, 1891-09-26

WdIlIHS hui hVhS d'bO 1olhlhS Va IL nv
mentous contest in progress only a few
miles away.
A little afterdaylight this morning word
was given by Balmacela to attack the
position held by HE inSut gent, and, led BY
Generals BarbGSd and AiZerreca the Go
vernmen troops left the b~reast-wOrks and
advanced on the enemy under cover Of Il
heavy fire from their batteries. The inSur-
gents generally were armed with Mannli-
cher rifles and uSel Smok9leSS powder, The
Government troops We're not so we'll armed.
AS soon as the approaching column got
within range of the Mannlicher rifles 1t Was
met with a destructive fire from the entreneh-
ed insurgents. The column, however, adj
vanced with much steadiness, aud the men
were SOOn near enough to do effective work
with their pieces.
The engagement soon became general,
and shot and shell, grape and canister. and
rifle bullets tore through the ranks OF the
advancing troops until 1t became too hot and
Notwithstanding the efforts of the officers,
the Presidential troops broke aud retired.
The officers worked like beavers to reform
the columns as soon as they got beyond the
range of the deadly Mannlicher rifles, amt
finally succeeded. Then there came an.
other attack. In steady ranks the Govern
ment troops started at the double up into
the torrent of fire anil led which blazed
from the ranks of the insurgents army.
Early in the second charge General Barb0S1
was shot down and killed. The line waver-
ed, but kept on, Then General Alzerreca
fell from his horse mortally wounded. He
was removed from tne field, and died with
in an hour.
Another break occurred, and then Gene
raj del Cant0 gave the order 70 charge.
With a wild yell the Congressional army
left their d~cfenceS and charged on the re-
treating enemy, while their artillery poured
a deadly fire into til" ranks OF Balmaceda's
army. The loss OF its generals left the Co
vernment troops without a head, and all
efforts Of the subordinate officers Ia rally
them were of no avail. The retreat b, cane
a rOut, the rOut a pallr, and then came ut
ter demoralisation The cavalry made a
stand, but it was short, and hey were liter
ally cut to pieces. Volley after yolley was
poured into the demoraliSed troops OF Bal
maceda, and whole regiments which had
not lost their regimental formation went
over to the victorious troops OF General Del
CantO, and joined in the attack on their torm-
er comrades. These deSerters were generally
men who had been impressed into the ser
vice by Bdlmaceda. Since the beginning OF
hOStilitieS then sympathicS have been with
the insurgents, and they took this the first
chance to go over to them. The fighting
lasted a little less than five hours, aud fully
5000 men were killed and wounded.
The country for miles around is filled with
men, many of them wounded, who were this
morning the dependence Of Balmaceda.
The defeat OF the Government is absolute
and complete. There is no possibility Of
reorganization, and If Balmaceda does not
succeed in escaping through the mountain
passes which are yet open. the chances are
that he will be captured and Shot. Soon
after the battle began stragglerS came with
reports of disaster to the Government
troops.
Senior Claudio Vienna, TIE President Elect,
took alarm early, and went on board the Ger
man flagship and asked for the protection of the
Admiral, which was granted. Then the lnten-
dente, Oscar We'll, sent a communication to the
American Admiral Brown and the command
ing officers of the other foreign fleets, request
ing them to send men ashore to protect their
citizens, as the probabilities were that there
might be trouble. A landing party of blue
jackets and marines from the United States
cruiser San Francisco was ordered ashore by
Admiral Brown, and took up apoSition about
= the American Consulate. The other naval
commanders followed suit, and soon enough
foreign memo -warsmen were ashore to protect
the city against any possible outbreak.
The streets of the city by eleven o'clock