The record-union., 1891-05-11
THE ITATA AFFAIR.
Great Secrecy Regarding Navy Move
mentS Prevails at the CAPITAL

Great Secrecy Regarding Navy Move
ments Prevails at the Capital.
WASHINGTON, May 10.-While there
are no new developments regarding the
reported issuance of orders to the cruiser
Charleston and men-of-war composing
the South Pacific squadron, to go after
and seize the insurgent vessel Itata,
which is now supposed to be on her way
to Chile with arms taken from the
schooner Robert and Minnie. it is be-
ueved that orders have been sent to Ad-
miral Brown, commanding the Pacific Sta
ton, and to Admiral McCann, command
ing the ships of the South Pacific Station,
TO capture the Itata by force. if necessary
and take her to the first American port
The greatest air of secrecy surrounds
the affair, and tonight it is utterly inn
possible TO learn that any orders of any
nature regarding the Itata have been
issued by the Navy Department or would
be issued.
Secretary Tracy left the city yesterday
on the Dispatch in company with Com
modore Folger to inspect the new naval
proving ground, down on the Potomac,
and has not yet returned. At his house
1t was said that he had probably contin-
ued his trip 10 Fort Monroe or gone down
TO Chesapeake ito stay over Sunday. He
left word that he would not return until
noon tomorrow.
Commodore Ramsey, Chief of the Bu-
reau OF Navigation, and who issues all
orders directing the movements of the
ships of the navy, was seen tonight, but
declined to say anything on the subject.
There Is the strongest reason for believ-
ing that orders were issued yesterday be-
fore Secretary Tracy left the Department,
and that the Charleston is now on her
way south after the Itata. Commodore
Ramsey said tonight that he received an
unofficial dispatch this morning from
San Francisco saying that the Charleston
had gone to sea to test her guns, but had
not returned. AS has been stated, orders
were issued some time ago by the Navy
Department for the Charleston to go to
sea tor the purpose of giving her eight
inch rifles trial in firing, while the ship
executed certain maneuvers, but
whether the orders were further supple
mented by scaled orders or not cannot be
learned.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Soley
has been absent from the Department
since Thursday, and when seen tonight
he also declined to say anything that
would throw any light whatever on the
subject. Soley said he was not fully in
formed as to what had transpired at the
department during his absence, and was
not in position to say anything in the
absence of the Secretary, who would re-
turn tomorrow. He also declined to
affirm or deny that any orders had been
issued by the Department in consequence
of the sudden departure of the Itata
Naval officers in Washington who are
conversant with the coast of Lower Cali
fornia say it is likely the schooner Robert
and Minnie may have deposited the rifles
intended for the Chileans on some one OF
the small outlying islands near the coast.
and the Itata procured them there in
stead of taking chances of sighting the
schooner at sea. This was the most prac-
ticable scheme, and moreover would not
tend to arouse the suspicion Of the United
States authorities, as would be the case
should the schooner be seen lying off the
coast.
The Itata is an iron screw propeller
ship, 200 tons, and was built in England
IN 1873. She has compound engines of
antiquated make, and is not capable prob
ably of steaming more than nine or ten
knots an hour. She was formerly owned
and operated by the Chilean Steam Navi-
CATION Company. and how she came into
the hands of the insurgents is not known
here. unless she was seized by them at
the beginning of the instruction.
The United States vessels in Chilean
waters are the Baltimore, and the flag
snip Pensacola, with Rear-Admiral Nc
Cam in command. The San Francisco,
when last heard from, had left Peru, and
will likely join the Baltimore and Pensa-
cola early this week. With the Charles
ton, the Admiral will have under his COM
mand three of the finest ships of the new
navy, besides the Pensacola, which is the
best OF the wooden class in the service.
With those four ships il is not antici-
pated by the naval officers that much op-
position would be met with should the
United States see fit to capture the Itata,
even should she be reinforced by the best
ships of the insurgents.