Telegram-herald., 1891-03-17

Tee Thousand Killed Al the Bernhard.
ment Of Pis4aus-M4ns Of the
Wounded Msssacreo.

tHk cltSA1toS okAst S&k
SANTIAGO. Chilli. March 70 -Caleta.
Baens and June have been more or less
bonn esrded by the revolutionary aeetS.
but the ports which have heen most
seriously attacked are Pisagus and
iqaique- The sommandsut of fissgus
received In Officer Of the insurgsnt
cruiser Esmeralda with flag of truce.
bat proudly refused his demand for sur
render under threat OF bombardment
The Esmeraics was then Joined ey the
Blanco and terrible BON hardment he
gan, the two cruisers keeping up an e.
most eeaseless IRE for almost six hours
The Blancos fire Was mostly grape
and did terrible harm
A perfect shower Of shot and shell
fell upon the town On every side men
and women were running wildly about
Men trampled over women ana chill
dren in their mad endeAvors 10 seek
safety In the upper part of the town.
Little children ran about cry
ing for their mothers and
more than one was felled ~
the ground by the bursting gre
nades Women seeking a place OF
safety were seen 10 throw up their
hands, stagger and fall dead Dead
bodies riddlec with shot lay every
where. In three hours the lower part
of the town was ali in ruins
and not soul was stirring.
The means of the wounded. the
crash of falling timbers. the whistle
OF shot and shrek of shell alone
were heard. The land batteries, toward
which the fire of the Blaneo had been
mainly directed. were completely dis
rlantled and not gun conld be fired
The batteries on the hills kept up con-
slant but not very effective Gre. About
p. In. the two cruisers moved in toward
the town and began Smelling the
heights Then there VI as d rush for the
mountains
Like herd of wild steers that were
stampeded the people ran Mothers
struggled with men and fought like
tigers. Children and babes were
smothercd or crushed 20 death In the
mad rush aud all the time the pitilcss
guns were sending their shower
Of grape At times twenty or thirty
people would go down at q single
volley. Some would rise and keep on
running with blood streaming T. N
their wounds and finally sink 20 the
ground exhausted from loss of blood
only TO be torn and mangled by
the constant hail of grape shoS
When the fire from the cruisers ceased
about p. IL two-thirds Of the
town was destroyed and nothing re-
manned Of Pisaqua but mass Of ruins
From the ruins Of one building seventy
two bodies were takereout The num-
ascertained positively. but it Is be-
heved 10 be about 1000.
LONDON, March lo.-The Times has
q dispatch from Santiago giving an Of
fetal version of the recent battle In
Chilli From this IL appears Col Robes.
who commanded the government
troops the 9th inst. being short OF pre-
visions, rashiy abandoned q strong po-
sition on Mount Sebastopol and with
1900 infantry, $50 cavalry and few
guns, attacked force of 2, 500 rebels
At critical moment the enemy. by .
decoy truce for q parley. opened fire at
close quarters. killing or wounding
two-thirds of the government troops
Col Robes was shot in the foot early
in the battle. lie secured an
other mount after the bullet had been
extracted from his wound. but
he was again wounded in the side
and was placed in an ambulance. The
rebels captured the ambulance. and
then their leader threatened TO shoot
all who were with the wounded man
unless Col Robes was indicated 10
him. An attendant pointed out Col.
Robes, whereupon the colonel was
fred at by the rebels being riddled
with eleven balls besides being
hacked with bayonets. A general mas
sacre OF wounded officers ensued OF
the wounded men 26s were allowed to
proceed 10 Valparaiso, but permission
was refused 10 send the body OF Col
Robes here The loss of the insurgents
is estimated at 500 killed and 400
wounded Their account of the battle
cannot be procured At present
President Balmaceda admits the
gravity of the disaster. which places
the province of Tarapaca entirely in
the hands of the insurgents The pres
ident says. however. tha, the govern
ment has 10000 troops at its disposal
The government also has an ample sup
ply of funds The future scene of opcr-
atoms will probably be nearer Val