The National tribune., 1902-01-02

cisarets and joking about the Filipino
celebration of WashingtOn'S Birthday
Away TO the north the sky was aIlame
with the glare Of the fire, while the air
was filed with the sounds OF conflict, or
what appeared to the INEXPERIENCED car
to be such. One hearing it for the first
time might well mistake it for the roar
of musketry. The nipa houses are con
Strncted CT bamboo poles. As the air in
The baniifoo between the joints becomes
heated it expands until it bursts the Joint
with aG explosion closely resembling the
report of a musket. In ii single hut there
are several hundred of these Joints Of bam-
boo, each one of which cXplodes in this
way, sounding like the discharge Of q gun.
When hundred or more huts are burn
lnS at The same time the constant popping
OF the bamboo is like the steady rattle
of small-arms in . battle.
An amusing mistake Of this kind was
made early III the insurrectioI. The III
Surgcnts set fire 10 the hutS near tho bar
racks of the Washington regiment in the
i'acO district with the purpose of burning
them out. which purpose was frustrated
by the activity Of the Washington men.
Nhlic the cOnagratiUn was at its hight
the steady roar of this bamboo battle
came to the ears OF q new Regular rcgi-
mcnt about mile distant, and the com
mandcr, being new in the islands. hastily
VIZ iI''L'i'l Il beiidIibll 20 INC ild or Inc
volunteers. whom he supposed were hav-
ing a bloody fight against great odds.
W hen the relief column appeared on the
ground II discovered the WashingtOne in
the act of setting fire to the few houses
that had escaped the conhagration near
their barracks, determined that there
should be none left to serve as a basis
of another effort to burn them ont in the
middle Of the night. There were frequent
reports of the hiding Of ammunition by
natives IN the stacks of rice straw that
stood in the fields, and it was customary
Tor The soldiers To set fire to these in or
der to destroy this secrctCd ammunitiOn
Such fires often produced many explosions,
which went to confirm the opinion that
ammunition was concealed there; but we
who were wiser from experience knew
that these explosions Were but the popping
OF bamboo poles used TO bind the stacks
together. This was the kind of battle we
listened to in the Victoria trenches" un-
nj after midnight, when | received orders
to take my company with another one and
proceed to the scene of cOntlagration and
report 10 the officer in command
oREGoHs BATTLING WITH THE FLAMES.
As we approached the fire a strange
sight was witnessed. Thousands of refu-
gees We're streaming out Of the burning
districts carrying everything they pOsSi-
bly, could IN the way of personal prop
crty. Some had squealing pigs in baskcts
others had bundles of clothing on their
heads, and still others were CARRYING lame
ana sick relatives and aged persons in
baskets suspended from poles Across the
Blanco Bridge, the thorOughfarc connect
ing the T0ndo and ST. Nicholas districts
with the Binondo district, this stream of
humanity poured, kept moving and pre-
vented from cOngcSting OH the edge of the
bIllIlng district nv tho 81
which had been greatly strengthened as
soon rs the seriousness of the fire and its
probable connection with an attempted
outbreak became apparent. And over all
hung the spirit of submission TO fate that
Is so strong i'll the Orient. Excited chat
tcring there was in plenty, but no emo
ton. In all that hurrying throng | did
not see single woman or child in tears
II was fate and they accepted it. Mingled
with the motley crowd of EilipinOs were
thousands of Cinnamon, for the burning
district was occupied by q mixed Chinese
and Tagal population; but the Chinese
We're showing greater anxiety and eager
ness to save their property. This may
have been because they had more of it
to be saved. As we got near the fire this
was more apparent, for then Cinnamon
only could be seen doing their utmost TO
get still more of their belongings out of
danger They would remain until their
houstS hctuhlly caught nfe before leaving,
while the Filipinos fed as soon as dan
ger became apparent.
Reporting with my company to the Off
Ger in charge of the district, was told TO
take half Of it and go around on the west
side of the fire and see if i could stop il
from working over toward the bay. NV
only instructions were TO do what could. |
but / was given not a single appliance
with which to work. My first idea was to
get some buckets and I hapan Saorch;,,.
the abandoned houses near the edge of the
fire for such implements, but could find
none. Water is kept in earthen jars in