Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-03-06
SUFFERING IN SAMAR
FURTHER DETAILS GIVEN
OF WANDERING MARINES
Exhausted Men Drop From Ranks,
And Are Lost in the WlldS--Ex-
hauSted Officer Attacked
By Guide,

Manila, Jan. 29.-The following fuD
| account of the experiences of the ma
| rines who made the recent expedition
in Samar under Major Waller, receiv-
ed from a private letter, exceeds in its
horror and pitifulness anything which
has yet been reported from that dark
and bloody island. The main facts OF
the affair have been published, but
these details are new.
The battalion of the Marine Corps
stationed at Basey, on the southern
part of the Island of Samar, opposit
| Tacloban, Leyte, has suffered a serious
disaster, losing a number of men, rifles
and ammunition.
A few days after Christmas Major
Waller, in command of the marines,
left Basey for a scouting expedition
from Laoang, taking few days ra-
tions. After beating up one of the
small rivers 1t was decided to push
back to Basey overland. The party
pushed out into the mountains With
several native guides, who proved
trustworthy. 1t seems that the trail
was lost, and the party after a few
days, was out of rations, with little OF
nothing available for the sustenance OF
the troops in the wild and barren coun-
try in which they found themselves.
| To add to their distress, there was u
terrible storm sweeping over the ISL
and of Samar. A number of the men
were too badly done up to make any
attempt to push on without food, and
in the dilemma the best place that
could be found was chosen for a tenn
porary camp, while the Major with a
| part OF his command struck out again.
manfully determined to reach Basey
| and secure reinforcements at any cost.
After the most severe hardships he ar
rived in Basey and led n relief eXpedi-
ton to the assistance of the starving
troops, who had in the meantime, after
considerable delay, for the relief was
delayed longer than they expected, de-
cided to return over the trail that they
knew. Finally part Of them got to
camp. but in horrible condition. Nine
men are sick in the hospital at Taclo-
ban, ten are entirely unaccounted for,
as they we're compelled to drop out oil
the column in the wilds of the jungle
and nothing is known of their fate
whether they have died of starvation
or fallen into the hands of the boleros
All who passed through the ordeal will
be untitled for duty for weeks to come
An incident current in Catbalogan
| trna In nh IL
manner the great straits to which the
soldiers were reduced. A treacherou!
guide attacked one of the lieutenantl
of the party with a bolo. The lieu
tenant managed to drag his pistol from
the holster and the sight of 1t made
his would-be assassin hesitate. Tit
lieutenant tried to fire the revolver a
his bloodthirsty assailant, but was 81
exhausted by lack OF food and wei
nigh worn out that there was no
strength enough in his trigger finger t
discharge the revolver. Observing
this, the savage guide wrenched tn,
revolver from his hand and in turf
tried to shoot the lieutenant with hi
own firearm. The devil was ignoran
Of the mechanism OF the revolver, an,
after finding that he could not dis
charge 1t, disappeared in the fores
with the revolver.
Twenty-Five rifles are lost, witt
more than that many cartridge belt
and at least three thousand rounds o
ammunition. Under the stress of tn
trail, exhausted from lack Of food, tn
men cast aside first one thing an
then another, in the final emergenc
discarding the cartridge belts tina
were growing heavier and heavier a
the days advanced and the pangs @
hunger increased. They assert tina
their rifles were lost in crossing tn
streams swollen into swift rushing tor
rents by the rains. II Is feared that tn
treacherous guides noted where tn
rifles were dropped and that many Q
them are now in the hands of the enc
my. The principal insurrecto leade
in that section of the island is Captai
Sugenio Deza, who was the leader @
the Balangiga massacre. The thirt
rifles or SO that he was reported I
have may have been considerably aug
mented by this last fiasco.
What the object OF the expedition
was that has resulted so disastrousl
is unknown. 1t is supposed here tina
the object was to try and come to quar-
ters with Captain Eugeni Daza, VIII
was reported to be in the vicinity G
the almost inaccessible Malabogo coun
try
II is reported that the most terribl
conditions prevail in Samar; that dc
tachments can hardly stir outside c
the garrisoned towns without peril {
being ambushed and wiped out entire
ly. The regiments in Samar are so dc
) pleted by their short-time men hayin
been sent home that they barely pre-
sent a skeleton formation. The Mint
Infantry has only 800 men, some con
panies being reduced to a score. TIL
other regiments are reduced nearly q
much. According TO the statement
OF people coming from the souther
waters the conditions prevailing al
sufficient to cause the gravest appr'
hension.
General Smith, when seen the othC
: day by an officer, who has just returne
from Samar, said that the command