New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-20
TALK WITH ADMIRAL BROWN.
THE FACTS ABOUT THE CABLE-CUTTING.
MINISTER EGAN's COURSE COMMENDED-Thf
LANDING OF THE cHII1AN INsURGENrs

San Francisco, Nov. 10.-The United States
cruiser San Francisco, flagship of the Paclhc
squadron wh III left this port on April Tor
Chill returned here this morning. The vessel
was present at the closing scenes Of the Chllian
revolution Admiral George Brown, In an inter-
view with representative of the Associated
Press, said that the fall of Valparaiso, after the
defeat of me Balmaceda forces at Vlna Del Mar
by the Congressional forces under General Can'o
was attended with scenes of carnage ana rapihe'
The reports of the bombardment OF lqulque, ule
Admiral added had been much exaggerated, cohi-
paratively little damage having been done In the
city. owing TO the fact that the insurgent vessels
remained of shore fully five miles Aiter 'he
decisive battle of vina Del Mar the family OF
Admiral Viel. Intendente of Valparaiso, and other
refugees were taken on board the cruiser Bai'i-
more The refugees were landed at MoilenderS'
Peru.
Concerning the reports that the San FRANCISCO
had given Balmaceda information III regaru W
the landing of the insurgents at Qulntero, the hu
miral refused to talk at any length WINE a'
Acapulco said he, g. sent a full report con-
cerning all the actions of the San Francisco 10 'e
Secretary of the Navy I think it will reach
there TODAY or tomorrow, and cannot antici-
pate the Departments action in the matter. Inc
tero was known In Valparaiso long before we left
the city: in fact long before either Minister Egan
or any of my officers knew Of it. took with
me on the San Francisco only one person not De
longing to my crew, and that one was nag
officer of the German warship Leipsic On return
ing to Valparaiso, | sent Lieutenant George H.
DYER. flag lieutenant Of the San francsco'
ashore. with cipher cable dispatch. fie as WAS
necessary, went to the Office of the lntendehe.
That official was very busy. Merely glancihg ~
the dispatch, which was entirely III cipher nc
wrote on it the words 'Buena VISTA and aillSed
his signature. The dispatch was then capieo W
Washington. not O soul in Valparaiso knowing
it's contents 1t was then after p. m. Inc
insurgents began landing at sunrise, only eishteeh
miles distant. 1t is not credible that they hao
to wait for information to land 1or all 'hose
hours. The statement that tile papers got oue
extras stating that by the kindness OF the oah
Francsco's officers, they gave particulars OIL une
landing at Quintero is altogether false Inc
papers did not publish anything OF the kind.
I'VE left Valparaiso continued the Admiral' Oh
Septembcr IA, two days before the attack on the
R,Itimore's sailors in Valparaiso. We had on
board Colonel yedaume president Of the court
martial that convicted and sentenced to be shot
forty-two young men for plot to blow up
Government railroad and stOrehouses; and Oval
10 Vienna. cousin of the Presidentelect These
officials were landed at Callao, Peru. On ar
riyinr there we were detained three days, and
expected to be ordered back TO Valparaiso, out
were finally ordered north. We came up easily,
running at the most economical speed, according
to general Department orders During the ulp
we never used more than 400 horsepower"
"How about the Baltimores cutting the cable
at Iquique ?" asked the correspondent.
"The Baltimore did not cut the cable at all, ="
answered the Admiral. THE cable company,
which is an American corporation, had a con-
tract with Chilli to have the cable working be-
tween Lima and Valparaiso by given time The
war made it difficult to carry this out. but they
frally succeeded. The cable ran from Lima and
Idrlioue and then from Iquique to Valparaiso
The insurgents had possession Of lquque, ana re-
fused TO allow any messages from Valparaiso to
pass through to Lima.
"The Balmaceda Government, which was the
only Government of Chilli recognized by the
United States, warned the cable company that,
unless they opened communication with Lima
according to contract, they would forfeit their
charter and all their privileges. The company
explained the facts to the insurgents, and made
every possible effort to induce them to let Bal
naceda's messages pass through, but all in vain;
then the company decided to cut the cable. 1hey
had regular cable boat 10 do the work. but had
M accurate means of measuring the distance from
shore If cut within a marine league Of the
shore the insurgents would have the right 10
splice il AGAIN: SO they asked the Baltimore to
accompany them and find the distance. This
she did by means of her improved range-hnders
and at distance of five and quarter miles out
the cable boat cut the cable in two places, and
inserted loop connecting the end from Nalpa-
raso and the end from Lima, thus leaving lqulque
entirely. This work being done on the 1igh seas.
oyer marine league from the shore, for Con-
pressionalists to tamper with it would have been
1iracy But they were rot cut OIL from the world
bv any means An English company owns the
cable there that reaches from Lima to Naipa-
raso touching at six or eight ntermcdiate poiits,
one of which is Iquique. The first thing the
insurgents did on seizing lqulque was 10 cuc uils
ca BILE south of that place, but 1t remalheu i,ac'
to the north giving them 9nintefELupra tL or Son'
made against You by the Congressionalists p
"Oh, yes" said the Admiral, smiling ., ,uos
What have you to say about them? was
There is nothing to be said as nothing OF the
Lind took place. They declared among otilei Iia
things that Balmaceda was on board my SNIP
but / suppose they are satisfied now that he was
not, since he killed himself in the rooms OF the
Argentine Legation at Saiago. Inc ooggceaied geneiLai
in q convent by the Archbishop. Had he come
on board the San Francisco. | would certainly
have given him refuge. There was no chance Ior
him TO escape, however, as every avenue WAS
guarded by soldiers OF the Junta." . 90
"What do you think OF Minister Egan Z" asked
the correspondent. II.
trouble with the dignity demanded by his posi-
ton No man situated as he was could have done
more Some criticism was made against MN,
see for not sending official dispatches confirming
the ca pture of Valparaiso, but they did not under
stand the condition of affairs. Mr.. Egan was at
Santiago, and all communication between that
place and Valparaiso shut of for several
days. The news reached the Minister In round
about way, and he telegraphed to washington.
but he was ignorant of the fact that the wires
were down"
1t is understood here that the cruiser Charles
ton, which left Yokohama. for Honolulu or, on