The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-04-01
THE NAVAL BATTLE.


Ina, March ~ 1ooG
1HB cmxRAxPnuvIAH uzur
Chile SIN remains the o6 pablts iutssest this
coast Tho steamer Of The 1ltA insk from Valparaiso
hinu confirmation 0 ths reported victory Of the ahsd
sauadron the Spanish fsatss villa d Nalxd and
Blanca Fifty-nve guns In the hands Of Psruvians and
ohilsans proved moro than mssch Cor ninssy-fo
nannrd BY the veterans Of Spain. The old Castiian
provsrb that linen sometimes 80 for wool and come
back shorn" has had another nustrausn Aftsr .
esst of two hours IN whsh fifteen hundred shots
exchanged ~ the distance Of from thousand 70 r.
zen hundred yards the Spanish vsssls retired dsfeatsd
Pssu jubant the success and, judging from the
tone Of her pres counts only the prsouEsor Of future
victories which the combined vaor Of the South Amen
rpublios 10 10 win from Spanish inefdciency.
And yet 70 the impartial observer the snair II Abso
tnos AAoudb the TIN Of February wean . some.
what les encouraging aspect The fact n the success Of
NE ass due In large pert 70 luckan element very
unsafe foundation for future calculations It ap
pean thss the two Spanish frgates by strategic cir
eutousnsss of approach not only made unexpected
descent upon the aes but actually caught them at
great dsAdvantage Their two nnest vssses the gaie
Apunae and the corvette America were unable 10 move
fon their anehorags account OF repairs which were
bsing made upon their machinery. Only the corvette
Union end the gunbost Covadonss In . condition 70
naneuvrs freely So far all was favorable TO the
spasiards yet they committed tho mistake OF placing
themselves distance which prevented their slot
from reaching the enemy with effect but which did not
prevent The soiency Of the superior Of the America
and Union. Had they moved in and engaged The
allies u shos range Is not improbable that they would
have captured destroyed both the Apurmac and Anne
r,cA As Il was, thsy retired without gaining any a.
vantage, having suffered serious injuries than the
aiiss, whom they eft In possession Of the nsd The
knsd and wounded Of the Spanish vessels estimated
tuo flfn6
anA one OF two wounded The hssss. thsEs-
fues Justly claim ne vctory-a vissoy, however, ass
~ V superior oou,gs skill bus 70 sopsnorU Of
srmsnsut and 70 the fortunsts crcunstsscs that,
through Ignorance Il the trss eoadoa Of sehir ths
snsuy failed 70 pssa he sAvsaAaes Ihis In ~
ssussn win prove insayuesivs bssh psrssa warning
shs GO b srguard saA Ne eshs 70 nsvs n
ssoagss Sbvos Dss 70 vhs y - vu ths futsrs vte
tsrsss rsms'ns 70 ~ sen
On ths 17th Of February the ison-eIad Eumancis md
sAs Dianca lsfs Valparaiso fss shs eosh u not IN
prsbsbss thss n vss their purpos 70 avsass the Ne
asssr; yss ths ums. inssssd q nn1Isg ths aI1iss -
psspArsd, thsy may nos nnd thsn ~ sn fhs hsssrt,
or rHpd currents and an Intricate navieHsion ere u
aesinst them what The Formidable NumAacsa should
Do grounded In some ueacherous passass. or SHOULD
return 10 nnd that the enemy had not only sudsd hss
search bot had meantime made attach on the block
sdlna nees at vaiparaisof etrangsr events have oc
oarred The actual result Of his last expsditon "
awassd here with interest," The probsbllny that
she allies win act simply the defensive for The pre-
ssns by tho fact thai they expecas the
speedy arrival Of the ircncisds the Huescsr and
Isdepsnde1cA with the aid Of these they ought 70 b
sbe to assume ne enonsiss against any force which
Spr,n nyw has In the Pscine Ths ssnguins here
t-~dAi Tat upon The arrival Of these vessels The
rsh uest VII Be obliged 70 raise the blockade OF Val
pssso aud rure from the 10 await iron-clad
E.i,rcames,s firm bome
DETAILS or rHR Kxo AoKxRrr.
.rsr ai Ab,ao--for hardly ~ called battle
- conducted by tho scs IN the most sp red manner,
sssins nearly double the weight Of metal Of their own
vr~s The engagemsnf hstcd about two hour and som
nN>s. hundred shots were exchanged, when the two
sp~aish feaiss got % badly knocked about hat they
el~srsd OF retreat 10 return Valparaiso 70 report
sseir dsfeei and get ren'ted
no allied squadron consisted Of
me Peruvian frsase Apursnse, thirty guns. cenmAs-
DER vilar: Peruvian eorvests America, twelve guns,
Commander Fcreyro; Peruvian corvette Union diasr,
twelve Runs, commandsr Gran; CHILEAN sehsonsr Cows
donsH. shp,s gum, cenma.Aw fhsnsss-s. sn nssss
fsS Mv%sven sups
ne spsnish ve~ssss vsss;-
.vnsss B,asca, shssysz suss, connasAw TsVsss
Srs as villa Dc nadr,d any ssss-ss IN s'shsf-s'1
Snn
! cs,m,od-v xanusl vnlss scmmssdss the sllssss
vss~sis
ne E~sah vssssls vsss eonnssdsd By Jusa Bsus'ss
Tspsta
Ths dn&v we're anchored fos general overhaul and
essax n sus of ths shsnusls ohiios called chsys
hoe, near ~ tpnd called Absao TIE fdeste Apunnsc
Asd psr of hcs n,chspsry % Shore ana the too cor
v&i.s wsrs also ssArsens rspss; thA' of The -four
s-y the oovssvwn " n scsduca 70 change her 70