The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-07-04

Lettr Received at the Navy Department.
from Admiral McCann-Some of the Late
Events of the War DetaileG-The Insur-
gent Vessels Now Concentrated Mainly
About the Nitrate Ports
WASHINGTON, June 26.-The follow
ing letter has been received at the
navy department from Admiral Nc
Cam:
UNITED STATES FLAGSHIP BALTIMORE
lQUIQUE. CHILL, May 25, 1891
There have been no military or naval oper.
ations OF Importance in the northern prov
inces recently. Admiral Hotham who keeps
himself well informed concerning events by
his cruisers g1oving up and down the coast,
writing from Coquimbo. on the 18th inst, in
formed me that all the revolutionary squad
ron had gone north from Caldera, and that
only fOO or $40 men were left to garrison CIi-
dera and Copiapo; that the Huascar had
grounded in Caldcra bay during the night,
but had succeeded In getting afioat again.
Since the loss of the Blanco Encalad1,
most OF the insurgent forces are cOncentra-
ting about the nitrate ports The only effi-
Client vessels remaining to the insurgents
are the Huascar and Esmera!da (the latter
last heard of at Acapulco) and the Almirante
Cochrane; the remainder is made up of
few old gunboats and armed transports. the
broken down and worn out remains of the
Chilian navy. There is, therefore, little or
no probability OF Il demonstration by water
against Valparaiso or other southern ports
by the revolutionary feet, as / have pre-
viously reported to the department, hut on
the contrary the government torpedo cruis-
ers, Alm!rdnte Lynch and Almirante Con-
dell and the armed transport 1 imperial,
keep the insurgcnt vessels in motion and
the nitrate ports in a constant state of alarm
by threatening attacks.
Early on the morning OF the Eth of May.
the Condell appeared OFF this port, over
hauled vessel in the ofiing and crulsed
about for some time; when the Almirante
Cochrane, which had returned to her an
choraxe after cruising outside all night, got
up steam and went in pursuit, soon after
which the Condeli appeared off PisIgua,
where two gunboats also Joined in the pur-
suit.
Again, on the 18TH the Imperial appeared
off this port just before dark and opened a
rapid fire; the object of the firing could not
be discovered, no other vessels were in
: ght in the ofiing. The Cochrane and tho
gunboat O'Iliggins stood out toward the I'M
perial. after which firing was again heard
until late hour, but with what results
could not be learned
just before these vessels went in pursuit
of the Imperial. alb put 6 :l5 p. III one Of their
torpedo launches between the O'IIig,ns
and this ship. but nearer the former. was ac-
blown up by its own torpedo and
sank Immediately, drowning two and NOR
tally wounding four OF her crew of eight
men. One of the dead bodies was brought
alongside the Baltimore, and was soon after
sent on shore.
The CondeII attacked TaItai on the 2Ist,
burning the government building and the
custom house. On the 25th the Cochrane.
Magcllanes, Amazonas and a small collier
left Iquique and stood TO the southwark. TO
protect that locality The speed of the Con-
dell and Imperial is such that they easily
elude pursuit and may turn up most unex-
pectedly at any port.
The Pensacola arrived at 1quiquc on the
morning Cf the 2rh of May, four days from
Valparaiso, and on the 22d she was ordered
TO coal and proceed to Africa