Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-01-31
An Austrian Warship Cleared For Action
In Order to Help the American Ships If
There Was "a Row-Report That Admiral

! gums "a inc lISuFSenb WaFSnlp
! opened fire Saturday upon the bark Agate,
a vessel hailing from New York. l warned
Admiral da CANA ut once that if the fire
was repeated l would fire back. l also
warned him that if he touched an Ameri-
can ship or American goods | would con-
slider him pirate l told him that l would
| protect American property absolutely from
| the fire of his guns and that l should re-
taliate upon him for any damage done uu-
| less it was entirely apparent that the dam
age was due to chance shots"
Admiral Benham says that he notified
Admiral da Cana unotficially that firing
| by the insurgents upon the wharves for
! the purpose merely of creating terror and
to prolong blockade would not be per
mitted so far as Americans and American
| vessels were concerned. To this commune
cation the insurgent admiral made no an
swer. The captains of three American YES
| sells, Admiral Benham continues, iutimat-
! ed that they wanted to go to the wharves,
and the American admiral notified Ad-
miral da CANA that it was his intention to
| convoy them at sunrise on Monday. Fear
ing trouble, Admiral Benham ordered that
the vessels of lIs fleet be cleared for action.
The three ships referred to were the Amy,
the Good News and the Julia Rollins. The
captains of two of the ships weakened and
failed to come into the harbor.
The Insurgents Cowed.
The Amy was the only one that ventured
( in, and she was escorted by the United
States cruiser Detroit. AS II precaution
against any possible aggressive action on
the part of the insurgents the cruisers New
| York, Charleston and Newark We're as
signed to watch the actions of Da Gama's
ships Aquidabau and Tamandare, while
the Detroit and San Francisco We're sig
i
and the Guanabara.
These precautions certainly proved eff
fective, and the insurgents, in face of the
formidable array of American vessels,
made but he feeblest attempt to hinder the
Amy's progress to her wharf. No guns
were opened upon her by Da Gama's YES
sells, and as a matter of course the Ameri-
can vessels did not fire upon the insurgent
ships
The inSurgeut protest consisted of this:
AS the Amy got abreast of the Guanabara
marine on the last named vessel aimed a
musket at her and fired. Two musket
shots were fired at the Guanabara and the
Trajano from the Amy'S escort the De-
troit, in return.
This was all the firing done during the
Amy's trip, and it was enough. All oppo-
sitiOn ceased at once, and the use of heavy
guns was not considered necessary at any
time. The reason that the other two ships
which had notified Admiral Benham that
they wished to 90 to their wharyes failed
to do ca is thattbeir commanders vera mar
suada5 from, antaring tho horbo, nv 81 man
Damad Rollins who i believed to ha tba
aoent nf an Enolish firm which has baan
f1ro;slinrr w., ,.a1oIs Win n,ona,-
Da CANA May Surrender.
At later hour Admiral da CANA con-
ferred with his officers upon the advisable
itg of surrendering to the Detroit in con-
sequence of the musket shots fired He
was dissuaded from doing so, but it is
thought possible that he may yet decide to
surrender to the American commander
There is no doubt that Admiral da CANA
is in a bad way. A proposed compromise
has been refused by Peixoto's government,
and it seems to be only a matter of time
when he will have to give up the struggle
The complications of the insurgent stua-
ton are increased by the absence of Admit
raj de Mello The failure of the latter adj
miral to arrive here to the assistance of the
insurgent fleet has given rise to the report
that he is dead
The commanders of 16 wnrships here, in
Guiding five American and four English
and French, have sent messages to Admi-
ral Renham congratulatins, him upon his
prompt action. The Austrian commander
American admiral in case help was neces-
sary.
Alarming reports have been received here
of government disasters at Curutiba Par
anagua and Antonina 1t is stated that
these places have been captured by the in
surgents and that the government troops
have fed, abandoning their arms and mu-
ntions of war
-, nUic,,l Acc,,,rt
WAsHINGroN, Jan 5.-lhe following
details from the official advices of the navy
department are learn ad concerning the
incidents on the Goth at Rio de Janeiro:
Previous to the Goth Admiral Benham
had communicated with Admiral da Ga
ma, warning him against firing upon
American ships and refusing to allow the
insurgent commanders excuse that he had
given warning concerning where the dan
ger line was The commanders of three
American ships having signitied their de-
sire to go to the wharves on the morning
of the Goth, the American admiral sent
word that he would convoy them. He also
sent word to Admiral da CANA to that
effect Two ships were conveyed to the
wharves by the Detroit, the insurgent
warshlp following them.
When nearly at the wharf and while
tug was taking cable ashore, the insur-
gent warships opened fire, sending a vol
ley of muskat shot under the bow of the
tug The Detroit answered with warn
ing shot, and the iusurgent ship then sent
shot over the Detroit. The Detroit sent
in reply a shell, which reached portion of
the stern of the insurgent ship, doing lit
tie damage.
The insurgent commander then fred IL