The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-03-29
:MANILA's OLD FORT
sANTlAoo WAS BUILT MORE
THAN 800 YEARS AGO.
Key Of ctty's Vast System Of Defence
Constructed BY the spaniards 10
Nov Used 40 Military Head
quarters.

-
Nov Used 40 Military Head
quarters.
A score of miles down the bay from
Manila. right at the very front door
Of the archipelago, lies hidden on Cor.
regidor Island a veritable hornets
nest of masked batteries. According
to the Overland Monthly, these bat
teries make the Port Arthur fmplace-
ments Of yesterday seem like mere
oldfashioned toys. and paper ones at
that.
The Gruson turrets, made of con.
crete and steel and sunk on rock
foundations, natural or artificial, in
the deep, resembling huge gray turtles
sticking up out of the water with pro-
truding gun barrels for necks, occupy
FL Fraile and other small islets in the
vicinity, while old hump-backed Cor
regidor is covered from crest to shore
line with guns. a honeycomb Of under
ground cement tunnels, pits and run
ways, wireless equipment, electrical
apparatus, searchlights and other con-
%trivances to aid iii repelling an enemy.
When it comes to age and roman
tic history. however, old Fort Santi-
ago is far ahead Of Corregidor. Ma.
nila's walled city. a town in itself, con-
sisting of several city blocks with
paved streets, business houses and
large dwellings is surrounded by q
stone wall about thirty feet high and
from thirty to forty feet thick.
The walls once were skirted on the
outside by a deep moat, filed with wa.
ter having drawbridges at the various
gates. Most If not all of the moat
has now been filled in, but no doubt
the walls will stand for years If for
no other reason than for their h;stori-
cal interest.
OF this vast yet crude system Of
defense Fort Santiago stands as the
key. What the Tower of London is
to England, what the Vatican is to
Rome, what the Bunker Hill monu-
ment is to the United States. Fort
Santiago is to the Philippine Islands.
The Spanish invaders made Manila
their headquarters in 1871 and began
to fortify 1t about twenty years later.
The first stone construction was the
circular wall, which is still standing.
Since the American occupation of the
fort its armament has been taken
away and the buildings within the
parks have been converted into bar
racks and stOrerOoms.
Commodious office buildings have
been erected On top of the walls along
and overlooking the Pasig, and here
the commanding general Of the Phil
ippine division has his headquarters.
In one Of the beautiful parks within
the fort is located the military arsen-
al. with it's big steam and electric
workshops.
Some Of the maps and plans of the
fort are now in the British museum,
in London, where they were carried
after the British conquest of Manila.
The fort, mostly in its present form,
has stood for 800 years. There are all
sorts Of stories floating about oncern
ing secret chambers in the walls and
wings.
so far. az the secret chambers are
concerned, there is some truth in the
rumors. The filling Of the old moat
closed many Of the entrances to these
chambers. probably forever. When the
wall in Gale Aduana was removed, an
inner chamber was found filed with
human skeletons.
Natives have q wholesome terror Of
the old place, and absolutely no desire
to see anything below. the surface of
the thick old walls. Americans Who,
with electric lamps. have started ex.
ploratfons have given up. owing to the
foul air. crumbllng passages and 9th.
err ~hindrances.
Only three flags have flown above
Fort Santiago. For 32S years the
Spanish ensign was unfurled to the
tropic breeze, except for the brief time
the British flag supplanted that Of the
rightful lords. The hosting of the
third flag is well known to all Ameri.
cans.