The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-04-05
SAN PEDRO DE TANCA
--latest News From the Seat Of
War.
A LITTLE INSIDE HISTORY
The Actual State of Affairs is Suppressed
and But Little News is Allowed
to 90 Forth.

HERALD. TO reach this place, one must
come to africa, Chilrs northernmost port,
which is a distance from Valparaiso ia
marine miles. Tacna lies forty miles due
westward from the sea, at the edge of
fertile valley and is connected with africa
by railway. The cars start near the steam
boat landing, and while waiting for the
Tacna train one may see about all there is
of interest in africa.
Not far from the cannon-mouthed MORO
the giant bluff described in previous
letter-one observes some tall masts and
spars sticking up in the sands of the desert.
They, with some broken machinery, are
all that remains of the Inflated Watcree, a
United States steamship which happened
TO be anchored in the harbor during the
great earthquake and tidal wave Of 1868,
when she was carried inland nearly half
mile and left high and dry by the receding
pillows.
There is big church TO be visited, which
was
MADE ENTIRELY OF WROUGHT IRON
brought from the United States, and set on
top of massive stone terrace; and the
usual central plaza, with little garden in
the middle, which is doing its best to sur
vive on an infnitesimal supply of water.
Arica's exclusive upper tendon is led by
the official circle, which includes two gov
errors, one maritime, the other supposed
20 attend to affairs Of terra tirma; Judge,
of what is hereabouts known as "First In
stancia;" Comandante de Armas; post
master and custom house administrator;
+ho;, Fo,niliac m
cousins several times removed, which COM
prises fully one-half the population. Be-
sides the railroad before mentioned, the
town communicates with Tacna, and with
other parts of the republic, by telegraph
THAT is in times of peace; and with the
outer world by cable submarine
Though the railway journey to Tacna IS
only forty miles long, it requires nearly
four hours to make it; partly because the
latter city
STANDS TWO THOUSAND FEET HIGHER,
and therefore the grade is in some places
very heavy. The route leads over waste
of sand that shows no semblance OF life or
verdure. except at the halfway station
named Ell Rospicio, where a few scanty
shrubs are kept alive by subterranean
flow of water. The entrance to the green
and fertile valley of Tacna is marked by
one of those sudden transitions from desert
waste to iuXuriauce of vegetation so fire.
quently met with in this part Of the world.
The azequias or irrgating bitches, are al
ways carried high up to the extreme edge
of valley, and thence the water is so
freely distributed as to make positively
startling the contrast between cultivated
fields and environing desert.
Tacna has none of the Oriental aspect
common to most Spanish-A American towns,
principally because not much stone and
adobe have been used in its construction.
The low, one-storied houses are mostly
made of wood, which was brought from
Southern Chill, or by sailing vessel down
the Pacific
FROM DISTANT OREGON AND CALIFORNIA,
or still farther, from the forests of Maine
and Eastern Canada away around the Horn.
These tiimsy casas show no attempt at
architectural adornment and are poor sub
stitutes for the Moorish balconies and
heavy arched doorways which we have
learned to admire and expect, and which,
however tumble down and neglected, con-
vey an impression of dignity and durability.
Tacna's houses appear to have been knock
ed together in great haste, like in our mush-
room towns in the Far West. Their long.
monotonous lines of gables, all turned to-
ward the street, remind one Of Mr. .Jedediah
Morse's description Of Albany, New York
in his excellent old geography, namely: "a
Guy VI l,OOO uOuSoS 1U,UUb y,
all standing with their gable ends to the
street."
The population of Tacna is somewhere
about eight thousand, and the last census
gave to the department of which it is the
capital trif1e more than twenty thousand
souls.
THE STREETS ARE LONG,
winding and irregular, as if they were never
laid out, but "grew," like Topsy. There
are two big theatres and one small church
The former are bare, barn-like structures
resembling northern skating Kinks or brew
cries; and it is not the fault of the citizen:
that they do not possess more pretentiou.
sanctuary. Many years ago they had near
~ completed a splendid church, "La Parro
quia," facing the main plaza-when al
earthquake came along and cracked it 81
badly that work was abandoned. Its wall,
are built of q light colored trachite tina
Rbounds in tho neighoorhood; and one won
ders why the houses are not more generally
made of the same beautiful material
The market place is a hollow square, sur
rounded by a colonnade and entered by arcl
ways from parallel streets. The vender
squat on the pavements and display thei
wares IN shallow baskets Of braided PUSHES
or spread out on blankets long innocent o
soap and water. There are
FOUR COMMON SCHOOLS IN THE TOWN,
besides several of superior grade, all sup
ported by the government The local law
are administered by a Jefe Politico, assists
by five subordinates, and backed by 20
soldiers. In the immediate suburbs wa
fought that historic battle, known as ''E
Alto de AlianZa,n in May of 1880, whic
ruptured the old alliance between Peru an
Bolivia that had proved so disastrous to tn
former country, and gave Chilli possession
of the territory Now the Chilians com
loir hot Mn1ln do the,I Dor, r-ior, ho
ruined both Tacna and africa, by absorbin
all of Bolivia's exports and imports; fol
naturally, the Bolivians do not take kindl
TO paying duties to the country which too
away all their sea coast by superior fore
of arms. BY special permission of tn
CHILEAN government, a line of carretero
run between africa and Bolivia, bringin
cut from the latter country some ores, COT
fee, cocoa, cinchona bark, etc.
All the water that is used in Tacna
brought from
TIE GREAT CANAL CALLED UCHUsUMA,
by an aqueduct 5000 metres long, and is d,
posted in common reservoir, whence it
carried around TO the houses in huge Ii
cans. Perhaps the most attractive spot
the place is the Alameda, or public promer
ade-a long and narrow area with broa
azequla running down the middle, which
crossed by many stone bridges precisel
like those seen in Chinese paintings; eac
hump backed little arch capped by an ALT
gorical statue in marble. Long lines
ancient willow trees shade the whole, an
beneath their dropping and worm droppin
branches, stone benches are thickly set fo
the accommodation of the populaoe-whic
never comes this way, for the place is CON
pletely deserted at all times and seasons
except by the birds and butterflies.
The caravansary where we tarried, name
La Bola de Ora, 1.-THE Golden Ball. },
quaint enough to deserve especial mentio,