The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-29
THE ADMIT ALI STORY.
THAT FAMOUS stkNf w RIO VAS a
CoMM0EPHCE VENT.
Benham suid He vnld snvoy American
ships to the whfves sh He Did It,
THIS All

Rear Admiral a. p. K 5enhafn' 'a'ess
in command Of the south atlantic station
and Of the squadrt with was In Bra
lillian waters durhg Il recent war
was among the passenger on the steam
shin Pb,iadelphia othe RI d line. which
arrived here from IA Guyra carry YES
terday morning. haul4 do"n MS mas
on April sth and ias sdfed TWO u"Ss
later. He left Rio Aneircon MATT" '''"
on his flagship, thu san Francisco anu
boarded the philadelphia Z Curacao Inc
San Francisco wer on 10 D''e"e'u''
whittier she had BON orred 10 p'o'e.'
.r,... ,,,erestsl Accompanying Ad
=, r,ouha,, rvert tvIof his staff
-, rso,,,a0ont William Kilburn and
Ensign william II. Haust lls secre,aiy,
It was Admiral Beihamrho 'ausnl 'ne
Brazilian insurgents tina an A'neiie ~.
flag and an American oIaras "ord
are TO be respected IT famous ine,-
dent OF January 29tl, ven me De.roi'
fred on two vessels lof Oama meet
has not only given Admii Dennan
nown. but has warmed ne GUESTS "a
the patriotic heart; get near tne Ao-
mirai speak Of 1t ene n'ht 'nlnA !.
very commonplace ANA "neh asheu
about the incident yesteny morning. ~
a Sun reporter, he san
"Da Cana, as you knovciaimeu peiliE-
erent rights, and insisteupon our rec
ognizing them. That ] sclined 10 do'
for ne had none. ~ insane uHe ne
had established what vs. virtually
blockade of the port, ar was carrying
things with high han 'generaliy. lie
denied that he was seekg 10 maintain
a blockade; he had no iuntion' ne sNlu,
Of denying to American hips the right
10 discharge their carRs, nut what
amounted to the same ting, ne refused
to permit them To me up 10 the
wharves. To prevent TIN from DONG
this he kept firing cornuaily at the
shore. and no vessel coulcross the hrlng
line without damage 10 erself ana her
crew. My contention VI that ne, an
unrecognized belllgerent had no right
whatsoever to interfere VII an American
ships movements nor 70 arch her cargo,
no matter Of what il consted.
IL wrote TO Da Cana, Sling him that
he mast rescind all the rbitrary orders
he had issued reiative to perlcan vessels
| said that so long a j IS In the harbor
American vessels sloul have absolute
freedom Of movement. nd that II ne
took measures to restrt those move
ments / should Just q certainly take
measures TO move the sps by force. He
wrote back saying that Q would fire on
the first American shipthat should try
to get to the wharvss.
IL then thought 1t watime to give in
structions 10 the conmiding officers OF
my squadron. The Detit was assigned
as a convoy for the FIR vessel that de-
sired 20 60 IN 70 the whsges to discharge.
She was chosen princilly because she
is light of draught Wen the Captain
# the bark Amy signifd a desire to go
l to the wharves, | detmined that the
| Amy should go II It toe my entire feet
to escort her. If Da Gna opened fire. ]
| instructed Captain BRONSON to return the
| fire.
1.-THE Amy was lying ist north OF En-
chados Island. Just abr daybreak. on
| the morning OF Januarl29th. the Detroit
got under way, steamiy slowly toward
the city between Cobrs Island and En-.
| chados Island. Az the Anae time several
| Of the insurgent tugs moved up toward
the wharves and beSl, a fusilade with
Nordenfelt guns. WIN the Detroit had
| got near the Amy sh vas also near tho
Trajano broadside ~ The Captain Of
the Amy now sent OF several seamen in
| a boat with a eabIt his intention being
| TO have the cable crried TO the nearest
ship at anchor the he might warp tn,
| Amy toward fhe w.arves. The men had
! not rowed far whel a marine aboard IN,
| Trajano fired a shit over their heads.
"The Deroit's gins were already shot
| ted, and Just as soon as the shot was
| fired Capt Brown,On ordered s!x-pount
| shot fired at the rrajano BY mistake
| 1t went hcross ner bows. BIT II wa.
| not meat 10. that shot was in.ende,
| to hit re TraanO. and that IL didn1
was BECAUSE the gunner misun ierstooC
| the orde. When the shot whis-led atrCs.
| the TrSanos bows she replied with
| gun to eeward-on the other sid s-wnlcl
was aferward described II NE by Da
Cana s a gun OF protest
"As he Detroit was still s.eam'ne
| ahead he had come now TO the cIana
bara. At the same moment tie boat!
| crew rom the Amy were abreast, AM
| the Ganabara fired shot from can
| non GER their heads. Ia Cana after
| ward aid IL was blank cartridge. tu
| | kno' that IL was a solid shot. Tier
| the Etroit sent a shot from a small
| rined gun into the Guanabara's sterr
| post Well, that was the end Of i.
"Th following day Da CANA sent n
| let,r asking how he was 10 tonstiu'
| my alton. / sent word back that If he''
read ,ver my previous letters he coUldn'
| very well misconstrue; that / had yer,
decide intentions. and that thotPht
| had Made them perfectly clear % him.
II lon't know whether L could hav
| COPIED with his feet" the Admiral ven
on. nodestly. I'VE feared tina. For
] Cobrss anc Fort Villegaignon might ope
| fire. However, ii is ten to one that the.
| couldn't hit anything. Peixotos neet
| tugs and lunches were continually ny
| ing about 9ithin range OF the forts. bu
they were never hit, although the Tort
wasted a great deal Of powder and shot ar
| ing On them In fact Il was a common trims
for these little vessels 10 salute the Tort
| with three blasts OF a whistle when en-
| of the shos came within say nVe nun
| dred vardL Usually they we're mtr
| than half mile out OF the way.
"Da Cana stopped firing on tn
wharves altogether after the episode Q
| January 2gh. / intended, IL necessar,
| to give a envoy 10 every American yes
sci in the hrbor that desired 10 get I'M
| her berth. There might have oeea uo'
bic. Da Gina had a pretty good nee
| and one of his ships, the AquioaDah,
a frst-clafs battle ship. But the De
| troit's shot, seemed TO destroy MS hers'
7 remember that few DAYS after III
| trouble win the Amy the captain Vi
| Norweaiar bark went to Da CANA an
| asked II b could dock. Da Cana sal
sarcasticaiy that he didn't know;
| advised m. captain 10 see Admiral Bei