The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-05-26
LATEST FOREIGB TIV,
San Francisco, lHoy 10, per y. $.
Amtfaiia.
United STATE
THE CRUISER CHARLESTON Is ACTIVE
SERVICE.


The L. $. :. Charleston Capt.
Remey, arrived at san Pedro on the
10th, in pursuit of the Chilean rebel
steamer Itala, that escaped with a
cargo of arms aud ammunition from
that port. The L. $ ) Omaha ar
rived there the same day Orders
were issued to the |. ;. SIS san
Francisco, Baltimore and Pensacola,
also, to intercept the Ilata. Their
orders were to take the ltata, pro-
vided they could do so without mani
fest injury to their own vessels. The
San Francisco was at Iauique on the
10Th, whence Admiral Brown sent a
long cipher despatch to Washington.
The Chilean warship Esmeralda,
now in the hands of the insurgents,
lay at Acapulco, Mexico, several
days while the Charleston was also
there. There was reported inter
view between Capt. Remey and the
commander of the Esmeralda. The
| Chilean was said to have told the
American that the Itata could not be
seized until the Esmerada had been
sunk. Capt. Remey's reply was
that his orders would he carried out
if the Itata was overtaken, and the
presence of the Esmeralda would
make no difference. This alleged
interview gave rise to a sensational
expectation of naval battle between
the Charleston and the EsmeraIda.
Later reports, however, discredit the
interview altogether. An officer of
the Esmerada told a correspondent
that they were not afraid of the
Charleston, but their orders were to
be prudent and not provoke a con-
flict. Another authority states that
the Esmeralda's visit to Acapulco
had nothing to do with the Itata.
The Esmeralda was trying to get a
supply of coal.
The Charleston sailed southwark
from Acapulco the evening of the
18th, leaving the Esmeralda in port.
The Itata was supposed to have had
two full days start of the Charles
ton. There is strong belief that
the Esmeralda met the Itata before
entering Acapulco, and that she sup
piled her with coal, thus making her
self short of that necessary. 1t was
calculated that if on the right course
the Charleston should come up with
the Itata by the evening OF the 18th.
A prominent bureau chief of the
navy department said he believed
the commander of the Charleston
would not hesitate to take the Itata
even though he should have to lay
hands on her in Chilean waters,
The law of nations would prevent
him from taking her in a neutral
port.
Two deserters from the Itata were
examined by the grand jury at Los
Angeles, who were enquiring into the
case of the schooner Robert and
Minnie, the vessel that loaded the
war material at Oakland and trans
ferred it to the Itata. The following
is an abstract of their information:
When the ltata started north prior
to her putting in to San Diego, she
had aboard some sixty new rifles and
200 old ones. She flew the Chilean
flag and pennant-a blue flag with a
white star in the center. When the
Esmeralda and Itata met at Cape St.
Lucas the former had $50 men all
told and sixteen cannons of different
caliber. The 1tata had ninety sailors
and sixty soldiers, the latter being in
citizens clothes. They were all in
structed that if they divulged the
secret Of the vessels mission the
death penalty will follow. The Itata
carried four sixty-pound guns that
were hidden under canvas with her
small arms in the forward hold. The
soldiers were slowed away there
also, their food being sent to them
from on deck.
Every appearance of the vessel be-
ing prepared for war was removed
two days before she steamed into
San Diego, when she looked like a
first-class and clean trimmed mer-
chairman. 1t was understood by
everybody aboard that the Itata was
on the lookout for a schooner with
rifles and other munitions of war.
When the EsmeraIda started from
the south she had only 500 tons OF
coal and the Itata had 1900.
The program was for the Itata
to get the munitions of war from the
Robert and Minnie and at some
place in the tropics transfer them to
the Esmeralda, which would then es-
cort her to the southwark to Iquique.
If the trip were made without inter
ference so much the better; but il
not, the Esmeralda proposed to do
battle. The Esmeralda and Itata
were commanded from Iquique to
st. Lucas by each Others masters,
who exchanged to their rightful
commands at the latter point.
ITEMS.
The Canadian House Of Common.
has passed the bill extending privi
leges under the modus vivendi tt
United States fishing vessels in Cana.
dian waters for another year. Il
was certain to pass the Senate.
The wheat crop Of North Dakots
is seriously suffering from drouth.
Col. and Mrs. John A. Cockeril
are suing the Fifth Avenue Trans
portation Co., New York, for heavy