The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-05-02
BOmbardment of Valparaiso by the
Spaniards.

.r...,.. NEW YORK, May !.
Valparaiso has been bombarded by the
Spaniards. The town and $20,0OO,00O worth
of property was destroyed. Great blame
is attached to the British and American
Consuls for not interfering with their ships
to prevent such wholesale destruction, in
stead of leaving the harbor. The Panama
Stars correspondent, after comments upon
the barbarity of the hombardment of VAL
paraiso, which was defenseless, without a
gun to reply or vessel to stand by 1t.
states that from fifteen to twenty millions
of property is destroyed, nearly all be-
longing TO British, American and other
foreign merchants, including all CONNER
cial parts of towns, custom-houses, Gov
ernment buildings, SC.
A correspondent gives the following par
ticulars of the bombardment: 1t is said
that Mendez MuneZ has received orders
from Madrid to destroy, burn and desolate
to the utmost of his power, all Gillian and
Peruvian towns on the coast, and that, in
pursuance of these orders, it was on the
9th of March that he sent into the COM
lmandant of Valparaiso, and notified for
eign representatives that in four days he
would lombard the city. The four days he
allowed for the removal of the sick and
others. Against this every foreign repre-
sentative protested in the most energetic
manner.
The British residents were promised the
protection and interference of Admiral
Denman and the English squadron.
| The American Commodore Rogers
promptly placed his squadron for cooper
alton against Spain, should the threatened
bombardment be attempted, and the repre-
sentative of France was equally ready to
| take the responsibility on his part of join
| ing with the Americans and English to pre-
vent the atrocity that was feared; but at
the last the English Admiral drew back I;
| he said he could not interfere except diplO-
matically, and that the British interests
must look out for themselves on shore.
| Commodore Rogers shrunk from under
taking active resistance to the Spanish fleet
when the British Commander had receded
| from the position he had first taken up.
| Earnestly and most urgently did the Amer
lean Charge de AGaires, General Kilpat-
rick, and Commodore Rogers, labor to save
| the town, but all in vain.
| While this was going on, time was lost to
the neutrals, and the day of the lombard
ment came on, and the neutrals had still
their property in the Custom-house and
| their stores.
On the 3lst, the morning of the day OF
the threatened bombardment Her Ma
Ijesty's frigates Southey and Ieander, with
the Devastation and storeship Nerius, left
the bay to take safe anchorage outside.
i The American ships also had to go out OF
the way, and at about eight A. M. the ene-
my's vessels began TO take up their position
opposite the town. The Resolute was plac-
ed opposite the Central Railroad station,
the Villa de Madrid and Blanca l,200 yards
from the Custom-house, the Vance and Dora
close in shore TO destroy dwelling-houses,
and the Admiral's ship the Numancia, re-
mained outside, signaling orders.
At nine A. NJ. the Blanca opened fire on
the Custom-house, to the cry of "Vivd IA
Renal" The others followed, each, select
ing some point on which to.pour its share Of
destruction. For nearly three hours the
fire was kept up without intermission. AT
ten p. NJ. the Numancia signaled to desist,
and the vessels of the squadron drew Off
The people of the town, who had crowded
the surrounding hills, at once rushed into
town 10 extinguish the fire.