The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-13
HAD A TOUGH TIME.
Report of the Expedition of Major
 Walters Marines.


 Washington. March 12--The Eastern mail has brought the report of Major Waller on the famous expedition con ducted by him across the island of Samar' The news of the affair is contained in dispatch from Lieutenant +. w. Shoo- maker. L.. $. N, who conducted the re- lief expedition that succored the marines
 After detailing the arrival in the American lines of Captain Porter and Lieutenant Williams. with portion or the men, the report says:
 Captain Porter and Lieutenant A. S. Williams, in conversation gave me sub- stantially the following account of their wanderings:
 On January ]. being then on half ra- tions, with very little fod left Major Waller decided to split the paTty-he talk ing l5 of the strongest men and pushing on for Bazey and Captain Porter follow ing his trail with the main body. on the 2nd "a native came back from Waller with a note stating that aller had given up the idea of getting through and would return, and directing Porter 10 make directly for the river and build rafts for the entire party. This Porter tried to do but failed to tnd wood that would hoat. It was raining hard and the river was swift and strong. As Major Waller did not appear, Porter sent Captain Bearss to him to ascertain his plans. Bearss failed to return, but he reached Waller.
 On the 3rd, l think Porter pushed ahead to get assistance with eight of the strongest men, leaving Williams to fol- low with the crippled and lame as far as the boat, secreted on the way up. to be used in an emergency Porte~ reached the boat, but found her unfit for use. So he started on twenty-five miles hike for Panang, reaching there with three men on the afternoon of the llth Five men had given out, but living on two dogs that strayed their way, they finally reached the post.
 The relief expedition under Lieutenant Willimas, lst infantry, on account of the height of the river. was unable to get away until the morning of the 14th. Will Hams deserves the highest praise for his twenty-five miles fight against the cur rent and up the rapids. It was not until the morning of the 17th that he reached the starving marines in their last stop ping place near the river For days no man among them had strength to carry 4 rife. Nine of them had either gone crazy or had fallen by the trali hdii uedu from strvation and exposure.
 It had rained steadily for eighteen days Lieutenant A S. Williams had made ev- cry effort to get them along. but had to abandor them. He could only save the men who were able to reach the boat by the river. the probable point of arrival cf the relief expedition He got there on the night of the l6th inst, his party having been without food except roots, the pulp of plants and few sweet po- tatoes. for fifteen days. The native bear CTS. about thirty in number. became sulky, practically refusing assistance. They would build shacks as a protection from the continual downpour for them selves only. and knowing the edible roots and plants. were more skillful in obtaining food.
 A time came when no white man could carry rife, and those not lost were in tbe hands of the natives; under the all tered condition. it required considerable diplomacy on the part of Lieutenant Will Hams to handle them all. Just before reaching the river, two hearers tried to kill williams. stabbing him about the chest with a bolo. He tried to shoot but had not sufficient strength to pull the trigger They then tried to kill him with his own pistol, but did not know how to