Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-11-21
THE BRITISH
Are Blamed With Causing the Chilean
InSurrectiOn.
THEY PAID THEIR EMPLOYEES
In Papsr Money that Was Worth Less than One
Third the Value Of the Gold They Re-
csiVsd for Their Nirats-Horrlble
Scsnss After q Battle.

SAN FRANCISCO, November 2O.-An
officer Of the cruiser San Francisco,
which arrived here yesterday, says that
so far as he could learn the war in Chile
was inStigated and in measure main
tanned by an English syndicate of cap
italists, who were engaged in the nitrate
and other business in that country.
"They sold their produce" the officer
says, ''to the outside world for gold, and
paid their help Ia paper money, whicn
was badly deprecated even before the
war, but after the war began the depre-
citation was so per cent. greater. One
gold dollar of Chilean money would buy
three paper dollars, and you could get
two dollars and forty cents for one Sill
yer American dollar. At Coquimbo the
English capitalists own immense smelt-
ing works, where $3.50, 900 worth OF cop
per was smelted every week. This val
uable output was sold for gold and the
labor was all paid in paper money.
There has been much talk about
Chile's ability to strike heavy blows In
case of war with the United States.
In this connection the officer says: "At
the capture Of Valparaiso the Congress
sionalist squadron played no part
worthy Of mention. The Esmeralda'
Cochrane, Acoucaqua and Higgins were
all armed with heavy Armstrong rifles,
but did not attempt to engage Fort
Pratt and Callao at the entrance OF the
harbor. keeping well out OF range. AT
Iouioue they kept five miles out to sea
and not she'll fell in the town. L
never saw such gunnery before. why
at ., 900 yards saw the Cochrane keep
I'D fire on the Vina del Mar, and not
a shot struck the fort, which, by the
way. is very extensive work and Oh
fers a large target. When the four
Congressional vessels were hrlng at
Fort Callao the fort was struck a nall
dozen times only out OF over 300 shots'
Speaking of the scenes after the oat-
J tie, he said:
"The bodies OF two dead Generals were
allowed to lie uncared for, where they
fell. for nearly week. Finally, after
the revelry in Valparaiso had suosided'
the bodies of the two dead Generals
were picked up, placed on a rude -FOUR
wheeled carry-all and dragged through
the streets Of Valparaiso, being spl'
upon and stoned by the infuriated mob
1t was a terrible sight to see two ood'e'
stiff in death, the arm OF one OF tneu
stretched out almost upright, beins
traated in such a hideously unciviilzec
Another officer, in speaking OF th'
attack on Vina Del Mar by the Con
gressionalist forces, stated that the
torpedo gun boat Almirante was lyinl
close in by Valparaiso directly ahead o
San Francisco. The Lynch steamed
ahead as close to the contending forces
as possible, and opened fire on the Con
gressionalists with her Hotchkiss rapid
fire machine guns. She had not beer
firing very long when she lowered hel
Ggg to half mast and steamed in arounC
the San Francisco and Baltimore, back
to her original anchorage.
We afterward learned that the Hotch-
kiss gun had exploded, killing lieu
tenant and severely wounding half {
dozen men. That was the reason she
retired from the fight.
The officers say that Chilean hatred
toward the American seamen was mani
tested on the streets OF Valparaiso
whenever the men went ashore. The
| Baltimore's men were not the only ones
attacked, for one of the San FWncisco's
men, young man named Monahan,
was stabbed in the back and suffered
from the effects Of the wound for weeks.
There was one place near the dock
which the American seamen used as a
rendezvous. When the Chilean feet
came in the proprietor OF the house was
afraid to allow the American sailors To
enter his place. One of the men did so,
however, and after some little trouble
he and his two companions, who re-
NAMED outside, had to leave, and In the
rush Monahan was stabbed In the back.