The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-26
The Street Brawl at Valparaiso.


The Street Brawl at Valparaiso.
The Boston is at last of for Chillan waters.
She will have to coal. probably. at st. Lucia.
Bahia. Montevideo. and Magellan Straits,
but will certainly waste no time on her way.
The Yorktown. bound also to Valparaiso.
coaled at st. Thomas about twelve days
ago. and Is now doubtless Off the coast OF
Brazil. At Valparaiso Is stationed the Bal
timore. while the San Francisco is at Callao.
These four vessels are the force that can
be relied upon at present and in the imme-
dlate future for service in Chilian waters !;
and the Boston has long voyage to make
before being available. On the South At.
lantic station there Is the Essex. with the
Yantic about to start thither from Norfolk.
but they are OF small value. and both arc
needed in the South Atlantic. A vessel OF
much moro consequence Is the Newark.
which is now fitting out to go as flagship on
that station. and from Buenos Ayres could
proceed in case OF need to Valparaiso. The
Pensacola ought to remain at Honolulu,
and the Iroquois at Apia, in view OF affairs
In the Hawaiian and Samoan archipelagoes.
The China station also needs all the force it
has. and the only modern ship there is the
Charleston. which. II relieved next month
by the Lancaster. may be ordered back to
this side Of the Pacific. where she would be
available for Chill. The Chicago. Philadel-
phia. Atlanta. Bennington. and Concord. all
modern ships. remain In North Atlantic
waters. but are available for any duty
Beyond doubt our Government will take
due notice OF the recent street fight at
Valparaiso. in which boatswain's mate
was killed and six American sailors injured.
Street brawls in which sailors on leave are
concerned are familiar enough in many
ports. and at Valparaiso quite as much as
elsewhere. 1t Is not unlikely that the
parties to the quarrel may have been ex-
cited by liquor. But the men attacked were
wearing the American uniform. and proba-
bly, were assaulted because OF the angry
feeling prevailing In the city against the
United States.
That this feeling is illogical 1t would be
easy to point out. One Of its grounds per-
haps may be that the United States Govern.
ment insisted on the return OF the Itata,
and even Of the arms which formed her
cargo, thereby delaying the triumph OF the
Junta. This might be good ground for
hostile feeling at IQuique. but why should it
be at Valparaiso. which at that time was
siding against the Junta Similar con-
siderations might be applied to the alleged
giving OF information by our naval officers
to the BALMAcEDA Government before its
overthrow. But 1t Is hardly worth while
to go into such questions. Our sailors are
entitled to the protection OF their Govern
ment. and. in dealing with Chill, where
popular feeling has been stirred up by civil
war. demand OF reparation for any injury
suffered should be backed up by the force
necessary to insist upon it. II denied
The Baltimore. the most heavily armed Of
our ships in the Pacific. carries four s-inch
and six 6-inch breech-loadlng rifles: the San
Francisco carries twelve e-inch rifles: the
Boston, two s-inch and six G-inch: the York.
town. six 6.lnch, All these vessels have in
Chilians have large numerical force in
their home waters. but the ironclads,
though In some cases heavily armed. are Of
inferior speed. The Esmeralda is O very
fast vessel. well armed. and indeed carry.
ing two 10.inch guns in her battery, thus
ours in calibre. although they
are said not to work in q satisfactory way.
The Amirante Lynch and Almirante Con-
dell are pair Of fast modern tor
pedo cruisers Of an effective type: but they
would never be allowed to surprise our
vessels as they did the Blanco Encal-
ada. and they could doubtless be dis
abled by the secondary batteries OF our
ships. The Presldente Pinto and Presi-
dente Errazuriz are fast 2.OS0-ton ships,
credited with 10 knots. While in size they
hold place between the Yorktown Of ,7Os
tons and the Boston OF 5000. they carry
each only two 4.7-inch and four 2A-incll |
guns; still. these are Qulck.fire pieces. We |
have not seen. however. any announcement |
that the earlier OF the two has yet |
reached Chill. The Capitaine Prat. IN
Of $500 tons and 10 knots. and |
carrying belt OF - inches Of STEEL with a |
battery OF four 9h-inch and eight 47.inch |
guns. Is far more formidable than any OF |
our vessels. which are all unarmored: but |
she has not yet gone to Gillian waters.
1t is not to be supposed that the Govern
ment at Santiago will hesitate to do what
ever should be done toward redressing
any mob violence suffered at Valparaiso.
But with the various questions at issue be-
tween the two Governments and the posi-
bilities OF MISUNDERSTANDING. it In well to
take account Of Chilis naval force. present
and prospective. Onr Government must
now at least be satisfied that its tardy
OF the Pacific squadron has
not been in excess OF urgent needs.
The Royal Yacht Business.
Tn one sense the loss NJ the Initial Sta..a |