The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-03-03
THE sacKrNG OF cALLao.
Natives PiiInge the City, While the Troops
are Endeavoring TO Defend It.

LIMA. jan 26-The lamentable news announcing
the defeat of the Peruvian army, by the victorious
Chlans reached Callao early ON the evening of the
18th inst. As il known in official circles. that
another battle be fought at MiraOres, and il
being believed that the victory gained by the Chilli
ans attributable to their superiority in numbers,
the police and saors soon, with most patriotic de
termination presented themselves at the Prefecture,
aud solicited from the Prefee Senor Asete, his per-
mission 10 allow them to make q last effort 70
their country by leading them to cooperate with the
remaining forces, to defeat, possible, the
my, who, it was said, marching rapidly to the
capital. This having met the appreciation of his
Honor the Prrfeet nearly 600 men, vel equipped
started for Lima The city was therefore left entire
ly to its inhabitants who have been always eonsid
cred q law-abiding people
The usual yiyas which precede a storm seemed to
have been the password of the despOers, who COM
meneed operations the evening of the 10th inst,
and in less time than il takes record hundreds of
men, women, and children armed to the teeth,
TO he rushing of in all directions, the
shops and stores, which being broken open
CallaO doomed to be the theatre of some fright
full scenes. il was not long before some loud
ports were heard, like the bursting Of some heavy
projcctile-, which discovered TO have been
the blowing up of the forts, while at the tine,
the ships which comprised the Peruvian navy were
all seen to be on fire.
The spectacle which the fire in the hay displayed
is indeserbable. Foreigners, fearing the city would
be blown up were compelled to leave their homes,
merely eontenting themselves with the few valables
they abe to take with them, leaving to the de
vOuring elements, which were expected to over
take the city, their well-earned comforts. Fortu
hateiy, however, things did not reach such climax,
rs by IL of the next day, the ships had been all
burned, and the castle, situated the Indepen-
dencia square, the destruction Of which would have
injured the whole city, left untouched But the
robberies and murders which had been committed on
the evening of the previous day, and participated in
largely by several tforeigners) had
assumed grest proportions. The stores the Mis-
sion street all left open and empty; the pulpe
rias Of the DOS de Mayo SQUARE being sacked
their stocks Of groceries being removed to safer
quarters. The cry Death to the Chinese = was car
ried out most numerically while rumors were in
circulation that other foreigners principally Italians
were soon expected TO share the same fate. No
doubts on this could be entertained for was
not long before the threat executed. The Ital-
ian puperas situated all the town, there
Tore attacked, and in very short time left minus
their contents. In some eases, however, when the
ownsrs were present. bribe in the shape of fifty
one hundred soles suticed to repel the attack for
the time being until another crowd of evil doers ap
peared on the scene. Several such instances have
been experienced by many of the merchants of this
port and although payment had been received, new
ertheless, their stores and shops eventually
piilaged. This state of affairs lasted until a very
late hour of the evening of the rth, inst, when a
few foreigners managed to form themselves into an
Urban Guard for the protection of life and property
which, unfortunately, resulted in great loss Of life
but had the desired effect of quetng the robberes
and murders which were still being committed
South Idcifc Tunes.