The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-12-27

least one student was killed and one man wounded.
 Bremen raced to the walled city area as horrifed, da1ed townspeople started running through the crowded streets, carrying such arm fuls of their most valuable belong ings as they had been able to grab. Fires swept westward, They threatened the $l,000,000 Manita Cathedral.
 Santa Rosa College was set af1re and the flames quickly got out of control.
 Many Bldgs. In Path
 The fires approached the Santo Tomas Medical College, the Philip. pines Court of Appeals building and the American Navy Y. M. 0, A,
 A United Press correspondent found a large part of the Santo Do- mingo Church, e historic landmark dating from Spanish times, when the walled city was built, and one of the city'S architectural masterpieces reduced to ruins by bombs which had scattered debris over adjoining streets, Flames roared through the ruins.
 As the flames ate their way. two conmuniques of the United States forces in the Far East told their ominous story of . fight against odds north and south of Manila against invasion forces, fed con. stantly now by See-borne reinforce lnefts, who were driving toward the capital.
 The first communiqne from army headquarters n the field, after the defense forces had left Manila yes- terday and the anti-aircraft guns had been removed, said:
 Fighting Is desultory In the north but very heavy in the southeast, The enemy is steadily bringing re- Inducements from his fleet of transports at Tingayen (northweSt of Manila) and Atilnonan (south- eest).
 Enemy air activity Is heavy"
 Seek Stronger Line
 This tacit story of, the intensified drive from the south was over- shadowed by that which came in a communlque issued to Franz Weis- blatt, United Press staff correspond. ent on the northern front, by Maj. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright, commander in chief in northern LuZon.
 It disclosed that American and Philippines troops, despite earlier optimistic reports of counter.at- tacks, were withdrawing to a new and stronger line before Japanese driving southward from the Lin- gayen gulf.
 These troops had passed 6 point S6 miles north of Manila and were sweeping over the broad Pampagna plains of Pangasinan province.
 "The enemy is now making slow progress on the north LuHon front as the withdrawal of our troops is proceeding according to plan," the communique said. "The resistance Of our troops continues undimin- lShed."
 The Japanese were driving Southward along the coastal plane from Lingayen. los miles north of Manila, and on the main highway from tDamortis, up the coast through Rosario and Urdaneta, in Pangasinan province o6 miles from the ciptal.
 Crossing Plains
 "At this latter point" Gen. Wain- wrights commllnlque said, "they have debouched from Defiles and have now entered the board Pam pagnA plains"
 It was 1:4e p. m, after the citi. zens of the capital had waited for an endless one hour and 62 minute period, for the Japanese to loose their fury, when the first bombs crashed on defenseless Manila.
 A salVo crashed ct the northern edge Of the walled city, striking the Santo Domingo church. and It's con- vent, and the old InteaG GdencAA build ing which houses the treasury, mint and budget commission.
 Santa Catalina college, for girls, suffered Q direct hit also.
 Santa Rosa college, opposite Santo Domingo church, suffered only mi. nor damage from this blast but flames did the work which the bombs had failed to do.
 90 Cars Wrecked
 About 30 motor cars in the iIn- mediate vicinity were wrecked.
 I was seeking missing Americans, caught in the port area where as usual the Japanese had 'concentra- ted their bomb fire during the early part Of the raid, when the first bombs struck in the walled city.
 At the moment l was talking on the telephone to Stan Correspondent Rodolfo Nazareno. He told me that the bomb blasts shook the United Press building crazily.
 For Q while we thought it was the end but it was all over before we had time to duck" he said.
 Flying shrapnel from this blast crashed through the windows Of the United Press building and one frag- ment went through the staff sleep- ing quarters on the sixth floor, over- looking the Pasig river.
 Stan members were getting out the tsory when a second blast shook the building, and thv raiders swept away.
 ships Bombed
 In the port area, Ia miles away from this part of tho city, the Jap- anese were bomblng ships.