Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-11-26
MANILAs OLD FORT
SANTIAGO WAS BUILT MORE
THAN 500 YEARS AGO.
Key Of city's Want System OF Defense
Constructed by the Spanlards Is
Now Used as Military Head
quarters.

score of miles down the bay from
Manila, right at the very front door
of the archipelago lies hidden on Cor
regidor Island veritable hornets
nest of masked batteries. According
to the Overland Monthly, these bat
teries make the Port Arthur implace-
ments Of yesterday seem like mere
old-fashioned toys. and paper ones at
that.
The Gruson turrets, made Of con-
crete and steel and sunk on rock
POUNDS. ions, natural or artificial. In
the deep. resembling huge gray turtles
sticking up out OF the water with pro-
truding gun barrels for necks, occupy
Ell Fraile and other small islets in the
vicinity, while OLD hump-backed Cor
regidor is covered from crest to shore
line with guns, honeycomb Of under
ground cement tunnels, pits and rum
ways, wireless equipment. electrical
apparatus, searchlights and other con-
trivances to aid in repelling an enemy
When it comes to age and roman
tic history. however, old Fort Santi-
ago is far ahead of Corregidor. Ma
n1la's walled city, town In itself, con-
sisting of several city blocks with
paved streets, business houses and
large dwellings Is surrounded by
stone wall about thirty feet high and
from thirty to forty feet thick.
The walls once were skirted on the
outside by deep moat, filled 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 histori-
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 vetican is to
Rome. what the Bunker Hill monu-
ment is to tie United States, Fort
Santiago is to the Philippine Islands.
The Spanish invaders made Manila
their headquarters in 1871 and began
to fortify it 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 che military arsen-
al. with its 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 300 years. There are all
sorts of stories floating about concern
ing secret chambers in the walls and
wings.
So far as the secret chambers are
SoASSl uSUs lu6I0 - SUMO IruL0 Ii the
runnors. 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 filled with
human skeletons.
Natives have 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 st 1rted ex
plorations have given up, owing to the
foul air, crumbling passages and 9TH
er hindrances.
Only three flags have flown above
Fort Santiago. For 1913 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 hoisting of the
third flag is well known to all Ameri
cans.