The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-10
Cabinet Meeting To-day.
THE IRONCLADS.
The Peruvian Government Said to Have
Been Swindled.

The n. Y. Times Lima peru, s. A. cores
pondent writes:-
Immense excitement has been occasioned in
Lima by the last news received by steamer of
the "sWindlingr operation that has vletimized
the Peruvian Government in the late purchase
of the new iron-clads for service here from the
United States. These two monitors cost Peru
ST. SOC, 900, and after innumerable delays and eX-
penses have been declared unseaworthy and
unfit for naval use unless thoroughly Overhauled
and rebuilt. President Balta has ordered the
Minister of War on no account to permit the
lives of his officers and men to be jeopardized
by coming out to Peru in vessels 30 unsafe. a
careful survey and examination made OF these
vessels by Captains Muer and Tillerla, of the
lespie, fleet pilots, show that not only are the
wooden decks badly decayed, but even the
very beams themselves, so that the iron-clads
could not stand sea voyage. They have there-
fore been ordered by our Secretary OF the Navy
to Pensacola, for thorough repairs The greatest
indignation is openly expressed by Peruvians
against the United States, tor selling them worth
less vessels, at so fabulous price. They do not
seem to me to be SO very old as to be in such a
state of decay-the Atahualpa being built in
Cincinnati by Swift d Co. no later than 1855,
and the Nance Capac by the same firm in 1866.
The Peruvian Minister at home, Senor Garcia
Garcia has had numerous troubles to contend
with ever since the fitting out OF the fleet at
New Orleans. He writes to President Balta
that mo sooner had Secretary Sc wards diplo-
macy crushed the efforts of Collector Fuller to
prevent the sailing of the fleet, than the dis.
coVery Ia made, on the very eve OF
sailing, that the Atahualpa (ate Oneota)
and Nance Capac Qate Catawba) are pro-
nounced unit for sea-. and must be de-
tanned a month or so for repairs" He also
complains that the crew, who had been shipped
in New York for years service, and paid two
mouths wages in advance, had been intertered
with by interested parties, and, under the i'm
preston conveyed to them that the feet was
destined for service In Spain, and not coming
to Peru, they uhe crew mutinied, and the
Minister, instead of responding to the writ of
habeas corpus TOR the discharge of the crew,
discharged the old crew aud shipped new one.
On hearing the falsty of the report, a
number of the old crew wished to rcship,
but were not permitted to do SO. He
iron.ciads were represented as being in
complete condition. This information has
made the Peruvians here very bitter against the
United States. The Atahua'pa and Nance
Capac are named after two celebrated lucas,
noied for their persistent battlings against
Peru's greatest enemy, Spain. Captain Dubois,
the American commander, was formerly OF the
Alba,ross, under Farragut, and he has Just
taken out the ram S.onewall to japan. The
engineers and ensgns are also Americans.
SeIor Garcia y Garcia reports Spanish man OF
war (Spanish) cruising Off South west Pass. Peru
vians here say, with shcug of the shoulders.
"Let them watch them; they dare not attack
us.n With an Immense accent on the last word.
Two of the leading officers OF the monitors are
sons of President Balta-all of them hailing
from the first families" in Peru, aud having in
some wav distinguished themselves In contests
| against Spain, either at Chill or in Peru. Com
| u odore Mariategin is Peruvian of great
bravery aud GOODNESS under difficulties. AL
| the other officers in the fleet are Peruvians,
| with the exception OF the feet pilots and Ameri
can engineers and enslgns previously men
| toned.