The Hawaiian gazette., 1891-09-08
THIS WAR IN cHILR.
Nearly 5000 Killed and Wound
ed in The Skfrmfsh.

NGM lOtSAs At,Ss -Ss-k00 AtcraN
this morning prints . Valparaiso (Chile
iiSpatch as follows; Balmaeeia sn,
lunta de 6OhierRo aSe eliaehea in
final desperate struggle for the master,
q the Republic Of Chile. The battle
ground is in full view ol Valparaiso. l
has been raging iOv three days. Tn,
first engagement WIS at the mouth e
the AeoncSyua On Friday snd resulte,
in reverse to the Government troops
A final test q strength is now be;a:
made at Nins del Mar Beach. I'VE mile.
from Valparaiso,
Thursday news came that an army q
/ 500 rebels had landed at Quintero Bsy
b4lmaesda WAS taken BY surprise, but
soon gos his troops to the front To Pre-
/ vent, il possible, the rebslS from cross,
/ ing the AcaOe2gra River. Six insur-
! sent w&rShipS are anchored in CoSnou
RSy AZ the month Of the river and the
rebels attempted 10 cross under. cover
I oi their ships guns.
The battle lasted nearly all day. The
I Insurgents steadily pushed their way
+ forward, driving the comparatively
( small Government fo0ces before them.
! Ii was constant skirmlSh Tor fifteen
/ miles over 8 broken coUatry. At every
Z point OF v2ntSge BAlmaced2nS made 4
stand, and, while constantly forced 10
/ give way under superior numbers, he re-
tanned his advance, Snd gave the main
army chance to better prepare itself
/ for decisive fight. Late in the evening
the stacking army arrived in front OF
BSlmSced2'S main line OF defense. IL
WIS then too late 10 give battle.
In the meantime, B2lm3cs3a himself
in command, went to the front with
over 1S,000 available men, while the in
Surgents had only 900. At the back Of
the Governments line Is Fort Callao,
whose heavy guns did good work in TO-
DAYS battle, r2king the army by land
and preventing the inSursent fleet from
doing anything but 81 long-range firing.
The inSuFgent artillery, aided by the
guns from the ships, was too much for
the Government troops. and they were
forced to retire, which they did in good
order Less than q, 900 troops were en-
gagged, aud nearly 500 were killed and
wounded. The commanding general Of
the Government forces chose a strong
position on the beach at Del Mar rs his
second line OF defense, and leaving force
enough in front Of the enemy 10 check
his progress somewhat, took his place
there yesterday and went to work to
strengthen It Is much IS possible.
The w2r-ShipS sent all the available
men with r3pid-fre guns TO aid the land
forces IN the atiacz On Balmaceda's posi-
ton.
The greatest excitement prevails in
the city. Everyone left here Is anxious
" watching the progress Of the battle. A
heavy pail of smoke hangs Ike I cloud
over the city
The mast powerful glass cannot pene-
tr2te the smoke, and only occasionally
c2n the movements Of the troops be even
guessed u There Is : constant stream
Of wounded being brought into the city
iron the 'front.'. and temporary hospitals
&Te being fitted up wherever possible.
The medical force Of the city has its
hands full and al the women have vol
Untsered IS nurses.
From the wounded only the most
irzgment2pg information IS 10 the pro
gTeSs q the fight cSn be obtained, and 1t
Is utterly impossible NON to form any
judgment as TO which side is getting the
better Of 1t.
Admiral Brown, commanding the
American feet, and other foreign COM
manders, hSTe combined TO protect the
lives and property OF foreign citizens.
Should the TevOluti0nists succeed IN de- |
festing or repulSing the Government |
troops IN the present struggle they |
would have 70 cross q small creek, which |
separates the beach from the village OF |
VIVA del Mar, and on taking possession !
OF the village would De IN the rear Of /
Fort Cali2O, with the feet on one side OF |
the fort and the insurgents on the ether, |
L would be Untenable.
Thus the northern defense OF Yaipa- |
raiso would fall, making the work OF
capturing the city much easier. It IS the |
belief that Valparaiso viii De
0Ombaried by the feet. should Balma-
ceds fall, and the victorious arny viii
make 4 land attack II. on the other
hand, Balmzceda gains the yictory the
feet viii cover the retreat OF the llsur-
gents and II necessary re-em52Tk the
troops
All the Government officials here are
confident that Bslmacei2 VIII drive the
back, and If he does not en-
.ireIv destroy them ne VIII compel the
remnant 10 embark II transports and re-
Vrn 10 the north. Tie fall OF Yalp2-
also would mean the practical collapse
i Bslmaceds's power Outside OF the
o-ces TOW engaged there are No f0Tces 10
oppose the march OF the insurgents to
santiago, and they would, with that city
s q base OF operations, soon OTerTun I'll
he Southern provinces On the other
laud, the defeat OF the insurgents would
mean a result little less than decisive,
OF the rebels have put forth all the
.reDgth they have, and while Baiula-
,edz would not be able 10 follow up 2
-ictory and take possession OF Iquique
nd the northern provinces until the AZ
wal Of the new FEar-ships EsTazuriz and
into, Il Is hardly likely that the Junta
ouId recover IRON crushing defeat OF
he Del Mar.
The scene from Valparaiso IS one Of
xfuI grandeur. 4 heavy pail Of smoke
sngs over the eO1tsnding armies II Is :
L up almost continuously by sharp Z
ashes Of light from the eznnons and
Ihes, and the thuadeTOGs rear Of artil-
~ can be heard continuously.
Educational Matters.
&