The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-03-26
THE WAR IN chilli
ACCOUNT OF THE BoMBARD.
MENT AND BURNING OF
IQUIQUE.
A sANGUINARY CONFLICT.
Col. Soto Armsted and Carnid Aboard q
-of-War-Passage Abandoned
A Newspaper OHcie Sacrificed

PANAMA, March 24.-The English ironclaG
war Sprite arrived at Calao on March 1st
Those on board furnished information o
which the following is summary:
We left Iqu;que on February &C. sub>e.
| quent to the different events which led to
the capture of the port by the rebels and the
first fire, which caused the destruction OF
property valued at $2OOOOOO. 1t appears
that when the rebels captured the port
the government troops took up position
! at some distance from it and held them
selves in readiness to attack the city. The
rebels retu ned on board, leaving only some
fifty men in charge. The troops soon
heard of this and marched to the place,
Sc me 200 strong, under Colonel Soto.
They reached the vicinity at about 6
o'clock in the morning and there fell in
with the guard of sailors. Firing com
menced and a short fllisade led the ships
10 promptly open fire. The Blanco, En-
colada, Esmerada and Huascar used their
guns while the transports kept their
m trailliuses busily employed. Tremendu
ou, destruction followed and at 10 a. m.
fire broke out in the nitrate warehouse
which was extinguished by the fire
brigade.
At 1880 p. m. another fire broke out and
this time the efforts of the firemen proved
useless ana the flames spread until the
whole central part of Iquique where the
best stores and buildings were situated was
in ruins. UP to the 26th when the War
Srrite left Iqulque the ruins were yet
burning.
The light which resulted in the fire was
bloody tragedy, and it would have been
more prolonged had it not been for an ar
rangement backed by the chiefs of the two
parties, and under which the opposition
leaders engaged to pay Col. Soto $4,000,
and to deliver it among his men, who were
then to join the rebels.
Under this arrangement the government
troops abandon,d d their arms and soon dis
persed. Subsequently Col. Soto was ar
rested and sent on board the AmaZonas,
accused of having distributed only $1,000
anGApg-h his men and having retained the re-
naming $4,000 Those on board the War
Spritel had only been inforn med that
Col. Robbed had 1000 of Balmaceda's
troops on the pampas and that it was pos
sible they would again attack Iquique in
which port and in its vicinity the revolu-
tlonists stated they had 5000. They were
however, short OF ammunition but were ex-
pecting some by steamer.
1quique is in completely abnormal situa-
tion and all the inhabitants have taken ref
uge on the island where they had previous
ly been stationed.
Pisaqua has been abandoned by
the populace. The inendent of
Iquique sought refuge in the War
Spite and subsequently, left in the cable
steamer Silverton for Valparaiso. The re-
port is confirmed of fight al San Francis
CO, in which Gen. Vedagran was killed and
where the rebels was defeated. In the
fight at Iquique on the 10Th about 200 per
sons were killed. Some of the number lost
their lives through their own imprudence.
The Office of the daily newspaper Vos De
Chill, which supported the government,
was sacked and burned. The war Spirte
cave passage to Callas to lis persons of diff
ferent nationalities.