Undress Parade

E. W. Harden, special correspondent of the New York World, in a letter to that paper dated Manila, July 27, gives tbe following arnusing aoconnt of the most extraordinary "undress" parade in tbe annals of civilized w arfare. Tbe Astor battery, the regiment fitted out by John Jacob Astor, were the heroes of tbe añair. Oarl Miner, forinerly of tbis city, is a mernber of the regiment: Camp Dewey, Before Manila, ' Phillipine Islands, Jnly 27. The Astor Battery was landed today on the beach in front of Camp Dewey. It was laining - or ratber, it was pouring. Three native casqnos were sent alongside the transport Newport, wbioh bronght the battary from San Francisco, and op them the gnns and camp impedimenta were loaded. When the sis gnns had beeu safely transferred and the men had stowed themselves thecaptnred steamer Rápida took them in tow and started for Camp Dewey, four miles away. Tbere was great cheeriDg from tbe men on the casqoos as well as from tbe men remaining on the Newport, and eacih vessel passed as the oasqnos were towed through the fleet aucborage added a few oheers of weloome to the newcomers. Before half the distance to tbe beach had been oovered a violent rainstorm broke. Casquos have woven awnings, whiob keep ont the sun perfeotly, bnt they are abont as ruuch protection against rain as a sieve would be. The rain carne down in sheets, and before it stopped every man in tbe Astor Battery was as wet as water would make him. It was raining again when the oasquos reached tbe beach. Orders were to make a prompt landing and send the casqnos back to the fleet for anotber load. The water of the bay conld not make the men any wetter tban they were, bnt the soggy olothes interfered with easy movement, so off they carne. Then the men went to work. The casqnos had been rnn as close to shore as possible - sorne öO yards - and heavy planks had been laid over he side and into tbe water. Down these carne ais Hotchkiss gnns, held in check by a dozen men nntil near the end of the plank. Then they were turned loóse and a dozen more men on ropes started on a ron tbrough the water, dragging the guns, hub deep in the surf. Wben the gnns - fine, effeotive pieces for field ormountain work - were landed they were carefully wiped dry with oiled rags to prevent rust. Big cases oontaining saddles were next to oome off. One oase was broken by the waves, and saddles, stirrnps, girtbs and strapswere spilied, bnt were resened. Tbe cases which were not broken opea were soaked throngb and tbroogb, They were prornptly opened ou shore, and a few hours of snashine and a little oil put tbem iu as good coaditioö 68 wbea they came from the factory. The noon hour came while the nnloading was going on. Never outside a story was seen anything like the spectacle when the bngle caüed the men to fall in for lunob. The taking of Lungtongpen was not a oircumstanoe to it. Bndyard Kipling's sodliers were ohasing Daooits - whatever they are - in the middle of mysterious India, where white men are as unoommon as tigers along the Harlem river. The natives might have thonght British soldiers always fongbt that way. Here were Hghtly attired natives by the hundred, men and women, to look on, and Gen. Greene was an interested speotator. But no one smiled. The olear notes of the bugle rang ont in the falling rain. Every man came to attention in true military fashion. A line was fotmed one end of which was jammed against a soldier wbo had a box of oraokers, and alongside of whoni was anotber soldier with a lot of cans of corned beef with the tops cut off. One man had batbing trnnks on. The others called him a dnde. Those who wanted to preserve the proprieties wore belts. Every third man made some pretense to clotbes, bnt the rest were as bare as they were bom, excepfc for bats. Whatever else the soldier might shed, be stnok to his bat. Gen. Greene wandered down to the beaob, his faultless uniform proteoted by a long inbber coat, a rnbber-coated aide walking five paces in the rear. The men had finisbed lanclieon and were onoe more hauliugbig cases throngb the bteaking surf. When they learned of the General 's presence every one stopped work and turnedinto a marble statue, his heels together, shoulders erect and rigbt hand to a salnte. If Gen. Greene realized the ludicrousness of the situation be did not show it. The salnte was formally retnrned and the general and his aide went back to headquarters, and the men to the unloading of the oasquos. The Astor Battery bas been assigned the place of honor in Camp Dewey, the extreme northern end of the camp, and therefore the point nearest the Spanish lines. Teuts wero pitohed in a heavy downpour of rain. It will take at least two days of sunshine to dry the men's belongings, and two days of snnshine in the Phillipines at tbis season of the vear are hard to flnd.