien and Santa Mesa districts, this
route being followed by one branch of the
little horse-car tram road To the left
from the Bridge of Spain the Escolta
terminates in little plaza, around which
are the Offices of the wholesalers and com
mission houses, as well as the various
banks.
just across another side channel are the
large warehouses and docks and the num-
erous "godowns." or storage warehouses, |
OF the commission dealers. Another line |