Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-26
RUlZ'S REVOLUrIONISTS.
THEY SEIZE TWO NEUTRAL
STEAMERS IN A NIGHT.

AALA 0klAAE Il " ~ NEOlLAhL
STEAMERS IN A NIGHT.
One of the Vessels subsequently Aban-
dOned but the other Carried Out to
Sea by an Armed Bsnd-GOvernment
Officials Board the Remaining Neutral
Ship and Give Pursuit-Three Distinct
COmbats on the WaVes-Ruiz's Boat
Gets Away.
PANNMA, Oct. ia revolutionary
movement has been on foot here for
several weeks, and the leader of the
enterprise, Gen. Benjamin Ruiz, has been
for some time in possession of Tartan and
PampanO with a considerable force.
Although only four or five miles distant
from the capital, neither the State nor
National Government has made any at
tempt in force to reduce him to submis-
sion or preserve order in the State. So
long as he committed no overt act both
rested satisfied with negotiations, which
ended in nothing. Gen. Ruiz, emboldened
by this action, and being desirous If
uniting his forces with other revolution
ary bodies in Los Santos, Coole and
Veraguas, resolved on a brilliant enter
prise, which is thus described in the Star
and Herald of yesterday:
Gen. Ruiz, with a party of armed asso-
ciates, boarded the English steamer MORO at
about 2:30 O'Clock this morning and quietly
took possession. The sleeping captain and
officers were obliged to get out of their beds,
get up steam. lift anchor and head toward
the inner bay, where the Costa Rican
steamer Alaiuela was at anchor, and
head toward the inner bay. That
sion of the bold revolutionlsts, who compelled
Capt. Lands of the MorrO to take her in tow
and move out into the bay, coming to anchor
of PampanO, opposite the revolution
was released and allowed to return to her
legitimate work. The plans of the TeCOlu-
tiOnists are sal to be the arming and victual-
ing of the Alajuela and her employment in
carrying troops to other departments to cap
ture stores and munitions lately despatched
by the government for the suppression OF the
rebels there and the complete overthrow of
the present State power. The engines Of the
steamer are out of order and repairs are in
progress. When these are effected she Will
probably go to sea.
ONE OF RUIZ'S FAMOUS EXPLOITS.
Gen. Ruiz is famous as the man who walked
the late President Casorla out of his capital,
and took the leading part in the revolution Of
1880. The Alajuela remFined off Pampano
the whole day of the l4th, during which en-
gineers and mechanics from shore were busily
employed in getting her machinery in order
The repairs were finished during the night of
the l4th, and about O'Clock the following
morning
side the coal hulk of the Pacific Steam Naviga-
tion Company at Flamenco, and Gen. Ruiz
coOlly asked for supply of coal. The officer
in charge of the hulk informed the doughty
General that any attempt to take coal would
be resisted by force, whereupon the AlaJuela
was hauled alongside coal launch
of the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
pany, and the revolutiOnists proceeded
to help themselves to a generous supply of
that necessary material. Capt. Livingstone,
port superintendent of the company, boarded
the Alajuela and protested to Gen. Ruiz
against the appropriation OF neutral proper
ty, but the protest was disregarded. Although
the Alajuela had hitherto shown DO cOlOrs,
the decks were crowded with armed men, and
about 10 o'clocS the Colombian cOlOrs took the
place the Costa Rican should have occupied,
and as q further proof of her new nationality
the Colombian flag was hoisted at the fore.
0:3O O'Clock the Alajuela weighed anchor and
proceeded toward Panama, but just opposite
The barracks of the Fourteenth Battalion of
the Colombian Guard, the helm was put hard
over, and turning on her heels, she went to
sea, bound down the bay, vii h coal, provis-
ions, arms and men on board. The captured
ship then proceeded to carry out the mission
of her whilom master.
THE CREW.
Gen. Ruiz had probably 2C0 armed men on
board, and is said to have left greater num-
ber in camp at Pampano. Meanwhile the
State government offered no active opposition
to the new method of conducting revolutions.
The circumstances were telegraphed to Bogo-
Ia on OCI. ii, anu on Jle morning OF the 10Th
preremtOry orders were received from the
government to recapture the Alajuela at all
hazards. The State government was ab-o-
lutely without resources to do so, but. inspired
by the example of the reyolutionists, pro-
ceeded to find means for naval expedition.
Application was made to the General Super
intendent of the Panama Railroad Company
for the tug Arrow, to carry an armed
force to capture the Alajuela This
was peremptorlly refused and the tug
was paced beyond reach. The Pacific Steam
for the use of the Moro, which was also de-
MED. There were in the bay two staunch,
strong iron vessels of the Canal Company, new
and fast enough to overhaul the Alajuela,
much larger than either, but no application
was made to them. Either could have been
metamorphOsed into fair specimen of an
iron-c ad in few hours, and an expedition in
one of them would have been reasonably safe
from disaster. Instead of making use of
either of these, the government sent an armed
posse on board the MORO, repeating the out
rage of the revOlutionists of The night before,
and although there was neither Captain or
first officer on board, put out of port in pur-
suit of the revOlutOnists, cruising in Costa
Rica steamer forced for the moment by rebel
hands 10 bear the Colombian flag and engage
in acts of violence.
THREE COMBATs.
The Morro returned last night and various
reports are given of the results of the expedi-
tion. The quarter master was the navigator,
and the second engineer, in the absence of his
saw that the steamer was in possession of
another armed force, attended to the engines.
The MORO, with about $50 Colombian guards
on board, with two gatling guns, under COM
mand of Gen. Urueta, soon overhauled the
Alajuela. Three distinct combats are re-
ported, and it Is said that one of these lasted
at least twenty minutes. During one of
these the quarter master in charge of the
Morro abandoned his place at the wheel.
The steamer stopped for some cause
or other, and the people on board the Alajuela
tried tactics with which they evidently had but
little experience. They rammed the MORO,
but at such indifferent speed that on'y the up
per works, wooden rail, etc, of the latter were
injured. At the termination of the third
combat the Alajuela proceeded on her mission,
and the Morro returned to Panama. The peO-
pie on the latter craft claim victory, because
they fred about 800 cartridges tC 1000 fred
by the people on the revOlutionists' ship.
Three persons on the MORO were wounded
but the casualties on the other vessel are un-
known. Natu ally the circumstances
have occasioned much excitement in
the foreign community, and the fact is very
apparent that the rights of property are dis
regarded. individuals are treated as the
puppets of party. A foreign flag has no sig
nlficance worthy of mention. The air is full
of protests and declarations and claims. but
the impotent government and the bold TevO-
lutiOnists pursue their wav without respect to
persons or nations. An English vessel has
been twice taken by force. An American
company has been robbed of coal. Here is