The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-05-25
SPANISH GUNNERY.
GRIEVANCE AGAINST PERU WHICH
THE DoNs FAILED TO SETTLE.


Tho peruvIans borrowed Chnrs Navy Of
Three Vessels and Whipped the Spanish
FLAT NJ sav.n-Forcsd to Quit a Few
u., .c.r p.~,rr,ro the Rattle.
A chapter from modern spanish ms
tory which was oVersnaaoWeo III Inns
country Dy events Oh srea'el impol.
ance' out ~nicn serves 10 give SUM
indication OF what spanish suhneiy
was rev years ago. Is worm ie'eiiihs
now. Spain mad grievance against
peru IN 1000 because some Vi her eup,
Jects had peen maitreateu 'nere' anu
she sent a squadron OF seven Vessels
mounting I'll guns, 10 punish tne re-
ruvians. Peru mad no navy az tna'
time, Dut her neisnoor ohlii cane "
her AID with three Vessels-tne Esnier-
aida, carrying AZ smooth-pores' tne
victoria, a small one-gun monitor, anu
the Loa, dlmlnutlVe Merrlmac' plaleo
with lron' ana mounting TWO oo-pouna-
ers. A writer IN the Army anu NAVY
journal describes the analr.
1.-THE Esmeralda," he says, met the
Spanish gunboat Cavandago (three
guns) and captured her in twenty min
utes without the loss of man. the
Spaniards fired only three shots. They
had two men killed and fourteen
wounded. The loss Of the Cavandago,
followed by the capture of an armored
launch, so chagrined the Spanish Ad-
miral, Pareja, that he blew out his
brains in his cabin.
Admiral Nunez, who succeeded
Pareja, then CALAMITY assailed the de-
fenceless Valparaiso, where not sin
gle gun was mounted, except few sa-
luting pieces. Not a shot was fired
from the town and the inhabitants
promptly evacuated it. This Spanish
Admiral, in spite Of the protests of the
foreign men-of-war in the harbor,
threw from 1000 to 5000 shells into 1t
from feet Of six vessels. The Span
ish gunnery was so wretched that little
damage was done, except by fire, which
destroyed $10,000,000 worth Of neutral
goods. It was a most wanton piece of
barbarity, for If the Spaniards had had
a landing force they could have taken
the town without firing shot.
1.-THE gallant Nunez next assailed the
city of Callao, which taught him the
difference between an open town and
one that was adequately defended. In
four Of five hours the Spanish squad
ron was badly used up, and was glad
to crawl back to Spain as best 1t could
In its crippled condition. The Villa de
Madrid, fifty-six guns, got shot in
her steam chest, and was toved out OF
action. The Berenguela, thirty-six
guns, had a hole twenty feet square
knocked into her near the water line
by an exploding shell, and crawled out
of range to repair damages.
1.-THE ammunition in two other Span
ish vessels gave out after two hours
fight, and they had to retise, one Of
them having been twice on fire in the
neighborhood of the magazine. This
left two vessels, the Numancia, iron
clad, and the Almanac. Two hours
later these two vessels ceased their
fire and withdrew. The Chilians fir
ing at them until they were beyond
range. The Spanish loss Is not ex-
actly known, but is supposed to have
been about 200. Commander Rodgers
U. s. N, estimated the loss of the Chill
! ians at 80, though others give larger
number. No serious damage was done
to either ships or forts by the fire be-
yond that named. The Spaniards then
withdrew discounted from the Pacific,
being short of stores and ammunition
and with their vessels foul for want Of