The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-05-02
THE FLAG OF ENGLAND NOW
FLOATS OVER THE PORT
OF CORINTO.
THE TOWN ABANDONED BY THE
NATIVES.
Nicaraguan Officials Declare 1t a Closed
POrt-Natives Strongly Entrenched
on the Mainland-The Situation
Is Growing Very Serious.

| lne uuy III ulplOHlaIlc circles were tle
landing of the British troops at Corinto,
| Nicaragua; the abandonment of the town
| by the native officials and the population,
afternoon. DIR. Guzman, Nearaguan
in declaring Corinto a closed port The
first news of these events came in the
afternoon. DR.. Guzman. Niciraguan
minister here, had been waiting for several
hours ut the state department to see Sec
retary Gresham. He was in a fever of
anxiety and in the absence of news from
his own government came to learn what
the secretary had received as to British
movements at Corinto. He was unable
to see the secretary this morning, how
ever as Mr.. Gresham had been suffering
| from Il severe toothache and was obliged
| to spend some time in a dentists chair.
At noon the minister returned to his home
| for luncheon and found there two cable
grams from his government, forwarded
from San Juan del Sur, the Nicaraguan
cable port, about 120 miles south of
| Corinto. The first cablegram stated that
! British troops had landed at Corinto and
that the British flag was flying over the
| town, which had been deserted by the
Nicaraguan officials and the natives. The
second cablegram showed that the authori-
ties had gone to San Juan del Sur, cutting
| the wires connecting the cable port with
| Cornto so that the British forces at the
latter place could not communicate with
| their home government except by sending
Il boat to the cable station.
The main body of Nicaraguans who
had abandoned Corinto had crossed
lagoon which separates the town from
the mainland and had strongly en-
trenched themselves. This information
was promptly communicated to the state
| department.
| DR.. Guzman has been in ill health and
has Uttered so much from nervous prostra-
ton for the past week as to be obliged
to take to his bed today, but would not
do so until he had gone through rain to
see Secretary Gresham and officially COM
municate the substance of his cablegrams
to him. The news, it was apparent,
was not expected by the state depart
ment, which had never believed that Mic
araguans would go to the length Of per-
mitting the occupation of Corinto in pref
erence to paying the indemnity. The only
difficulty in the way of a speedy settle
ment of the trouble was that arising
from trouble experienced by the Nicara-
guam government in raising the money
hastily and that the British admiral
would be indulgent on this point when
once satisfied of the disposition Of the
lNicaraguans to comply with the terms
of the ultimatum had never been doubted
by the department. For this reason the
first reports of the occupation of Corinto
lreceived at the department from unoffi-
cial sources were discredited and doubt
was expressed as to their accuracy.
The secretary had been unable TO obtain
any direct information from any of his
own agents as to the action of the British
Ipolicy, for the reason that Mr.. Baker,
our minister to Nicaragua, is not at pres
ent in that country and there is no charge
at Managua. There is consular agent
at Corinto, Henry Palazio, but he is not
an American and can not he relied upon
in matter of this kind to keep the depart
ment informed in the abs ,rce Of express
lorders.
The s''' etion at Corinto is now regarded
as OmincHs and serious trouble is feared
as Nicaraguans are dispo3ed 70 resist &. Y
further advance of the British.
The il formation reaching here is to the
effect that the Nicaraguans may further
isolate the British at Corn.o by burning
the bridges across the lagoon separating
the town from the mainland. The Brit
ish position is said to be very bad from
a strategic standpoint. The town is
practically on an isla i'd, being separate1
lTOIi lue IHdllllhHu ny " SITescH VI IIUrsuy
ground. This is :ravnrscd by bridges
and without them Co into is cut off from
the shore. The NicAra:;naas have retired
to the shore and tho ,e well 'n'armnd
on the situation believe that ie the British
make any move to cross tha lagoons The
bridges will be burned and the little band
of Nicaraguan troops will make stand
= against further encroachment. The
British are evidently apprehensive of
fpn laI tr,Ht tod INtrf fJ,n
, cablegrams from Colon, showing that the
three vessels, the Royal Arthur, the Wild
| Satan and the Satellite, have been so
placed as to command the town with
, their guns. 1t is probable that this dis
position has been made so as to ensure
the occupying forces, numbering about
400 armed men, from an attack by the
Nicaraguans rather than any deliberate
purpose of bombarding the town, for there
: is no evidence that the British desire to
: enter the interior at present and it was
: certainly not a part of the original pro-
gram of operations as made known to our
+ government to lombard the place.
The news of the situation at Corinto
y created a commotion here, particularly
i in the state department.
, Sir Julian Pauncefote, the British am
q bassador came to the department and
after remaining in private consultation
the two repaired to the war department
to consult with Secretary Lamont. The
latter was absent at the time, but coming
in later repaired Immediately to the state
department to talk over matters with the
officials. The latter, ON hearing the
= news which came to the department
: through the Associated Press from Colon,
said that the Nicaraguan government had
: made a sharp move by declaring Corinto
a closed port. 1t was said at the en-
bassy that Sir Julian Pauncefote, the
British ambassador, had not received con-
: firmation from the foreign Office Of the
British occupancy of Corinto up to the
E close Of the embassy at 3 o'clock. The en-
bassy did not expect direct information
from London, as it is said the foreign
Office has no occasion to communicate
with the legation at Washington.
, There can be no doubt that the action o
the Nicaraguans in declaring COrinto
; closed port has seriously complicated thi
: most troublesome question, and even
there is no resort to hostilities at presen