The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-20
SAFETY OF THE REFU0EEs.
The Action OF the Chilean Government
Not Inconsistent.


VALPARAISO, Jan. l9-TEew York Herald
Special 1.-The Yorktown sails tonight for
Callao, Peru, with the Balmacedist
refugees. As cabled last night, the
Chilean authorities, despite denial Of
official knowledge of the refugees leaving
the American legation. really appointed
detectives to guard their passage. Further
proof of their knowledge is easily obtain
able from newspaper reports.
The latest news about the steamer
John Alder, Captain Perry, is that she
went ashore In Punta Ahumada, north of
Cape Carranza, during a dense fog. The
vessel was total loss. The passengers,
mail and crew were saved. The British
warship Melpomene and the Chilean
steamers Esmeralda, Mendoza and Osomo
have gone to the assistance of the wrecked
vessel. The story sent out by Thomp-
son, of the London Times, that the refu-
gees from the American legation were
aboard the Alder is absolutely false. 1t is
in line with the mass of other misinforma-
ton cabled by him from this country.
VALPARAISO, Jan. 19.-[New York World.
Copyrighted, 1892 lit is true that the
Chilean government has notified Captain
Evans, of the Yorktown, that it was un-
on board his ship If he undertook to trans
fer t1em to any departing steamer, and
neither could the government prevent any
steamer on which they took passage from
being searched in any Chilean port at
which the vessel might touch while on
the way north. There was no change of
mind ON the part of the Chilean
authorities in regard to the refu-
gees. In proof of this 1t is
only necessary to look &C the facts. By
the following statement from high author
fly it is claimed that the government is
powerless in the premises: "The govern
ment has no right, under the constitution
of the country, TO interfere with the courts
or public prosecutors, and could not pre-
vent the seizure of the refugees in any
port of Chile they touched at on the way
in any direction to a neutral point" This
plain and direct statement of the law and
facts should put at rest the notion, if any
such exists, that the surrender of the
refugees to the American authorities had
q stout, tight string attached to it.
WASHINGTON CRY, Jan. 19-An As
ISOLATED Press reporter had an interesting
talk today with a Chilean with regard to
the recent act OF the minister of foreign
affairs In informing Minister Egan that
the refugees now on the Yor ktown would
be liable to seizure If the vessel on which
they were to leave Chile for Europe
touched at any of the local ports of that
country. According TO this gentleman,
the only inference to be drawn from the
action Of the minister Of foreign affairs is
that the Chilean government really
meant it for the benefit of the
refugees, instead of notice of an attempt
TO secure their persons. The Chilean gov
eminent, he said, never asked their de-
livery from the legation and never offered
TO give them a safeguard out of the coun-
try. They travelled in concealment from
Santiago TO Valparaiso, and although the
government was fully aware of this it was
officially ignorant" of the circumstances,
but after being informed officially that
they had boarded the Yorktown and in
tended 10 sail for Europe on
steamer touching at a Chilean port,
the government was compelled 10 take
cognizance of the fact, and then notified
Egan that the refugees would be liable 10
seizure if found on such merchant vessel
in Chilean port. 1t was TO avert this
seizure that the minister of foreign affairs,
with friendly intentions, reported to the
American minister what might be ex-
pected TO happen. The government could
not interfere in the process of the courts,
which would have caused the arrest of the
refugees.
Commander Evans, of the Yorktown, to-
day informed the navy department that
the Chilean steamer Esmeralda left Val
paraiso this morning to go TO the assist
ance of the British mail steamship John
Alder, reported ashore leo miles south of
Valparaiso. It is learned today that the
Halmaceda refugees are still on the York
town and consequently in no danger of
falling into the hands of the Chileans by
reason of the wreck of steamship John
Alder The statement that they were
placed on that vessel in disguise at VAL
paraiso is. therefore, incorrect. The fact
that the Esmeralda had gone 10 the wreck
OF the John Alder might indicate, how
ever, that the local authorities incline to
the impression that the refugees were pas
sengers on that vessel.
LoSpoS, Jan. I9.-The Pacific Steam
Navigation Company's mail steamer John
Alder, from Valparaiso for Liverpool. has
been wrecked in the straits of Magellan.
All the passengers and the crew OF the
steamer were saved. but the vessel herself
and the mails will be n total loss. The
passen gers are preceding TO Conception,
Chile, n port 250 miles southwest of Santi-
ago. The Alder was an iron screw vessel
with registered tonnage of ., 44s and
gross tonnage Of 4.iS2 She was built in
Glasgow in 1870