The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-11-12

which the Admiral OF the squRuroh ol nv c""NNe
upon the Pacific transmitted TO him, and which
stated that the Junta Gobierno were in bad condi-
ton, since he assured him that II had not more
than 1900 OF 5000 men, few resources and scnnty
materials Of war.
Making an impartial though gloomy comparison
Of the forces Of the Opposition and those oil the
Government Il really seemed incredible that the
few soldiers from the Horth-sustained by Gov
eminent short OF money aud o. warlike stores
could contend with the many OF the South, per-
fectly supplied and cquipt, and sustained by the
great resources which the -boding dictatorship OF
Balmnceda was then wringinR from the country.
Tn this document. essentially private note, Mr..
Egan, we repeat, did not manifest feelings OF an
tipathy 10 the noble cause Of the Opposition.
So
Against this s the statement Of Don Eduardo
Matte, a Momber Of the Chilean Congress, who
writes a friOnd that the entire Junta views
Minister Egan with profound dstrust, and that
both parties are decidedly hostile 70 him, the
Congressonalsts because Of his Partially for
Balmaoeda and the Balmacodists because they
believe that Balmaoeda followed Egan's advice
to his own destruction.
-.
The selection Of Admiral Jorge Mont for the
Presidency Of Chile for the next five years is
believed 10 be in the interest Of peace and a
better understanding with Chile.
80
The papers received from England would
indicate that the pension-liars here had tenn
porarily turned their attention to fabricating
sensational dispatches from Washington to the
London newspapers. The most preposterous
stuf has been sent over, claiming TO be the
result Of personal interviews with the Presi-
dent and Secretaries Englishmen would be
justified in believing that the President and
his Cabinet were a set Of clustering swssh-
bucklers eager 20 pitch into" Chile, and
freely talking Of belligerent intentions TO all
who cared 10 listen 30 them. 1t is no wonder
that the London Times thought best TO lecture
our Government and counsel il TO proceed with
moderation in It's dealings with so weak apower
as Chile. This locturing was inexplicable TO
people here and made them not 8 little angry.
Now II is understood. or course there has not
been the slightest foundation for this sensa-
tional stuff The President and Secretaries
Blaine, Tracy. Proctor and Foster have been
very guarded in al their communications with
people outside OF that circle. What they have
said has all been in the direction OF moderation
and peace. Not an expression indicating the
probability Of war, or Of sterner measures
toward Chile, has come from one Of them.
Their strongest uttcrances have been in the
dispatches 10 Minister Egan, which have been
given the press and every one knows how
courteous, though earnest and firm, these have
/ been.
Secretary Foster returned from Ohio imme-
diately after the election and talks quite freely
as 10 the meaning Of it's results. lie says that
these have eliminated the silver aud all other
questions from the Presidential campaign and
left The tariff the sole issue The Democrats
abandoned the silver issue within a short time
after the campaign opened. The West can be
relied on TO vote for the Republican party next
year, and the fight will be on the same ground
New York, Connecticut, Indiana and New
Jersey-with the same candidates as in 1888.
The Ohio senatorshipw win be sharply contested
between Foraker and Sherman.
80
The result Of the FIRST series Of trials Of armol
plate at Indian Head, on the Potomac, Just be
low Washington, last week, was a great victory
for American manufactures. just eight week
ago Carnegie Phipps & Co., Of Pittsburg, Pa, re
ceived An order from the Navy Department fol
an armor plate, aud the specimen they sen
stood without injury pounding that woult
have crushed the strongest European armo
plates 10 fragments. Their principal competi
tors were the Bethlehem Iron aud Steel Com
} pauy, whose plates were hi Ga and low carbon
ized steel, made under what il called the Harve,
process. The Carnegie plate was made Of nickel
steel with low proportion OF carbon. Tire
plates were tested-one from Carnegie, Phipp
. 4 Co., and one low carbon and one high earbol
from Bethlehem. These were lOl inches thick
and strongly backed with timber to represent
ships side. -Four shots were fred at each plat
) from a G-inch rife, standing 30 yards away
; and thsn one from an s-inch rife IN the sam
I place. The 8-inch shots penetrated the plate
J from nine and q half to - inches The Beth
/. lehem plates were badly cracked, showing TIA
a repetition Of the blows would have destroye
them. The Carnegie plates showed no crack
y The shots were driven into yielding mass al
J. remained fixed there The s inch gun FIRE
e armor piercing shells weighing 2l0 pound
n with 7it pounds Of powder The FIRST sh,
q struck the high-carbOu Bethlehem plate ia n
% center, penetrated il l5t inches aud reboundc
o 81 feet. The plate was badly cracked. III
If second shot-same as 20 weight and powder
q the frst-struck the Carnegie plate in n
u center aud buried itself up 20 within sevel
T. cighths Of an inch Of its base, bat made
cracks. The third shot--samo as the first
b. struck the low-carbon Bethlehem plate in Il
- center, penetrated II 70 the depth Of % inch,
" and cracked the plate very badly. The rosu
!. was disappointment 90 Commodore FolRer,
al the Havy-yErd who had high hopes for q
e. Bethlehem plates. Secretary Tracy, on &
'n other hand, pinned bis faith 10 the 0arneg
Of plate, and was jubilaut The trial viii OF
- the eyes Of European naval architects.
). -
Two plain, inconspicuous gentlemen, WI
be marked Spanish American faces, aud speakil
as no English, arrived at the Arlington Hotel ],
"a week, accompanied by their families. Th
d excited no interest until a nosing report
in found out that one was Senior Claudio Yicui
la who claims 10 be the Legitimate President
ey Chile, and the other was Senior Cust0dia kicul
ns. late Chilean Minister 20 Peru and Boliv
y" Even then but little attention was paid 10 th'
-. by anybody but newspaper men, who ma
n earnest attempts 10 interview them. This '
ght difficult as they spoke only Spanish, and