The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-12-08
bIbLLUS MISSION.
Ea Has Gone to Bring Insurgent
Troops to Rio Janeiro.
SEVERAL DEADLY sKIRMTsHEs

Insurgents Who Attempt to Lnnd at Ar
macao RepuIseh By Government Troops
Many Killed and wounded How Meiio
Passed the Government Forts.
LONDON, Dec. S-frhe Times this morn
ing publishes he following, dated Rio de
] neiro, Dee s.: The government troops
have occupied Armacao which was aban-
doned by the insurgent sailors.
On sunday afternoon insurgcnt launches
attempted to land force of men AT Ar
macao under cover of the fire of the guns
Of the warships rraisno, Jupiter and
Aquidlban They were resisted by the
government soldiers, who We're intrenched
behind stone wallis, and kept up Il heavy
rifle iire. Tho sailors were unable to land,
and retired with the loas Of one killed and
three wounded On the same day there
was a heavy artillery fire from the gov
erument forts on For; EiHegaignon. The
fire OF the latter was well directed, and
many shells burst within the wallis of
Santa Cruz and San Jose. NilleBaignon
was alNu hit by many shells, and one man
was killed and two wounded.
On Monday $40 government soldiers,
from the shelter Of walls and houses at
Armacao, again successfully opposed an
attempt OF the insurgent ships, which
fired upon AlIaaeGp for one hour and
then parties in launches nude several at
tcmpts to land. The fire of the govern
mcut forces was so heavy, however, that
they were compelled 10 return to The
ships The sailors lost four killed and five
wounded, and heavy casualties are re-
ported amouE the troops. The artillery
fire Of the forts was continued on Mon
day. Rifemen on shore in front of Santa
LtlGiA fired upon the gunners at Nillegnig-
non and wCunded one Of them, Nillegaig
non replied with her machine guns and
rifles, killing nnd wounding twenty
A shell from Fort Santa Cruz hit Fort
Nillegaignon, riohoohetted over Cobras
Island, three and II half miles distant, and
sank naval training brig,
On Tuesday evening tho insurgent
launches again attempted 10 make land
ing at Armacao and were aguin repulsed.
The government reports many casualties
among he troops.
On Wednesday the new torpedo boat
Aurora. which was purchased by PeiNoto
in England, was delivered at Pernambuco.
The government has renamed her the
Custayo San Paio
The insurgent steamer Aquidahan
weighed anchor at midnight on Thursday
and proceeded slowly down the harbor,
with the Esperuncc 400 yards in advance.
Forts l4nge, Santa Cruz and Sac Joao
opened fire on the two vessels at 1880.
The ships made no reply ar first. They
passed Fort Lage safely. When abreast
of Fort Santa Cruz, the Esrerance opened
a heavy fire on the fort, and then the Aqui-
daban, at 100 yards distance, gave it II full
broAdside The fire of he ships was con-
tihued with machine and quick firing
guns until they were abreast OF Fort Sac
JoaO. Then both opened their starboard
broadsidcs.
While tho ships were passing the forts
the insurgent gunners in Fort Nillegaig-
non opened a well directed fire on Forts
LaBe and Sac ,Joao, bursting seven shells
over one search light and damaging it to
such m extent that the light was stopped.
After the first broadside of the Aguidaban
heavy smoke cnyeoped the ships and
the search lights were unable TO penetrate
1t
visited the Aquidaban before she left
and found Admiral Mello and his officers
and crew cheerful and confident of ulti-
mato success Tho Aguilaban has gone
to Destsrro to join the Republioa and TO
bring troops north. After clearing the
forts she threw her search light upon the
military school, which she bombarded
for half an hour, doing great damage to
the buildings.
The government fears that Admiral
Conclayes, with the warships Tiradentes
and Bahai, now at Montevideo, will prob
ably join the insurgents
The officers Of the foreign squadrons
here consider that the tactics of the Aquf-
daban were excellent and her handling
splendid. The success OF the two ships in
passing the forts creates strong feeling
on shore in favor of the Insurgents.