The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-30
SHOTS FOR
OLD GLORY,
The Honor of the National
Flag Vindicated By
Admiral Benham.
AGAINST BRAZIL'S REBELS
De Gama's Fleet Fired on
American Merchant
Vessels.
Then Uncle Sans Warships
Weighed Anchor, Shotted
Their Guns and Cleared
y for Action.
EFFECT OF A SIX POUND SHELL
1t Smashed the Guanabara's Stern
Post and Scared De CANA
Into Submission.

BIZ Gable. Copyright. 1894. By tho United Press
Rio JANEIRo, Jan. 20, 1s94.-The Amer
lean bark Julia Rollins, Captain Kiehne,
from Baltimore, and the American schooner
Millie J. H, Captain Cuttis, from New York,
were fired on by the insurgents during
night foray last week. Admiral Saldanda
da Cana, the commander of the insurgent
forces here, visited Rear Admiral Ben
ham, commander of the American squadron,
and was emphatically told that the
that they could with impunity fire upon
American vessels. Admiral Benham as
serted that American ships would be pro-
tected by his fleet no matter in what part of
the harbor they might happen to be.
Admiral da CANA protested against this
decision, but finally apparently yielded the
point
DE GAMA's THREAT.
On Saturday the American Bark Amy
Captain Blackfork, from Baltimore, the
American bark Good News, Captain May
rick, also from Baltimore, and the Julia
Follins gave notice that they were going to
the Saudre Piers. Admiral de Cana learned
of this and yesterday he notified Admiral
Benham that if the three vessels attempted
to go to the piers referred to he would fire on
them.
Admiral Benham at once replied that the
vessels could go to the piers if they wanted
to, and that he would send the Detroit to
protect If the Detroit could not furnish
sufficient protection every vessel of the
American squadron would be employed in
the way of protection.
Early yesterday morning five insurgent
tugs and armed merchantmen proceeded to
the place where the American vessels were
lying at anchor and hovered about them,
apparently waiting for them to get under
way, when they would fred upon them.
There was great activity displayed on
board the American warships, and soon the
sharp tones of the boatswains' whistles could
be heard piping the crews to clear the ships
for action.
At five o'clock the Detroit hoisted her an
chors, and, with shotted guns, steamed in
beside the insyrgent warships Trajano and
Guanabara both of which were lping close
to the Good News. AS the Detroit took up
her position shot from the Guanabara was
fired at the Good News.
THE DETRoIT's SHOT
The Detroit at once fred six-pound
shot across the bows of the Guanabara,
whereupon the latter vessel replied with
what is supposed to have been a blank cart
ridge. The Detroit then turned one of her
guns upon the Guanabara and sent small
shell into her stern, and was on the poin t
of delivering broadside at the insurgent
ship, when the Guanabara signaled that she
would stop firing.
In the meantime an American citizen, g.
M Rollins, who has acted as the agent of
Admiral da Cana in the arbitration negoti-
ations, has visited all three of the American
merchantmen and offered to have them
towed at the expense of the insurgents if
they would not go to the piers. This the
captains of the merchantmen agreed to.
This arrangement was reported to Admiral
da Cana on board his flagship, the Liber-
dade He then said:--
at is too late. The glass is broken. I
must yield to this foreign feet of superior
force. will resign, and give my sword to
the American Admiral
DE CANA WANTED TO SURRENDER.
Later in the day Admiral de CANA called
council of his officers, expecting that all of
them would seek an asylum on board the
American feet, but the younger officers
would not yield. 1t was stated at the coun-
ell that Admiral Benham had offered Ad-
miral de CANA and his officers asylum on
board of the American wapships.
What the final result of the trouble be-
tween the fleets win be is not known, but
there is one thing that is evident to every
body, and that is that the American mer-
cl,o,,t xraesals are rrotected in every rart of