New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-14

LIsU BOyDuOLDERS UPON THE BURIED
TREASURE OF THE DESERT
CONCESSIONS UNDER THE
GRACE CONTRACT
tv,,u.e,ry CORRESPONDENT TRIBUNE,
africa, February ).
Tho some natural causes which lave converted
The west coast into desert have stored ii with
wealth The vast accumulations of guano and
nitrate of soda could not have been formed in
INV other than Il raincss zone. The retention
of the fertlzing properties of these deposits is
entirely due to tie absence of water. The cotton,
su.ar and grazing valleys Of Peru are enriched
bv rains on the Andean slopes. The Islands and
desert levels are enriched by the lack Of rain.
Mature may be contradictory in lis processes but
its purposes are always beneficent. 1t is the
creed of men and nations that converts nature
Bounty into 6. blight and curse. Guano has
been the chief cause of all the evils wrought by
rapacious SPECTATORS reckless fnanclsrs ana hostile
armies on this coast. Peru was prosperous ana
happy until this source OF national wealth. WIS
.devcIo,od on n large scale When it dis
covered that the manure deposits had Only I'd W
worked in order 10 yield enormous revenues. agr-
cultural and mining Industries were suffered 10
decline A great railway system was planned ana
reckless expenditures were sanctioned Ihe poh"-
holders came in and the resources OF the rdllleSs
coast were mortgagcd to them. The discovery vi
The nitrate beds of Tarapaca tended to depIecia'e
The value of guano, and The Peruvian "oNeIh-
ment established a monopoly over item 'hl'
had been coveting these resources oil lhe ocSci'
coast and intriguing for the control OIL tilc initiate
Industry at Antofagasta. The war was Drought
on under various prctcxts, but it would never nave
been fought If the rainlcss coast had hoo pecH
Embedded with cheap manurcs
The first port occupied by the Chilcnos IN that
rampaign was AntofaCasta, which was theh 'l'c
centre of the nitrate industry. One oil Inc earnest
land battles fought was in the desert levers pacA
of that town. As the campaign advanced the
nitrate provinces conquered ana oVefrul. ~
Iou,opc tbe decisive sea fight occurred While the
Cbiliaps were blockadng Callao the Peruvian lro"
c,,ds the lndependencia and the liuascar. headed
southward possibly with the intention Of pomparo
inc VALPARAISO At lquique they encouh'eIe"
eve ,ortcmn,iblc adversaries the wooden ship Is
meralda with eight and the little gunboat Oo'",
don0a with two guns. The luaScar, well hai'"lc"
nv her commander soon had the tsmeraiu" At
ber mercy The Ch,an commander Attempted
capture the Huascar by running bis own e,"P
alongside and screaming 10 his men 10 poaiu "'
md use their knives. The vessels were s'p"i"'e"
before his crew could follow HIM as nc sp'"ns "
the enemy's deck. lie was instantly sno' wv
md his ship sank to the bottom WIN uei 0e"
of eighty men, a few survivors aiohc '''p"e
Tbi, was the daring exploit for whch al
Prat's statue is raised in Valparaiso ana eisc"nei
In Chilli. II the sea-fght had ended WIN V''o 'i'"
ing of his own vessel, the Peruvian SnipS
have proceeded their course
paraiso and shelled the town. iHo
&c ~ The sea-fght was the shTe"o
foIlowed by the Independence, ship when o''-
i1ed the p,.nbost and would have been certain
20 o1ortake her. was crafty as ULYSSES, ana IAN
o,ose in shora The Independence went a9IouH"
nm the rocks and was a total wreck 10 We"
staggering blow, from which Peru never ieco''i'U
The Gillian flag. as it noats apoNe 'io M"
,oc, which guards the entrance OF AREA - "
signal that the frontier has been. estap4sc" no',
NJ the nitrate desert for all tlme nv "''
Peruvian fort which was captured aiter l'i"p"''
ta5 hoor overrun and Tacna occupied with
land force is still garrisoned. and the guns POM
on,vard toward the sea- where the Chilcnos are
- ~,rrossivc in commerce to-day they were
,hcn in naval warfare. This is the last port on
tho coast where their flag Is seen: ana nohln"N
!, is temporariv occupied pending plcbiscltum
in 1903 which will determine whether lacn" an"
africa shall be restored 10 Perm or annexed per
manently TO Chill. The sum of SloOoo'ooo III
silver soles is 10 be paid by the Power "hich
finally obtains the provinces to the loser -"
nrice will he paid 10y Chilli. Ten years OF orcn-
nation with the military garrlsons strengthened
nj the time OF the election VIII secure Pe-
biscitum in it's favor. A. in lquI1ue, 80 also III
africa tho Peruvian residents are gradually sell
inc their possessions and moving out. and Chill
ans are taking their places. Moreover an IN
crease in trade is shown by the number Of YES
NO
there is a band always playing in the plaza in the
evenings 10 anuse the people AREA. while not
making as rapid strides in material advancement
rs the chief nitrate ports, Psacua and l1ulIuc,
l. steadily gaining ground The Gillian nag
will remain over the mimic fortress aller the
decisive election The South would fight
second time rather than lose the frontier
provinces.
AS one glances from n coasting steamers decks
at the barren slopes Of the hills which are broken
of abruptly where africa is situated on tne 10"
bank of a dry river bed, he finds 1t hard 10 be-
beve that any war should ever have been fought
for the possession of the open roadsicadS OF TINS
desolate coast. There are two precipitous cliffs
on one side Of the green bottom land where a
little water trcklcs and oozes into the sea under
favorable conditions On the other side there is
q low barrier OF rounded hills. the sea walls here
having been almost levelled. The town sprawls
and struggles aimlessly in the spacious valley
formed by the stream, which was once great
river There is not Il structure Of any merit
anywhere to he seen. The houses are cheap and
fimsy and many OF them are painted in glaring
colors intense red or bright blue Color i'll house
decoration is not painful blur 10 the cye in
Brazil. where the green of the foliage and the
blue Of sea and sky vivid; out here on the
West Coast. where tie mountain slopes and
shore lines are always gray and sombc, the
fantastic hucs Of the wIetchcd shantcS which
pass for houses and hotels are loud and vulgar
AREA has few factory stacks and Is the terminus
of a line of railway but it seems grotesquc TO
associate with IL ideas Of commercial importance
and industrial resources .-yen the little patch