The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 25, 1899, Page 1

T T ‘have been kept adv’ VOLUMHE LXXXV-— N FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 1899. REPORT OF VICTORY OVER THE TAGALLOS One Hundred Americans Said to Have Been Killed and Wounded in the Fighting. EW YORK, March 24.—The World to-morrow will print the following Manila cable un- der date of March 24: “A sweeping victory over Aguinaldo’s forces has been won by United States troops. “The total American loss is estimated at about 100, including killed and wounded. “The Filipino loss is between 300 and 400, “Major General Otis having completed plans for striking what he hoped would be a final, crushing blow to the native rebellion, an advance was ordered this (Friday) morning. for a swift movement. Brigadier General Otis’ brigade was astir early, breaking camp quickly and getting ready The Third and Seventeenth regiments of United States Infantry, which had gone aboard the transport Sherman, to be conveyed presumably to some point on the bay, dis- embarked to march to the front overland. “The Twenty-second Regiment of United States Infantry and the Oregon volunteer regi- ment were among the first troops to be set out from this city for the scene of the impending action to the north of Manila. The rebels had been expecting an advance movement for some days. Their s bies within our lines usually have kept them advised of the American plan of opera- tion. In this case the Filipinos knew they must make their most stubborn stand as the American commander meant to wipe them out or disperse them and capture their capital at Malolos. “The fighting to-day was desperate on the part of the Filipinos, and determined on the part of the Americans MANILA, March 2 firing by The native woods. About The Montana and K irty of them were ki ried the Americans recently d Ninet s after the start— cleared. Gener: the town of isco del Monte The Ur the wagor uts m the de neral M the rebel MERICANS 70 SCRROTND \CUINALDO The Plan of Campaign De- termined Upon by Gen- eral Otis. Spectal Dispatch to The Call. Call Headquarters Wellington Hotel, Washington, March 24 Major Ge Otis has practically arations for his forward st the Filipinos, and are hourly expecting ad- dvance h begun. n here of General Otis’ ond the fact that the rein- s which recently arrived are trenghten the Pasig hed by General used tc es! 1 ton's bri my circies there seems to be a lief that General Otis will direct the insportation of an expedition to the slos by water, and nd the insurgents. rd of Mal endeavor to SUurro This will be a difficult operation, how- | ever, and fraught with danger, unless the expedition should be sufficiently strong to defeat the entire Philippine army if it should meet it. Such a move would hem in the rebel forces and compel them to give battle. To the north would be this flying bri- gade; on the east is the Laguna de Bal, acro escaping by the American gunboats now. afloat there; the Pasig River, to the south, is well policed by tinclads, and with a strong line in positioff, occu- pled by Wheaton’s brigade, would cut off any movement in that direction; while to the west the Bay of Manila is closed by Dewey’s vessels. General Otis, it is believed, will ad- wvance from Manila upon the stronghold of the Filipinos with a force number- ing between 20,000 and 25,000 men, The forward movement has been in’con- templation for several days, and it 1s believed by army officers here and those officials of the War office who ised of the contem- movement, that the American march into the {nsurgent lines has been §0 carefully planned there can be no possibility of any halt until the declsive w is struck. Mgml_v a day or two ago General Otis telegraphed, in effect, that he was not vet ready to dispense with the services of the volunteers who have already seen service in the swamps and lagoons beyond Manila. His wisdom in this particular is just now recelving the cordial indorsement by all who are con- versant with present conditions about Manila. That a sanguinary battle is in fmmediate prospect is not to be dis- puted. Cipher dispatches have been re- celved at the War Department con- stantly for a week, and those who are in. & position to know assert that these e o The result w: Noon.—The movement of the American troops swept by theinsurgentsback toward Malbon \n Gray Otis' brigade is in front of La Loma, where there Is a stretch of a mile of rough, open nt trenches in the edge of the woods are four feet deep and furnish a good head cover. an troops advanced on the double quick, velling flercely and occasionally dropping in the grass and uring the n arked the line nded, among whom were a fe who were wounded endured their injuries bravely, one group which had been brought into the - prisoners were greatly terrified, cArthur’s divisfon, consist! Hall, supplemented by General Wheato captured the towns of Polo and Nov jon of the railroad, practically . two points twenty mil g, Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota and Oregon enty-second regular, the Utah Artillery Battalion and Twenty- | with the full 3 which they would be kept from | as disastrous to the rebels. lled in the outskirts and seven 1t time at 6 o'clock attered huts. advancing along a goc unition following. American advance. Filipi and a number of s eche, the artiller: fes and amr of th uted 'ting to be exe de: expe line north from »rnering the flow trenches in front of rt ] 1 | cablegrams referred mainly to the pro- | gress of the preparations for battle strength of Aguinaldo’s | forces. No instructions have been given | to General Otis, the full responsibility for the campalgn being laid upon his shoulders. The Department here wisely concludes that ha ng him, either with orders or suggestions, at the pres- ent time would be entirely out of place. Of one thing department offic are absolutely certain, and this is that there is to be a continued advance of the American forces. A temporary victory | will be merely an episode of the for- | ward movement. General Otis’ troops | | propose to press forward until the| { American flag flies over the insurgent | | capital at Malolos. It is not doubted | | in official circles here that this nn-‘ { nouncement will be forthcoming within | | | & very briet period. Among the preparations which Gen- eral Otis has made ig to obtain thirteen former Spanish gunboats. An effort was made some time ago to buy these vessels, but the Spanish authorities pre- ferred rather to accept a smaller price | from a Hongkong firm than to sell| General Otis | them to the Americans. has bought them of the Hongkong firm. Seven are in be condition and will in service, while | oned as rapidly good immediately put st will be comn FILIPINOS FEAR | VALOR OF AMERICANS]| repair | MANILA, March 24—Two Spanish| | prisoners who have escaped from Polo | to the lines of the Kansas regiment re- ‘pnrt that the Filipinos have concen-| | trated their forces at Malabon and| | Polo. They add that only Agulnaldo’s | bodyguard is at Malolos, and that the | rebel leaders apparently intend to stake their fortunes on a fight at Malabon, | where it was expected an engagement | would take place yesterday. If de-| feated, it is further asserted, the rehols‘ | intend to disperse to the swamps and mountains. The rebels were putting their bolo | men in front, believing that the bolo | men’s charms will avert the bullets. | The bolo wield of the Filipinos greatly outnumber their riflemen. The | rebels are further said to have admitted that they cannot withstand the Ameri- | can shells and bayonet charges. The escaped Spaniards corroborated | the stories told of food shortage among the rebels, and they added that the hos- | pitals are short of supplie: | According to Filipino accounts a| | thousand Americans have been killed | near Manila, the fatalities being]| especially heavy at Calocan, where | the United States troops “rushed like | madmen against a storm of bullets.” | AGUINALDO READY ‘ TO FREE SPANIARDS | NEW YORK, March 2.—The Sun's| Madrid dispatch says: The correspond- ent of the Sun has received information from a private source that Agoncillo, Filipino representative, is about to send an agent to this city to negotiate with the government for the liberation of Spaniards who are held prisoners by natives in the Philippines Guarding Against Smallpox. LOS ANGELES, March 24—No new| cases of smallpox were found in the city to-day. The Whittler Reform School and the insane asylum at Highlands have been quarantined against inmates from | Los eles. of General advanced he on the left and San Francisco del Monte and Mari- | are abundant. | authority. stood until the Americans were within 200 yards of their position, and then broke and ran for the y of them on the roads. s troops met the hottest resistance in a strip from which the rebels have greatly wor- the whole front for a distance of three miles to the north had been brigade had simultaneously swept in a northwesterly direction, routing the enemy and burning " od road from Laloma to Novaleche, The infantry moved in splendid order. Ambulances and horse litters led by immediataely. Harrison daylight Feneral enemy's Gray Otls, and cut the at the river to Caloocan. er of Aguinaldo’s army at Malabon The troops engaged were the Third Artillery, Mon- volunteers; -third regiments. NATIVES IN THE NORTH WANT PEACE Traveler's Trials in Rebel Country From Malabon to Dagupan. Special Cable to The Call and the New York Herald. Copyrighted, 189, by James Gor- don Bennett personal experfences of a traveler through the rebel country from Mala- | bon to Dagupan: “I left Malabon a fortnight ago and arrived at Polo. From there I was sent back by a general, being badly treated. I started again next day, walking, but was halted by sentries. I said ‘I passed vesterday, why not to- and allowed to pass and arrived at the rail- way station at Meycanyan, where I got a train to Malolos. was “Aguinaldo guaranteed my safety | along the line of the railway. He ad- vised English residents to take a | steamer waiting at Sual. All the Eng- lish are allowed to leave, but two Americans are held prisoners in Calum- pit, and daily undergo bad treatment. “The natives are arrogant and have no respect for Buropeans. They re- spected Aguinaldo’s pass, but spoke loudly of how spies are tortured. The entire population are under arms. They are forbldden to plant any crops ex- cept rice. “There is immense enthusiasm in the Tagallo provinces. Farther north the natives want peace. Food and money A large quantity of am- munition is being marufactured, the principal depot being at Bacolor, in the province of Pampangas. “Every town is defended by good trenches. Coast towns are deserted and prepared for burning, if the Americans attempt to land. Order is maintained in the principal towns, but there are reports of anarchy in the interior. “Chinese are often murdered and robbed, and Spanish prisoners are quartered in a town in the interfor. There are large numbers at San Fer- nando In the province of Pampangas. “Luna, the Minister of War, is anti- foreign. He ordered foreigners to take up arms on pain of death. Aguinaldo obliged him to retire and Pantallon Garcia took office. He is more cour- teous. “The English embarked ocn the Sual steamer and were unmolested. Man- agers of rice mills at Gerona and Bay- ambapg and Mr. Higgins, manager of the railway, remained behind to pro- tect their interests. Higgins has no Insurgent leaders run the railway and move the rails and bridges to suit their plans. “Many rich Filipinos at San Fer- nando wished to escape to Hongkong for fear that the Americans will suspect that they support the insurgents. It is firmly believed in the provinces that the Americans have suffered great re- verses. The Insurgents are confident of the ultimate success of Aguinaldo.” == | MANILA, March 24.—Following are | OFFICIAL NEGLECT PESTHOUSE THE HABITATION OF MISERY AND ABODE OF WOE \, A Stigma on Hu- MAKES THE [ / /’/ i ”’ i ;7{/4 ’7/"'/,;!‘”1’“ ‘l' “\ i L i b Vet AN ROUCHING In corners to avold the pitiless rain through the leaky roof, hud- dling under bedcovers for pro- tection against the inclement and County Pesthouse are a evidence of the city civilization and humanity. unclean and neglect. stood—an efficiency munity. walls. infectious miasms prisoned through their misfortune. They are a stigma on humanity be- official of the of those in complaisance Christian com- to the wail of the outcasts. Twenty-one men and women, afflict- ed with that most loathsome of all diseases—leprosy—are kept within a high walled yard and in houses that fail to rain. Of houses but keep their occupants dry. all the rooms in the two four are in condition to wherein the inmates can sit in com- fort while they partake of their food. of water whereon float ous kinds. is but one nur nificent city swept and running streams. where helpless, soak the bedclothing and chill emaciated bodies of the patients? lance of a man who, a few days ago, TS GET A 0T RECEPTION Two Robbers Attack the Angels Stage Near Altaville. Special Dispatch to The Call. STOCKTON, March 24.—Messenger Jackson's rifle called a sudden halt on a stage robber this evening at 8 o’clock, a mile and a half this side of Altaville, a suburb of Angels Camp. The stage was approaching the mountain end of the run when orders came from the side of the road for the driver to draw rein. Messengers Jackson and McConnell of the Wells-Fargo service were inside the stage and Driver Washburn was on the geat. Hardly had the stage stopped be- fore their guns were at work. MecCon- nell's shotgun missed fire, but Jack- son’s rifle sent a bullet through one of the robbers and the other ran. The bullet struck the robber on the left side of the breast and it is not likely that he will live. He is described as a young and slender man with a black mustache. Though many people of Angels Camp saw the robber after streaming weather and having their disease ac- centuated and increased by exposure, the twenty-one patients in the City living crime against For thirty vears the buildings have monument of in- To-day they are a blight and a curse on the com- Not a curse because of the loath- some diseases confined within their Not a blight because of the arising from the unfortunate patients herded and im- cause of the awful neglect on the part position and the munity which blinds its eyes to the horrible conditions and shuts its ears shelter from either wind or The big dining-room has but a small corner The floor of the dispensary is a pool debris of vari- Tae nurse’s room—there e allowed by the mu- government—is storm- its floor is covered with This is a deplorable condition, but what, then, must be said of the rooms bed-ridden sufferers lie subjected to the dripping of the tireless drops which flood the floors, the In one room lies the wasting semb- manity and a Carse on the En- fell. and broke his leg. On his bed is a bucket, while the floor is covered with tubs and utensils of all kinds to catch the dripping rain which perme- ates the ceiling. His bedclothing is saturated, his room steams with foul- smelling moisture and his groaning lips betoken the stress of agony brought about by his miserable sur- roundings. In an adjoining room lie three bed- ridden Chinamen, suffering the last stages of the dread disease. There are but three dry spots in the room and these .are, fortunately, large enough to accommodate the three beds. All around the apartment there is a confused jumble of clothing, utensils, medicine bottles and para- phernalia of the sick room, soaked with the constantly dropping water from the ceiling. Across the hall and along the corri- dor is the women’s ward. In a bed protected by a waterproof cover lies a young girl suffering from an ad- vanced stage of leprosy. The room affords less protection than would a common tent. In order to care for the girl it became necessary to remove her to another room—one occupied by a patient who was not afflicted with the blight of leprosy. TIDAL WAVE Adjoining this room was one occu- pied by a haif-demented old woman. The same condition of moisture pre- vailed and the bed was tilted against the wall in order to avoid, as much as possible, the falling water. In the center of the floor was a puddle of filthy water, while around the edges was a reeking accumulation of foul dirt. But the story is the same over and over again as the rooms are investi- gated, until the heart grows sick with the .horror of it all and the throat tightens and the eyes moisten with the contemplation of those who are confined for no crime except mis- fortune, and who are punished through the criminal neglect of the city administration. The entire place is a shame and lasting disgrace to the ci The rotting rafters preclude new shingles and each fresh gust of wind sends the old ones down to add to the ac- cumulation of debris in the yard. The walls sag, bend and bulge under the pressure of the superstructure, whose sodden timbers have become too heavy for the weakened support, and strong props are necessary to Kkeep the whole affair from crumbling to the ground. "CARRIES The high board fence which sur- rounds the pestilential hole and which is sup] prevent those suffering from contagious diseases from ming- ling with healthy humanity is in the last stages of senile decay, and even the feeble hands OFf the disease- burdened women could tear the boards from the stringers and make gaps at will. This is the place where the chari- table city of San Francisco keeps its unfortunate citizens; where misfort- une is treated as a greater crime than any specified by the statutes; where the grave itself would be considered a happy release from suffering. It is the place where an enlightened and progressive community visit such treatment upon their suffering fellow men as to brand the perpetrators as beings but a short remove from the savage who inflicts the death penalty upon those members of his tribe who are afflicted. When a man neglects a horse, dog or cat in this civilized city an officer steps forward and places the indi- vidual under arrest and the beneficent law compels him to take proper care of the dumb brute. When an unfortunate human being is stricken with a loathsome and con- tagious disease this same law extends its protecting arm over the com- munity and sends the individual to a place of isolation—supposedly for the double purpose of caring for the unfortunate and safeguarding the publ But when a neglectful set of city officials subject these same unfortu- nates to such treatment as would bring an individual to a criminal prosecution justice halts and the law is blind. DEATH TO HUNDREDS ICTORTIA, B. C., March 24— News has reached here from the Solomons, via Sydney, by the steamer Warrimoo, of an appall- ing calamity. A tidal wave, caused by a tremendous submarine eruption, swept several villages out of existence and brought death to hun- dreds of the unfortunate natives of the volcano-formed islands on the 17th of last month. The news was brought to Sydney by the steamer Emu, which reached that port after a voyage through the South Sea groups just prior to the departure of the Warrimoo. After some two months’ voyaging through the islands the steamer was headed for Manihiki. Here the officers were informed of the depredations of the tidal wave. They said the Emu experienced high seas, though there was no wind to cause it. IN THE Therefore the supposition is that a tremendous submarine eruption oc- curred and lashed the seas into a great wall of water.. The natives of Manihiki said they saw the tidal wave when it was miles away. Tt came out of the distance like a huge black wall of water, as if it would cover the whole island. One of the native villages washed away was a settlement of about forty huts. Small loss of life occurred here, as the natives, having been forewarned by the roar of the approaching wave, had taken to the bush. Manihiki came out of the storm with little damage, but one of the most beautiful isles of Oceanica was all but swept off the face of the waters. This was Rakahanga. It was counted as one of the high islands of this part of the Pacific, but, from all that could be learned by the officers of the Emu, the mountain of waves seems to have swept it like a sea-level shore, and it SOUTH SEAS was miraculous if any of its people es- caped. But meager information could | be learned, but from all reports that | had reached Manihiki it seemed that | the island had been devastated by the flood, which had swept It of every ves- tige of life. There were five villages on the islan@ and not a thatch remained, nor was there a native left to tell how the |islanders were swept from their | homes to a watery grave in that cha- | otic wall of water. | Report also reached the Emu of | heavy losses of life and property on | other islands of the group, which had suffered in the same volcanic disturb- | ance which brought death to so many |'on Rakahanga. At Siola, the head- | quarters of the Milesian mission, the | cocoanut plantations were totally de- stroyed. It would, the officers of the Emu said, be utterly useless to attempt | to estimate the number drowned. It will undoubtedly run up to many hun- | dreds. the shooting he could not. be identified and was evidently a stranger in the country. A posse is out looking for the second man, but no report has been re- ceived from it. The wounded robber will tell nothing of himself nor of his partner. Officials of the express company do mnot say whether there was any treasure on the stage or not. The wounded robber has been recog- nized as a woodchopper named Bob Murphy. FOUR MORE BODIES FROM THE RUINS NEW YORK, March 24.—Four more bodies were recovered from the ruins of the Windsor Hotel to-day. The record as it now stands is twenty-three dead, forty or more missing and a large collection of small bones. The injured in hospitals and other places are recovering. Anxiety on the part of friends who have been re- ported missing is increased to a certainty lalmost that they have perished in the ‘fir(-‘. From the condition of the bodies so | far recovered there is but little hope that they or any of the bodies that may be ‘ found hereafter can be identified. Body No. 13 was taken to the Morgue | to-night and placed in a case by itself. | It is in about the same condition as the | other bodles recovered. It is simply a charred and blackened trunk with parts of the legs and arms attached. The | work of removing the debris is proceed- ing slowly, so slowly that the residents and merchants in the district within the fire lines extending a block in either ui- rection from the scene of the fire are making complaint. Business is blocked in the district.