The New York herald., 1868-04-21
THE WAR IN PARAGUAY.
Estableoimiento Captured and
Abandoned.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF Tns HERALD.

SPECIAL CuhheSPuNutNCe W tk kRAlu.
Details Of the Allied Attack ON Humaita-The
Prise Abandoned by the Captors-The Allied
Gunboats In q Narrow Passage.
RIO JANEIRo, March IL, 1868.
The squirting which the inetfable generalissimO Of
all the Brazilian land and water forces in that mud
and watery region called Southern Paraguay has re-
ceived since the 1st Of January, when the people OF
Brazil patient as asses before, first really began to
wake up to the idea that mere matter OF dollars
and cents 1t better to use their men and money
for some other purpose than to start and all new
graveyards every week, has resulted In movement
ofgenune Importance the allied cause-namely, the
forcing of the river batteries OF Humaita belowwhich
the Brazilian iron-clads had laid so long "ground.
ing their beef bones" the old salts say. In fact
upon the morning Of the 18th of February the trial
was made, and, like many another diculty, fear of
the unknown was found to be the greatest reason
why 1t had not been attempted many months before
On that day. before daylight six small Brazilian IRON
clads intended solely for river SERVICE passed over
the great three chains boom, which lay in tickish
position for vessel to raise and cut and after run.
ming the gauntlet OF the seventy to eighty cannon
mounted at various commanding points Of the tortu
Gus channel, arrived in the open stream above, with
out the loss OF man or monitor but with the sides and
towers or classmates so badly hammered during the
that two OF them had to beach to prevent their filing
The passage OF Humata by six vessels ever
although they were iron-clatls, was a tOleraby
plucky action, although they came out OF it so much
safer than any one anticipated, and although the
feshet OF the river enabled them to pass over the
chains which, at lower stage of water they would
have had to cut under the converging fire of thirty
cannon. Three OF the six vessels were monitors OF
the tniest kind, carrying seventy FOUNDER rife:
the three others were somewhat larger; two carried
four one hundred and fty Founders each, In square
central battery and the other the armament in
two turrets None OF these of the other Brazilian
vessels have thicker iron on them than four and
half inches backed by fourteen eighteen inches of
solid, hard wood. single two hundred pound
Parrott gun in the Paraguayan batteries would long
since have sunk every ironclad whether monitor or
central battery in the Brazilian navy; but as is said
the wind Is tempered to the shorn lamb, and fOrtu-
nstely for the allied cause the heaviest cannon OF
the Paraguayan batteries two or three OF eighty
pounds; the rest are sixty-eghts, thirty-twos and
The following are the only accounts which have as
YET been got OF the passing of Iunata and ths pre-.
three small monitors spoken OF above, the capture OF
EstaDeecnieno and the reported arrival OF the gun
boats at Asuncion:-
On the night OF the. 18th of February the three
small iron-clads, Para, Alag6as and Rio Grande,
built In Rio, passed up past the batteries of Curupay
According to the reports Of the various officials a
nrst attempt was made on the previous night but
owing 10 the unmanageability of the vessels due to
the small power and bad working OF their engines,
causing them to yaw dangerously in the swift rum
ming stream, the officer IN command sgnalled TO
mem 10 return before they came in range OF the
enemy's guns. On their return the Alag6as into
the gun6oat Ypiranga and had her chimney
ing the engines and improving the steerage OF the
vessels and at little past $50 p NJ, with dark
and sh0wery sky the three little ironcands set out
ifv uulu nU
about twenty guns. four Of them sixty-eghts Not
withstanding the precautions taken to avoid alarm
ing the Paraguayans these soon discovered the
movement and opened fierce fire, but as the gun
boats Rugged the Chaco side and were scarcely dis
was the Rio Grande, which, having got into q foat-
ing grass island was forced to back out and thus
gave favorable opportunity to the Paraguayans.
balls-one on the tower, dnng 1t one inch, and one
on the side dinting one and half inches, and, it is
said loosening the plate This vessel was an hour
and half within range and the others about an
hour. AS soon as the raraguayan batteries showed
signs OF alarm the wooden division below moved up
and maintained heavy fire upon them until the
monitors had passed In safety. No lives were lost.
The Rio Grande steered very badly, and one oc.
casion, although her steering was aided by nianage-
ment OF her twin screws, she waved so much as
TO touch the river bank with her bows.
vessels was to be followed BY the attempt 70 send send
q division of iron-clads past Humalta, OF which di-
every effort was made TO put them in the best pos.
sible order and remove their defects ON the 18th
the division was prepared and the early morn Of the
10th was liked for the daring essay. This division
consisted Of the Bahia, four l50 pound rife n two
turretsl carrying the nag OF Commodore Dolphin
Carlos de Carvalho, son-in-law OF Admiral Ignacio;
Barroso. four (casemateD: Tamandare, four cease.
mateG Para, one tseventy pound rife in turret);
Alagoas. one tseventy pound rte In turret and the
RIO Grande, one lseventy pound rife In turret.) The
Bahia was TO tow the Alag6as, the Barroso the Rio
Grande and the 1amandare the Para.
santng the river In face OF the great battery
"Londonn OF Humaita tagged In the middle so unicn
owing 70 tne destruction Of the three supporting hats
argerronclads drew eight to nine feet and the small
monitors 1ve 70 six feet Of water and 50 Ear they
we're attempting the passage under favorable cir
cumstances that the cutting VI the heavy chains
under the concentrated and heavy fre OF the
Of & an and Se psse res peen re an
OF tne river, IL was believed had disabled carried
on tne torpedoes In the channel ; but, with all the
ahvnnM8es arising nom those circumstances, II was
looked upon as probable that one or more OF the
adventurous vessels would succumb 10 the difficulties
OF the narrow channel and to the nre OF eighty can.
at short range, the majority of which were syy.
eight Founders and two or three ono hundred ana
fifty Founders
The despatch OF Admiral lrnaco relates the feat
as fO0ws:-
sIR-The national marine and army have lust given
her most brilliant day OF glory 10 Brazil on the 10th
INST, at thirtynve minutes past three in the morn
ing, the Third division OF the squadron under my
command, composed OF the iron-clads Bahia, Barrosu
and Tamandarf, and the monitors Para Alagoas
and Rio Grande, under the orders OF captain Del
phm Carlos de Caryaho and protected by the Ore
OF the iron-clads Brazil. Lima Barros, Colombo.
Cabra, silvado and Hervs under my command
m-chlef ana OF the respective commander
Costa, forced the famous pass OF Humaa
and, after 1t, the stll stronger one of
limbo. am sorry cannot yet give the particu.
lars OF this resounding action one which will equaZs
our marine with the most Important In the world
At the moment write eleven A. M receive from
the brave Marquis de Caxias Conma nderin-Chief o
the army, the note which have the honor TO ofei
TO you In copy and also the quickly written bulletir
sent 10 me by Captain Dolphin. These document,
grandly our marine and army did this day
one Of the most fortunate which the brazilian nation
has l2d. Captain Dolphin could not send me the
ofncial reports, as he proceeding straight 3,
Asuncion. To what have written must take the
pleasure OF adding heroic episode, part OF which
was witnessed by me and part reported from the
army:-A ball from Humalts cut the hs~ser fasten
ing the Bahia to tue Alag0as the latter was carried
down stream, and sgnaied to IL to anchor. Com.
mander MaurifY. however. Initiating Nelson- tIlid