When the _Mindoro_ arrived at the harbor of Manila, the town was in a tremendous state of excitement. The drums were beating the alarm in the streets. The spot where only that morning the _Monadnock_ had lain in idle calm was empty. * * * * * The explosion of the _Monadnock_ had at first been regarded as an accident. In spite of its being the dinner hour, a number of boats appeared in the roads, all making toward the scene of the accident, where a broad, thick veil of smoke crept slowly over the surface of the water. As no one knew what new horrors might be hidden in this cloud, none of the boats dared go nearer. Only two white naval cutters belonging to the gunboats lying in the harbor glided into the mist, driven forward by strong arms; and they actually succeeded in saving a few of the crew. One of the rescued men told the following story: About two minutes after the _Monadnock_ had received a wireless message, which, however, was never deciphered, a dull concussion was felt throughout the ship, followed almost immediately by another one. On the starboard side of the _Monadnock_ two white, bubbling, hissing columns of water had shot up, which completely flooded the low deck; then a third explosion, possibly caused by a mine striking the ammunition room and setting it off, practically tore the ship asunder. There could be no doubt that these torpedoes came from the Japanese steamer anchored beside the _Monadnock_, for the _Kanga Maru_ had suddenly slipped her anchor and hurried off as fast as she could. It was now remembered that the Japanese ship had had steam up constantly for the last few days, ostensibly because they were daily expecting their cargo in lighters, from which they intended to load without delay. It was therefore pretty certain that the _Kanga Maru_ had entered the harbor merely for the purpose of destroying the _Monadnock_, the only monitor in Manila. Torpedo tubes had probably been built in the Japanese merchant steamer under water, and this made it possible to blow up the _Monadnock_ the moment there was the least suspicion that the Americans in Manila were aware of the fact that war had broken out. Thus the wireless message from Corregidor had indeed sealed the fate of the _Monadnock_. The _Kanga Maru_ had launched her torpedoes, and then tried to escape. The meeting with the _Mindoro_ the Japanese had not reckoned with, for they had counted on getting away during the confusion which the destruction of the _Monadnock_ would naturally cause in Manila.