The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-05-27
AT THE SAME PORT.
THE "ESMERAlDA" AND "CHARlES-
TOM IN STRIKING DISTANCE.

TON" IN STRIKING DISTANCE.
Now What will be Don.?--rhe Chilian
Likely to be Crippled for Lack OF Fuel
Our ssSan Francisco and 'sBaitimore"
Among the Insursent Fleet.
WASHINGTON, D. c., May l6.-Af-
ter weeks waiting some tangible news
was received at the navy department
from the "Charleston." First came
dispatch from Acapulco stating that the
Gillian insurgent cruiser ''Esmeralda"
had put out Of Acapulco harbor ycstec-
day and had returned TO port today.
Later on through the state department
a dispatch came saying the Charles
toni had arrived at Acapulco and that
the s'Esmeralda" was still in port: but
giving no news of the ''1tata."
What next step wdl be taken no one
at the state department. knows or is free
to tell.
The ssCharleston" will take on coal
as her supply probably ran out during
the weeks chase. Whether the ''Esme-
ralda' is to have the privilege of taking
coal aboard can not be answered here,
as it is matter entirely within the
pleasure OF the Mexican government,
but the opinion here is against it, as the
neutrality laws would be strained by
the Mexican government if it allo we'd
anything more than water and food to
be supplied to the insurgents. AS to the
ssCharles:on" it is quite probable that
commander, Captain Kemey, has orders
admitting large discretionary move
ments and will lie at or near Acapulco
for time trusting that the ''1tata,
which is slow seven knot ship, has not
vet passed down the coast, and will try
to coal In that neighborhood. If she IS
sighted the ''Charleston" will doubtless
try to seize her. She can not do this in
Mexican waters, so that it would be nee
essary to head her off outside the three
mile line, or if unsuccessful to follow
her to sea when she goes out. What
the seEsuerelda' will do in the mean
time is problematlcal. The general eX-
preston is that the officers of the vessel
viii rely more upon strategy than force
to obtain the supplies carried by the
.sItatan and some officers believe that
she is trying to lure her into trap
where she can be easily taken.
Recourse to force to prevent the
.sCharleston'' from capturing the
ssItata," however, it is said would, be
the death blow Of the insurgent cause
in Chile, as the entire naval force fthe
United States in the Pacific would, If
necessary, be called into play to destroy
the insurgent navy.
The cablegram received at the depart
ment from Admiral McCann on the
s.San Francisco" announced that the
Baltimore" and ''San Francisco" were
at Iquique together. So itappears that
the baltimore" has come north and
the ssSan Francisco" has been stayed
in her southern course just at the point
where the Chilian insurgent navy is now
nearly altogether assembled. This
point is almost in the extreme north OF
Chill, and the place where the ''Itata"
would naturally find her des nation If
she eluded the "Charlesson."
WASHINGTON, May lS.-Just before
4 O'Clock this Afternoon the Navy De-
parsment received confirmation Of a
dispatch to the effect that the Charleston
sailed Southwark from Acapulco last
evening leaving the Esmeralda IN l,ort.
There was no word Of the Itata. The
presumption is that the Charleston's
commander was satisfied that the Itata
had passed Acapulco either before he
arrived there or while he lay in port,
and that be has resumed the long chase.
is is estimated that the Itata has been
steaming along at about seven knots,
and as she was ten days out last Friday
night she should, at that time, have been
Just off Acapulco, where it is reported
frcsn thas place that she met Esmeralda.
AS she is much smaller vessel than the
Emeralda and burns very much less coal,
it is regarded as within proba billties that
latter vessel might have supplied her
with this necessary article, which would
account for the strange war ship which
was in port getting a new supply ifcoal.
T 1t be true that the Itata was off
Acapulco Friday night she had two full
DAYS start of the Charleston when the
latter started again in pursuit last night.
This is about the same lead that she had
when she started from San Diego but it
does not appear that the chase is any
nearer conclusion. But if the two YES
sells now follow the same course, the
Charleston steaming at fourteen knots
should come up with the Itata by to-
morrow night. This event Of course IS
based upon the assumption which IS not
founded upon strong probability that the
two vessels are steering exactly the
same course. If the Charleston passes
Itata the next port where they are likely
to oe heard from is Panama, about
I,200 miles from Acapulco Or Payta,
Peru, stil further down the coast. AS
it is the vessels have probably covered
less than half the distance to Iquique,
the nearest Chilian port.
No CHANCE OF A CONFLICT.
Cry OF MEXICO VIA GALVESTON,
Nav 1S.-The war department, having
asked for ,ws in regard to Chilian H.
surgent vessels from Acapulco, has been
informed that there IS no probability of
a fight between the United States steam
er Charleston and the Chilian steamer
Esmeralda. There is no sign of the
Itata, and it's thought that if she has not
fallen in with an American war ship she
is undoubtedly Off the coast of Central
America by this time, having been furn-
ished with fuel by the Esmeralda.
Gen Pedro Hlnaiosa, secretary ct
war, declares to an Associated Press
correspondent that Mexico only insists
that her neutrality be respected and will
not interfere in the matter. Gen Hin
aiosa says his orders are not to sell coal
to insurgent vessels or allow them to
load arms IN Mexican territory.
One Of the officers of the Esmeralda
in an interview at Acapulco said: I'VE