The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-01-08
South American Warfare.

The war between Chill and Peru, If
the savage fight between these two ma
tons may be dignified by such name,
grows more relentless every day. From
recent letters and dispatches it is safe to
say that all efforts at compromise be-
tween the two countries have ended in
nothing. Each side charges the other
with inhuman atrocities, and both can
not be painted blacker than they have
proved themselves in this desperate
struggle. The war in which at first a
few regular battles were fought has now
degenerated into a series of savage acts
of retaliation. Bands of ragged Gillian
brigands are ravaging all the northern
coast of Peru, and their system of war;
fare is that known to Brigade Reyes
and other bandits who have raided
through Sonora within a few months.
The towns which pay them handsome
sum are unmolested. The places which
are too poor to furnish blackmail are
given up to murder, fire and pillage.
TO add the finishing stroke to this pict-
ure of horrors, the Chilians are followed
by horde of Chinese highbinders, who
rob and murder with Oriental thorough
ness, and CLEAN the bloody field over
which the Christian forces of Chill have
passed.
The Peruvians, on the other hand,
have shown a diabolical ingenuity
in preparing Internal machines to
blow up their enemies. Through
the singular carelessness of CHILEAN
Captains they have succeeded in de-
stroying two valuable war vessels
and killing off the greater part of
the crews. On many occasions. on
land, they have also shown re-
tinement of cruelty, as in the burying
alive of nine Chilians in the garden Of
q country-house. Such acts have served
as fuel to the fire of Gillian wrath, and
they have murdered the Peruvians
without regard to age or sex. The only
difference that an impartial observer is
able to detect between the methods OF
the two nations is that the Chilians, by
virtue of greater force and better train
ing, are able to do more damage than
their adversaries.
The siege of Callao is still carried on
BIZ the Chilians, who have demonstrated
the effectiveness of long-range lombard
ment. The main damage to the city
has been done by single vessel, which
would be worthless in naval encoun-
ter. 1t is provided with guns which
throw solid shot and shells eight miles.
Thus. lying off the city at a distance so
great that its rig can not be made out,
even by seamen, it throws shells into
the city with an aim so true that nearly
every shot tells on house in the city
or ship inside the mole of the harbor.
The Peruvians attempt to retaliate. but,
as their heaviest guns carry shot only
six miles, any effort at a return fire is
futile. The city is subjected to con-
slant battering. which. in time, will
leave it with little pretensions to any
thing but architectural ruins. The
greater number of the citizens have
taken refuge in Lima, buta correspond
ent gives q ludicrous picture of those
who remain gathering on the hill in the
rear of the town, out of range of the
shells, and watching, with eager inter-
est, the effect of the bombardment. 1t
surpasses a bull fight in its dramatic
qualities, as each shell carries ruin to
some mans property.--Sdn francisco
Chronicle.