The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-05-12
" IN HOT PURSUIT"
The Charleston is Chasing the
Escaped Itata.
SECRETARY TRACY rs SILENT
Concerning the Movement OF Cruisers and
the Orders They Have Received-The Es-
meralda May Engage the Charleston.

San Francisco, May 1.-THE fact is no
longer concealed, even IN official naval cir
cles, that the cruiser Charleston, is now off
on hot chase after the Gillian transport
Itata, which left San Diego while under ar
rest. The Gillian cruiser Esmeralda is be-
ieved to be lying off Cape San Lucas. the
southernmost point of land in Lower Cal
lfornia, awaiting the supplies carried by
the ltata. The sea run to that point is
about seven hundred miles, the Itata being
heavily loaded, and although reported to be
fast craft, it is estimated she will not ex-
coed six to eight knots, and the Charleston,
which left San Francisco this morning, it
Is thought certain will overtake her, or
reach San Lucas in advance of the trans
port. If not found there, the Charleston
Will proceed direct TO Acapulco, which will
be the first point at which any further in
telllgence can be received. Even though
the cruiser Esmeralda is met as q convoy
OF the ltata, 1t is understood that the or
ders of the Charleston are explicit on the
point of capture, and if the Itata is sighted,
1t is believed certain now that there will be
capture or fight, or both.
1t is now definitely known that the
Chlllan cruiser Esmeralda is now in port at
Acuca Acapulco on the Mexican coast,
which fact the navy department at Wash
lngton was probably fully advised of when
orders were issued to the Charleston. The
efforts to keep the destination of the
Charleston secret therefore, are natural
as the representatives of the Chilian in
surgents would be prompt to advise the
Esmeralda Of the intention of the Ameri-
can government to sieze the Itata.
1t is now deemed probable the Es-
meralda will cruise north toward San
Lucas in the hope of meeting the Itata be-
fore the Charleston can arrive and to pro-
tect the cargo and crew from seizure, if
possible. Apart from other considerations
1t is now known that on board the Itata
are the commander of the Esmeralda and a
large portion of the crew, and presumably
portion of the Esmeralda's secondary
battery. The fact that there appears now
very strong likelihood of a meeting of
the two armored ships under conditions
that will require fine management to pre-
vent fight, is thoroughly recognized by
naval men on the coast. The orders to
Captain Remey, of the Charleston, are well
authenticated to be binding in the matter
of the capture OF the ltata if sighted, and
on the part of the Esmeralda, 1t is believed
as as fully she will fight if she can reach
the scene in time.
The Charleston and Esmeralda are sister
ships as to general plan and possess nearly
the same armament. The Esmeralda,
however, has two pivot guns of 1O-inch
calibre, with weight of twenty-five tons
each, while the Charleston has two S-inch
rifles fore and aft, weighing twelve and a
half tons. This is regarded by some critics
as outmatching the Charleston in case of a
fight, but apart from these guns, the arma-
ments of the two ships are practically the
same. The Charleston Is the swlfter ship.
and while never in action, has splendid
crew and fighting commander.
The Charleston left San Pedro shortly
after o'clock this morning and was
sighted ten miles off Point Iona, having
made ninety knot run in six hours, or at
a fifteen knot gait. There were additional
orders awaiting her at San Diego, but she
kept on her south bound course without
stopping. There are no telegraph stations
south of Ensenada, just south of the boun-
dairy line in Lower California, so that, save
such meagre information as may be
brought north by one of the Panama or
coast steamers, nothing further is likely to
be heard from her or the Itata until the
Charleston returns or is heard from at
some Of the Mexican ports, which cannot
occur before Thursday or Friday next.