Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-05-02

New YORK, Nay 1.-Valparaiso has been
bombasded by the 6paniards. $12.00O,O0O
worth of property destroyed. Great blame
10 attached to the British and American Ad-
mirsls for not interfering with their ships to
prevent such . wholesale destruction, In
stead of leaving the harbOr.
The Panama 6sars correspondent, alter
cvmmcnts on the barbarity Of the lombard
;rcnt Of Valparaiso which was defenceless
without gun to reply or vessel to stand by
Il. states that from fifteen TO twenty million
dollars worth of property 10 destroyed. near
" all belonging 10 British, American and
other foreign residepts, including all the
commercial parts of the town, custOm house,
government buildings, &C., and gives the
following particulars OF the bombardment :
Il is said that Mendez Numez had orders
from Madrid to destroy, burn and desolate
to the utmost in his power oil CHILEAN and
Peruvian property on the cast, and that 1t
was In pursuance of these orders when, on
the 9th OF March, he sent in to the com
maudant al Valparaiso and notified foreigners
that In four days they woul lombard the
city.
the four days they allowed for the reno
val of the sick. &c
Against this every foreign representative
pIOt6StCu III Tue uSOob CuCI &CseG hssouAA6A.
The British residents were promised the
protection and interference of Admiral Den
man and the English squadron. The Amer.
lean Commodore Rodgers promptly placed
his squadron for the CO operation against
Spain should the threatened bOmbardment
be attempted, and the representative Of
France was equally ready to tnke the respon
sibillty on his par, of joining with the Amer
icans and English to prevent the atrocity
but at the last the English Admiral drew
back. He said be could not Interfere diplo.
| matically and that the BEitisllinterests must
! look out for themselves on shore. COmmO.
tlorc Rodgers shrunk from undertaking &C
tive resistance to the Spanish fleet when the
British commander had IeCeded from the
position he had first taken up.
Earnestly and most ingcniously did the
American Charge d. Affairs, Gen. Fitzpatrick
and Com. Rodgers, labor to save the town
but all was In vain.
While this was going on time was lost u
neutmls, and the dny Of the bOmbardmcpl
came on and neutrals still had their property
in the custom house and in their stores.
On the morning of the threatened lombard
men, u. NJ. Frigates Shutley and Lcandel
with The Dc VISITATION and St0reship Mericui
left the bsy TO take safe anchorage outside
The American ships also had to 60 out Of
the way, and at abpIt O'Clock, A. ii. the
enemy's vessels had 10 AXE W position owe:
against the town.
The Resolution was placed opposite the
Central Railway Station. The Nclla ID
Madrid and Blanca 1900 yards from the Gus
tom House the Vance Dora close in shore
to destroy dwelling houses, and the Admir-
ais ship Numancis remained outside signal
ing orders.
At9a. m. the Blanca opened flre on the
Custom House to the cry Of Vida Rsina
The Others followed, each, selecting some
point on which to pour its share OF destruc'
ton. For nearly tl1ee hours the fire was
kept up without intcrmssiOn.
British residents Of Valparaiso ha6 q
meeting on the 30th Of March, and appoint
ed q Committee. who drafted series Ut res
olutions adopted ct another meeting, reflect
ing severely upon the vacilating conduct Of
Admiral Depnan, and CO. demn'Dg DIS pleas
Of want of sufficient force to ."nnose tue
Spanish fleet so humiiiating to his count,
men, and in excusabe considering that q
powerful United States squadron was press
ed upon HIM by its commander They also
condemn the passive conduct Of the British
Charge Dc Affairs, and have appointed q
delegation to express to Gen. Fitzpatrick and
Commodore Rodgers their high apprecia
tian VI their efforts to prevent by co.Opera-
ton with the British forces the lombard.
ment Of the city. .fs %.