Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-16
THE CHILEAN EPISODE.
Gen. Tracy Explains How We Prepared for
War.

erence has been made to what has bee
styled the Chilean episode" BY tn
Chilean episode" is meant the attac
upon American sailors by q mob q
Chileans, in the streets of Nalpnrais
on Oct. 1s, 1891. The party of Congress
had Just ovefthrown the Balmaceda
government. The United States minis
ter to Chile, Patrick Egan. had bee
accused by the opponents of Balmaced
of aiding Balmaceda. The feeling !
Chile against Americans OF the Unite
States was bitter. The United State
cruiser Baltimore lay in the hnrbor o
Valparaiso. She had Incurred the ange
of the revolutionlsts by helping tn
agents of the American Gable compan
to cut the cable at Iqulque.
This was the condition Of affair
when two boats crew from the Bnlti
more, on shore leave, landed In Valpa
raise on Oct 49, 1891. In a saloon, II
rather disreputablc quarter of tn
city, an alteration arose between Chill
can sailors and some of the Baltimore
men. In the row one of the Chilean
was knocked down. The Yankee sail
ors were then assaulted with fists
clubs. knives and revolvers. The'
sought escape by boarding a street car
The car was pursued by mob. ant
the sailors wer dragged from the car
a riot followed. More than 100 armed
men fell upon the sailors after they
were dragged from the car Charles
w. Riggin. boatswain's mate. was
killed Instantly. william Trumbell. q
coal HEAVIER died from injuries received
at the hands OF the mob. Thirty-six
others were more or leas seriously in
jured. Commander Winfield S. Schley
of the Baltimore, who has recently
been made commodore, caused an
investigation to be made, and on Oct.
go telegrophed the results to Gen. Ben
jamin +. Tracy. then secretary Of the
navy
All that the government did after re-
ceiving Commander Schley's report has
never been made public. Gen. Tracy
told the whole story to reporter Of the
Sun. last week. Gen. Tracy said
when Commander Schley's report
wa 8 received at the navy department
Mr.. Blaine, the secretary of states, was
out of town. presented the report to
the President, who. after going over 1t
carefully. sent n not to the Chilean
minister of foreign affairs Malta. The
note was very carefully worded and ex-
tremely mild In It's tone. In substance.
II stated that the report Of the trouble
had been received and that the Presi-
dent hoped that the seriousness of the
affair had been exaggerated. IT, how
ever, the first report proved to he cor
rect statement of the case. the Presi-
dent expressed himself as confident
that the Chilean government would
make whatever reparation was neces-
sary.
soon after the note was sent Mr..
Blaine returned to Washington and
was made acquainted with the sltun
tion. No reply to the Presidents note
was received for long time. In the
interval Mr.. Blaine tried to arrive at
some understanding with the Chilean
minister at Washington. Senior Pedro
Mont. In this he failed and, at the
end of several weeks. the reply from
the Chilean government was received.
1t was so insulting that It might al
most have been n cause for war In H.
self 1t sought to Justify the assault on
our sailors. and lodged the issue in
every way possible.
Then Congress met and the Presi-
dent dwelt Mt length upon the Incident
I'm his message. While Congress was
considering the matter on Jan. 90 1892,
Minister Montt presented note from
his government stating that Mr. Egan
was persona non grata, and that the
Chilean government would be pleased
to have another minister sent. This
note. coming on top of the first one and
neither accompanied by any apology or
an expression Of the desire to make any
PREPARATION, President Harrison sent
what was practically an ultimatum to
the Chilean government. In that note
the President held that the assault on
ans ~. N. n,en was unpIoNoke9
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