The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-10-19

vaci1g up TO their arnpits In the bed O.
Tire river where that was POSSIBLE, and cut
ting their way along the rocky. Jungle COW
cred banks when TSe river became p ter
rent IN which no man could live. Il was
on the following day hat the separation
took place. and Major Waller. pushing
ahead with twelve OF the strongest men.
after many adventures, and. thanks 70 the
capture Of two natives whom he Induced to
guide him, reached the S0joto1 River and
the coast.
TREACHERY OF NATIVE
CAUSED THE DISTRESS.
Captain Porter and Lieutenant A. S. VIII
liams waited for several days with the rear
guard OF the marines. composed for the
most part Of the weak and WORKOUT mem
bers OF the column expecting the promised
message from Waller. which, through the
tneachery or the cOwardice Of the native 20
whom It was intrusted. never reached them.
Thrown at last upon their own resources.
the young officers decided upon a plan 70
save their men which has won for them
golden opinions from all in the least ae-
Q~uainted with the nature OF the obstacles
by which they were confronted
Their first wish was to follow upon Wal
Iers trail. but after looking over their
men and seeing the condition they were in
It became apparent that while the selected
men who had gone ahead with the com
sander Of the expedition might possibly
0FEANNAA| NAN- hALLlutAA6H u TIE yuAELEg u
the sea. the exhausted and, for the most
part. disabled members q the rear guard
certainly could not hope TO do so. Besides.
the latest news received from Waller had
been that he proposed TO return to them. 50
II was decided 10 wait and gather what
strength they could for the ordeal they
could not escape. For. being In the heart
OF the island. whether their journey WIS 10
be TO the north or to the south. 10 the cas-;
or TO the west. they must always pass
through the wilderness OF Samar.
Two days passed and no mesa es came.
Owing TO the shortness Of the ratious upon
which they were living the rest had hardly
proved an advantage. TIE men Of the rear
guard were growing weaker with every
hour. when Captain Porter and Lieutenant
Williams decided that the only salvation for
themselves and for their men lay in retreat
along the tran they had zone ty the banks
Of the Lanang River. Again. very wisely as
4; turned out. the rear guard OF the marine
column was divided. Captain Porter and
Sergeant Quick (Rlready a meda,-of-hcnOr
man FOR his gailantry at Guanianamol. with
six men OF the CORPS the physical elite OF
the rear guard, and six native bearers.
started on the back trail for Lanang by the
sea at daybreak on January 8 Porter was
determined 10 push on with al possible
speed, and once the garrison on the coast
was reached. 10 send back relief 10 VIII
hams and. for the most part. invaded men
who remained with him..
PARTY NARROWLY ESCAPED
BEING DROWNED IN FLOOD.
Il was decided that Porter was to blaze
MS trail as clearly as possible. and that
Williams should follow It undeviatingly. so
that there might be no chance OF missing
me relief that would be forthcoming within
four or 1--WE days at the latest. as they then
imagined would be the case. For the next
I'VE DAYS Porter's column pushed ahead
night and day. and. indeed. with the tor
RENTAL rains that fell without intermIs-
sion. there was no apparent difference be-
tWeh me hours Of light and OF darkness.
On the evening OF the fifth day they
reached the Lanang River and camped near
the clearing where the -expeditfon had Ieft
the bosts and taken TO the land on the Jour
ney up. While they slept here the river
suddenly rose fifteen feet within an hour
ana the whole party had the narrowest e.
cape from drowning. What food and cover
ing they stu had wa9 washed away. The
army post at Lsnang on the sea was NJ
more than a days Journey away in boats.
out there Were no boats available. and the
party was starving.
-Four OF the eight white men. after the
night Of the i~nUn5stion. were found ,,1abla
to lift hand or foot. Porter and the ofhe-
men carried them for a few hundred Yards.
and then, most fortunately. they came ont
upon a clearing where a few wild potatoes
were growing Porter left his disabled men
here and pushed on through the Hooded
country where the water had obllte-afed
al trace Of the trail.
on the evening OF the 9Th this little roll
umn experienced a crisis, and was saved by
an incident which In other days we would
have called miraculous The men were now
beat and sat looking with blank de-
spair At each other and over the flooded