The Butte inter mountain., 1902-03-20
MAJOR WALLERS EFFORTS TO
CROSS OVER 1T.
HARDsHIPS WERE TERRIBLE
He Lost Ten Men From Exhaustion
and for Time None of Them
Expected to Return Alive
Men Broken Down.
(By Associated Press.l

~
Washington, March 20.-The Navy de-
port from Major Waller. recounting in
detail his efforts to cross the island of
Samar. Major Waller begins with a
statement that Lieutenant Williams.
Seventh infantry, who had just returned
from IL days trip in fruitless search
for trail and Captain Pickering urged
him not to make the attempt to cross
Samar on account Of the difficulties, but
he decided to make the attempt in view
of the commanding generals evident de-
sire to find the trail and run a wire
across, starting with 80 men on Decem-
Der 6, from Langanin
The rivers were swollen and it took a
long time to get the boat through the
rapids. Trails were picked up, only to
be lost again and the rain came down In
torrential bursts. The river the men
We're following curved almost to a cir
cle and banks held no trails. The route
crossed and recrossed the river every
few minutes and the men began to de-
velop sores and chafes. The knowledge
that they made four or five miles in
direction for each II miles marched was
depressing
On December 30 reduced rations were
installed. No sign Of human habitation
had been seen, except lonely fishing
smack. There were not even birds.
II took the whole of December 81 to
reach the mountain pass. All the ele-
ments seemed to be against the men.
Descending. the trail was again lost
The men were suffering from sores, from
cuts made by thorns and from fostering
bites Of leeches. They could get no fire
and ate raw bacon.
A raft was built. but sank with one
man on 1t. Starting down the river,
word came TO Waller that many men
could not keep up so he decided to
forge ahead for relief with IL of the men,
leaving Captain Power in command of
the main body.
Y Another effort to build a raft failed
Major Waller finally came upon a clear
ing where he found a shack and some
growing vegetables The lenses of his
started fire and two days
supply of potatoes were cooked. Word
from the rear was that the men could
make only three miles day. There was
only enough bacon to fry the potatoes.
The natives were reported to be threat
ening Porter and altogether the eXpedi-
ton was IN n DAu way, Two natives
We're captured and pressed into service
as guides. Finally the Spanish trail was
FOUND. but simultaneously large boat
was discovered and the start was made
for Basey. The report says:
i ''rhe men, realizing that all was over
and that they We're safe and once more
near home, gave up. Some quietly
wept; others laughed Historically. Most
of the men had no shoes. But, thorned.
bruised and dilapidated they marched
without a murmur for 29 days and had
achieved what no white troops had done
before They thought not of It, but of
each other"
AT Basey, Waller was taken sick with
fever and suffered also from his injured
ankle. He said his expedition was of no
value except to show that the noun
tains can be passed and that there are
no insurgents there.
In conclusion Major Waller says he
was the only one of his party able to
move on February 8. Ten men died of
exhaustion and one in the hospital the
other men, except Captain Boards,
Lieutenant Halford. Lieutenant Lyles
and Major Waller himself either was
5or had been in the hospital at the date
of the report. The length of his march
DE