Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-30

Iieved That Orders Pave Been Issued to
Protect American shippiDg-A Report
That Bsnham Was Acting Mediator.
Peixoto Insults the Navy.
Rio DE JANEIRO, Jan. 30.-One of the
most exciting days that Rio de Janeiro
has experienced since the commencement
of hostilities between the insurgents and
the Brazilian government was Monday.
The United States naval fleet stationed in
this hQrbor furnished the excitement.
Provoked beyond the endurance of pa
thence by the continued carelessness of the
gunners aboard the rebel warship Aquid-
aban, and tired by the indifference shown
on the part of the revolutionary admiral
to all his protests that American vessels
entering and leaving the harbor were not
afforded proper protection by the rebel
feet, Admiral Benham made demonstra-
ton with the American war vessels under
his command which has taught a much
needed lesson to the belligerents on both
sides and which will undoubtedly have the
effect hereafter of securing proper recogni-
ton of the rights of all vessels carrying
the American flag.
May Furnish Precedent.
The foreign colony was particularly in
terested, and the action of Admiral Ben
ham will probably furnish precedent by
which the commanders of the other forei GU
vessels in this port will be guided in the
future. The cause of all the trouble was
the treatment to which three American
barks were subjected on last Saturday by
the indiscriminate fusillade from the in
surgent warship.
The American vessels were the bark
Amy, Captain Blackford, of Bath, Me-,
paI Nv &Io l. q
News, Captain Myrick, of Baltimore,
owned by c. Morton Stewart & Co., and
the bark Julia Rollins, Captain Kiehne, of
Baltimore, owned by Thornton Rollins of
that city.
On Saturday last, while lying at anchor,
all three vessels were endangered by the
chance shots fired by the insurgents. These
whistled through the rigging and passed
the men at work upon the decks. Many
of the crews of the three vessels narrowly
escaped being shot.
After suffering a great deal of annoy
ance and running great risks in the hope
that the insurgents would realize the folly
of their action and put stop to their reck-
less firing, the three captains held a hur-
ried conference and determined to appeal
for protection to the United States war
ships and to request that the barks be
given an escort to the wharves.
Captains Kiehne, Myrick and Blackford
put off in small boats at great danger to
themselves and pulled up to where the
flagship New York was stationed.
Admiral Benham promised that he would
do everything in his power to afford them
the fullest protection. He said, however,
that before making any display of force on
the part of his fleet or giving the captains
the escort which they requested he thought
it only right to first notify the insurgent
| admiral, Saldanha da Cana, of the cap
tains' complaints. Accordingly Admiral
Benham sent one of his officers to the
Aquidaban with orders to acquaint Ad-
miral da Cana with the facts in the case
and to ask him to have an end put to the
reckless cunning.
Da Gama's Curt Refusal.
Da Cana was apparently in very bad
humor when the American officer arrived
aboard the Aquidaban, and with many ex-
CARNATIONS of Impotence he listened to the
recital of the American captains griev-
ances. The insurgent admiral was evil
IDENTIFY still annoyed over the unsatisfac-
tory conference which he had held with
Admiral Benham and was indisposed to do
anything which would prove pleasing to
| the commander of the United States fleet.
When the American officer had finished
| making his statement, Da Cana, with a
| shrug of his shoulders, said In very sharp
tone: 1T is not my fault. The American
captains should know enough to keep
! themselves and their crews out of the range
of our guns. l shall not take any notice of
| this matter"
| This curt response to his message aroused
the ire of Admiral Benham, and he de-
termined to make such a showing that it
would produce a lasting effect upon the in
| 10 oil Sr1pAov fo of
ly and without any appearance that he in
tended to take any further notice of the
| affair.
Early Monday morning, however, the
| greatest activity prevailed on board the
| fleet. Shortly after day break the decks OF
the flagship New York, of the Newark
San Francisco, Detroit and other United
States war vessels here were cleared for
action, and their anchors were raised.
Two Captains Weakened.
| Admiral Benham then sent word to the
captains of the Good News, Julia Rollins
and Amy that he was prepared to keep his
| promise to them and that as soon as they
were ready to proceed he would escort them
to the wharves. At this moment Captains
Kiehne of the Julia Robbins and Myrick
| of the Good News weakened, and despite
| their vigorous protestations and urgent
demands of Saturday they returned word
| that they did not care to embitter the in
surgent admiral by putting themselves
under the escort of the United States nava
fleet. Captain Blackford of the Amy, how
ever, showed himself made of sterner stuff
and announced that he would get ready al
once and accept the protection which Ad
miral Benham had offered him..
Accordingly the Amy took her position
in the ranks of the United States war yes
GELS, and the formidable procession started
on it's way up Rio harbor. The news that
| something important was taking place
| aboard the American warships rapidly
spread both on shore and aboard the ships
of all the foreign fleets represented at this
| port. The streets of Rio fronting the bay
were crowded with people, and every yes
sci in the harbor presented an animated
scene as its crew rushed upon deck, and
the men settled themselves to witness what
| followed.
The Detroit took the leading part in the
procession. The feet as it approached
nearer to Rio came quite close to the shore
causing intense excitement among boil
the soldiers and civilians ON land and TIT
sailors on board the various vessels. Tit
Amy proceeded on her way to the whar
and was safely moored there. Not unit
her captain had reported that he was fully
satisfied did his powerful escort leave him
Throughout the whole affair not single
shot was fred, but the scene was quite a
impressive as if this had been done. Aftel
passing along Rios water front the flee
returned out into the bay and anchored ii
nearly the same position as it had occu
pied previous to the demonstration. Thu
affair is the sole absorbing topic of CONVEX
sation afoat and ashore.
The policy of noninterference SO stead
lastly pursued by Commander Henry f
Picking has been absolutely reversed BY
this action of Admiral Benham. Full pro
lection will be given from this time on Il
all American vessels, as Minister Thomp
son has all along requested.
1t is believed here that the minister's re
peated messages to Washington in behal
Of American ship owners have at last haC