Morning journal and courier., 1891-05-11
THE PACIFIC SQUADRON.

An Air of Secrecy Among Officials al Washington-TheS Steamer Charles. ton Alter the Insurgent Vessel Hats To be Captured by Force if Neces- sary-Several United States Vessels fin Gillian Waters.
 WASHINGTON, May 1O.-While there are
 no new developments regarding the re- ported issuance of orders to the cruiser
 Charleston and the men-of-war composing
 the South Pacific squadron to go after and
 seize the insurgent vessel Itata which is
 now supposed to be on her way to Chili
 with arms taken from the schooner Robert
 and Minnie still it is believed orders have
 been sent to Admiral Brown, oommandin g
 the Pacific station, and to Admiral Me
 Cam, commanding the South Pacific sta
 tion, to capture the Itata by force if
 necessary and take her to the first Ameri-
 can port. The greatest of secrecy sur
 rounds the affair and tonight it is
 utterly impossible to learn any or
 ders of any nature regarding the Itata
 which had been issued by the navy
 department or would be issued. Secre-
 tary Tracy left the city yesterday on the
 Despatch in company with Commodore
 Folger to inspect the new naval proving ground down the Potomac and has not yet
 returned. There is the strongest reasons for believing that the orders were issued
 yesterday before Secretary Tracy left the department and the Charleston is now on her way south after the Itata Naval off cers in Washington who are conversant
 with the coast of Lower California say that it it likely that the schooner Rob ayf onI ma hoy 31l kl.a rifles for the Chilians on some of the islands near the coast and that the Itata procured them there instead of taking the chances of sighting the schooner at sea, as this was the most practicable scheme and moreover would not tend to suspicion by the United States authorities as would be the case should the schooner be seen turk ing on the coast. The Itata is an iron screw propeller ship of 1,200 tons and was built in England in 1876. She has compound engines of antiquated pat of steaming more than nine or ten knots an hour. She was formerly owned and operated by the Chilian Steam Navigation company, and how she came into the hands of the insurgents is not known here, unless she was seized by them at the beginning of the insurrection. The United States vessels in Chilian waters are the Baltimore and the flagship Pensacola, with Rear Admiral McCann in command. The San Francisco when last heard from had left Peru and will likely join the Bal timore and Pensacola early this week.
 With these four ships it is not antici- pated by naval officers that much opposi- ton would be met with should the United States seek to capture the Itata, even should she be reinforced by the best ships of the insurgents.
 SAN FRANCISCO, May 10.-A morning paper states that when the Charleston sailed Saturday morning it was under sealed orders. A cipher dispatch was re- ceived by Captain Remy at midnight Fri day. It took over three hours to trans late the dispatch and at o'clock in the | all visitors were ordered ashore | and the Charleston hastily put to sea- The | Charleston is provisioned and coaled for long cruise, and instead of going outside to try her guns as was the general suppo- | sition, it is stated she has gone in pursuit | of the Chilian steamer Itata, with orders | to capture her. If the Charleston does not catch her, the orders are to keep on until Admiral Brown is encountered in Chilian waters.
 SAN PEDRO, Cal, May 10.-All on board | the Robert and Minnie are under arrest. | They have delivered their cargo, but de- cline to say anything about the Itata. The warship Omaha arrived outside this even ing. The Charleston has not been sighted |