, 1891-07-18

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either killed or drowned.
The irOncIad and her consort then turned
their attention to the forts, and IL lively
battle enSued. All Valparaiso had been
aroused by the firing, and the people flock
ell to points Of safety wherever a view Of
the fight could be obtained. After haitian
hours firing a shell from the forts struck
the O'Higgins and went clean through her.
This was followed a second later by II terri
BILE explosion, caused by a heavy shell
striking one of the guns on the quarterback
Of the corvette. The explosion shook the
OHiggins from stem to stern, and when the
smoke cleared way her deck was found 10
be literally torn up, and the gun whic
had been struck was lying on the other side
Of the vessel. Nine men ont Of the guns
crew of II were killed or blown into the
water and drowned. The OHiggins was
Immediately taken out Of range, but the
Blanco Encalada kept up the fight for some
time. The irOnclad received little damage,
and finally retired from the fight in order to
look after her consOrt. Next day the men,
Of-war put to sea, proceeding northward,
the BlancO Encalada steaming slowly by the
side Of her disabled cOnSOrt. AS to where
the O'HigginS put in for repair there is no
information as yet, but on April Fl the
BlancO Encalada was sighted off Caldera
quite alone, and soon after she dropped an
Choir in the bay after two days Of easy
S%tpaming. Caldera fell into the hands Of
the insurgents on the morning Of April l6.
Up to that date her garrison had been sup
posed to be loyal but on the day in Ques-
ton three companies which had been or
dered to the Plaza in the centre Of the town
to drill suddenly refused to obey the orders
of their officers, and shouted with one voice
"LOng 1--we the Congressional party, and
death to BaImaceda.' Four other com
panics Of the garrison which had remained
loyal, together with the police, were order
ed out to quell the disturbance. A fierce
and slnguinary street fight enSued, and
there were hand.to-hand encounters be-
tween the loyal and the rebellious soldiers.
Up TO this time the insurgent man-of-war
Esmeralda had been lying in Caldera Buy
beyond the range of the guns of the fort, but
at a | re-arranged signal she weighed anchor
and entered the port. This was at the
height Of the fighting in the streets, and
the Government officials ordered the gun
ners in the forts to shell the ESmeralda,
which had begun to lombard the town.
The gunnprS, instead Of 0beying orders,
turned the guns on to the Government house
which stands on an elevation in the rear Of
the town. The fight ragged for two hours,
when the soldiers and he inhabitants who
had remained loyal to President Balmaceda
fled. Between 200 and 250 persons were kill
ed and wounded, and the latter were terri
bly, mutilatrd. At the close of the fighting
the ESmeraIda cam up tOJhe wharvps ofth6
city, and, having shipped a supply OF coal
and provisions, steamed north on a secret
mission. 1t was now arranged that the
BlancO Encalad3 which had put into Cal
dera for coal should DIN the insurgent crui-
ser AcOncagua and with her attack Panta,
south of Caldera, which was still i'll the
hands of President Balmaceda's troops.
The tncalada cOaIed on the 22nd and an
chored in the harbour, intending to come
in next day aud embark troops and sailors
to enable her to sail with the ACOnra qua.
EARLY on the morning of the 23ld the
third officer Of the EncaIada, Lieutenant
MaIquiz, was upOn the bridge when the
lookout called his attention to a light to sea-
ward on the ironclad's port. In a moment
it disappeared, and it was surmised, as
events proved, that it was the search light
of the Government torpedO-bOat COndell.
Half an hour afterwards the clouds obscur-
ing the moon cleared away, and the officer
saw two small vessels not more than half a
mile away both bearing down upon the IRON
clad at full speed. One was the the Ami
rante COndell coming on from the south
west, while the Almirante Lynch approach
ell from the northwest. The Encalada was
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