The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-19
AS BENHAMTELLS THESTORY,
THzr FAMOUS SCENE ~ RIO vas
COMMONPLAcE KVENE

tue squadron Wnlcn was IN BRAZILIAN waters
during the recent war. was among the pas.
senRers on tho steamship Philadelphia OF the
Red u line which arrived here from In Guayra
carly yesterday morning. He hauled down his
flag on April 4 and was retired two days later.
He left Rio Janeiro on March IS on his flag
ship. the San Francisco. and boarded the Phil
ndelphia nc Curacao The San Francisco went
on to Blue1elds. whittier she had been ordered
to protect American interests. Accompanying
Admiral Bcnham were two OF his star-F1aR
Lieutenant William Kilburn and Ensign Will
liam II. Faust. his secretary.
II was Admiral Benham who taught the
Brazilian insurgents that IN American flag
and an American Admirars word are to be re-
spected. The famous incident Of Jan. ~.
when tho Detroit fired on two vessels OF Da
Gama's fleet. has not only given Admiral Ben
ham renown. but has warmed the cookies OF
the patriotic heart; yet to hear the Admiral
speak Of II one might think It q very common
place affair. When asked about the incident
yesterday morning By Sun reporter. he said:
Da CANA as you know. claimed belliger-
ent rights and insisted upon our recognizing
them. That declined to do. for he had none.
At the same time he had established what was
virtually a blockade OF the port. and was car
rylnG things with high hand generally. lie
denied that he was seeking to maintain a
blockade; he had no intention. he said, OF de-
nying to American ships the right 10 dis
charge their carcoes; but. what amounted to
the same thing. he refused to permit them to
move up to the wharves. To prevent them
from doing this he kept firing continually at
the shore. and no vessel could cross the firing
line without damage to herself and her crew.
Ny contention was that he. an unrecognized
belliRerent had no right whatsoever to inter-
fere with an American ships movements. nor
to oh hAr Fna M att nf nj NJ
sisted.
Il wrote to Da CANA telling him that he
must rescind all the arbitrary orders he had
issued relative to American vessels. l said
that so long as was In the harbor American
vessels should have absolute freedom OF move
ment and that II no took measures to restrict
those movements l should Just as certainly
take measures to m owe the ships by force. He
wrote back saying that he would fire on the
first American ship that should try to get to
tho wharves.
Il then thought II was time to give instruc-
tons to the com manding officers Of my SQUAD
rod. The Detroit was assigned rs convoy
for the first vessel that desired to go in to the
wharves to discharge. She was chosen prn-
cipaily because she IS light Of draught Whom
the Captain Of the bark Amy slgnited desire
to go 10 tho wharves. l determined that the
Amy should 60 II 1t took my entire fleet tn es.
Capt. Brownson to return the IRE ''''0N
The Amy was lying Just north OF Enchados
Island SI ,S n,er W, on the
and Enchsdos Island. At the same time
dsnst guns avg WheS sSe be.rsIs had T so n n
side on. Tho Captain Of The Amy now sent
out several seamen In C boat with cable, his
aneGs se
warp the Amy toward the wharyes. The men
had not rSwsd lar when marine h aboard the
The Detroits guns were already shotted.
and lust as soon as the shot was tred Capt
the Trainno., By a mistake it went across her
bows; hut II was not meant to. That shot
tho order When the shot whistled across the
ward-on the other side-which was aiterward
described to me by Da CANA as gun OF
As the Detroit was still steaming ahead
she had come now to the Guanabara. At the
same moment the boats crew from ne Any
aiterward said it was : blank cartridge but
troit sent shot from small rihsd gun into
the G9an%eara's stern post We'll, that was
The following day DA Cana sent me a
letter asking how he was to :onstrue my &C.
my previous letters he couldn't very well mis-.
construe: that had very decided intentions
and that thought | had made them perfectly
II don't know. whether I could have coped
with his fleet" the ADMIRAL went on. modest;
Ten 10 one that they copi dR't hit snSthiug :
iinually flying about within range Of The forts.
but they We're never hit, although the forts
on them. In fact, it was common thing for
these little vessels TO salute the forts with
m within nya hundred yarus. iguallV
they were mere than half a mile out OF the way
Da Cana stopped firinE on the whaTyss
American, vessel in the Rarbor that desired 10
trouble. Da CANA had pretty good fleet and
one Of his shiGs. the Aqnidabsn. IL a fr.t.class
days after the trouble with the AMY the Cap
n 81 y. gsUHd 0sG oek e a saa
sarcastically that no didn't know; he advised
tho Captain TO see Admiral Benhan about
the matter i never met la Cana but once.
and that was before our little dificulty. After
that. OF course, there was some eonstIaint in
defence OF his stand in tho matter OF sea- ch-
ing ships. lie used TO say, eyasiysly. when
ties and his novel position would Justify him
in going beyond the law"
When asked Rs to his opinion Of affairs In
Brazil at the time OF his leaving. tho Admiral
sad a.. pra.,,.,,-. ,.., =. ur,..
tho candidate OF the insurgents. aud when he
WAS taken up by the Republicans the revOlu-
tion was necessarily at an end. The Reputll-
cans stole the Insurgents thunder aud sur
render WAS only question uf time. My means
OF knowing the sentiment OF tho people MAS
somewhat limited. but II seems 10 me that
Brazil will always be in a. state OF chronic
ksstlessnsss, Those South American republics
Are all pretty much that way spasmodic eIup-
tions aud nphsayAls is the general rule. Tie
States OF Brazil are asspcinted only in name.
they seem 10 have no identity OF interest. as
our States have. and the people are manly
concerned with the local issues that come
under their direct observation, Nobody knows
AM thing about the republic. its organization,
or It's methods and the worst OF II Is, nobody
cares. 49,
dered as he did. although think his strength
was always oVerrated. have seen IL stated
in newspapers that he had az one time 10000
followers. Now. IL WAS my Particular business
10 Inquire Into the matter OF his strength. and
FROM all the information could get am con-
WINGED that he never had over 300 men at
AnY one time. His sailors fought much better
than his soldiers that isn't SAYING IN uch, how
ever for his soldiers were simply worthless
The Church was tack OF him. and he had in
fushce in ether quarters; but he never in
BDlTed the confidence necessary 10 bring them