| Show LETTER FROM H A PEARSON A week ago today the news N aws published the portrait and gave an interesting sketch of the career of henry pearson naval representative in the battle at manila reference was made to a letter written to his parents on april ath from shanghai in which he briefly stated that diat he had been ordered to the philippines now another letter ham haa reached his parents giving further particulars it shows that he ha was in charge of the zafiro allro we one ol of the english ships purchased by admiral dewey and on which the eng elsh sailors were retained at wages that were increased one hundred per cent wax war had not been declared when ensign pearson Pei arson wrote his last letter that thal important declaration was made on april while the letter bears date of april but it is evident from ensign pearsons conservative anat interesting letter that trouble was at that time he writes in a matter of fact way of the serio of the situation and refers joae then prospective capture of the chief city of the philippines and the stripping of warships for action th in a manner that is most businesslike business like spanish spies he said were prowling about the american ships nightly in the hopes of securing information regarding united states fleet the letter which is interesting throughout is as follows dear family my last letter was written from shanghai just before leaving for hongtong Hong kong three officers and fifty men left the Mono oacy on april ath for hongtong Hong kong by mall mail steamer and arrived on april As soon boon as we arrived all went at once to the olympia the next day the men were divided among the various ships that needed them on arrival at hong kong we learned that the admiral had bought a merchant steamer called the nakshan with tons of coal on board and another called the zafiro on which coal and provisions were to be placed one officer from the monocacy monocracy Mono cacy was retained on the olympia one sent to the hansban to take charge dofher and I 1 was sent on board the zafiro zafero to take charge of her these two vessels were english vessels before we bought them and when we got them we kept the same crews that were on them before paying them double wages As soon as I 1 got the zafero we began to take on coal and provisions for the fleet we have about this and now have on board about tons of coal and 75 tons of provisions the zafero was until we bought her a passenger steamer between hongtong Hong kong and manila and is well fitted up with good passenger accommodations having about a dozen good state rooms etc and it is the intention to use these as a sort of hospital for wounded men and officers if matters come to the worst the fleet consists of seven good warships and these two steamers each of which are to be supplied with some small rapid fire guns rifles pistols etc all vessels of the fleet are loaded down with ammunition coal and provisions and the supply on the two steamers is to be taken by the fleet when they run short the dally daily telegrams indicate that matters are very serious and that trouble is very liable to coyne come if it does come the fleet out here goes at once to the philippine islands which elong belong b to spain and will probably try to take manila the capital city the spanish forces there seem to be in a bad state as fax far as we can learn and there seems to ie be no doubt as to the outcome if we go to take the place the ships are stripping themselves ot of all needless gear and putting it on the so BO it will be out of the way in case of action the ships are all abw painted white but tomorrow they are going to paint them all a light green color so they will not be so easily seen at a distance every evening there ther kare are three spanish spies who go about the harbor in a small steamboat and look at every one of our ships to see if any new ones have come or any left port they no dolunt are watching to send word to manila when we leave hongtong Hong kong if war has been declared when you get this we will probably be down near manila going for the spaniards if the matter has been peaceably settled I 1 will probably be on the olympia Olymp la which is coming home as soon as this matter has been settled regards to all yours etc H A PEARSON |
