The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-12-18

A special from Puerto Cabello,
Venezuela, under date of December
18th stated the British cruiser Chary-
bdis and the German cruiser Vineta
bombarded the fortress there at 5
o'clock Saturday afternoon and quick
ly silenced it. The borbardment last
ed forty-fve minutes. The fortress Is
composed of Fort Solano and the Cas-
tie Libertador. After the firing ceas-
ed, the Charybdis sent marines to oc-
cupy the castle. The fortress was al
most demolished. Three persons kill
ed by the shelling.
At 7 o'clock Saturday morning the
Charybdis and Vineta arrived there,
searching for Venezuelan gunboats.
The two cruisers sent their boats into
the inner port, but finding no gun
boats the boats were returned. The
captain OF the British merchant steam
er Topaze, which was seized by the
mob last Wednesday, then visit
ed the British commodore, on board
the Chary bdis, and lodged a protest
against the violation Of his ship. The
British captain returned an hour later
with a detachment of fifty marines,
who took charge Of the Topaze. The
populace was greatly excited at this
incident and raised the cry, ITO
aruls!" but there was no disorder.
The British commodore then sent
message to the authorities at Puerto
Cabello, demanding immediate salts
faction for the action CT the mob IN
having hauled down the British flag
from the Topaze, saying that if this
satisfaction was not forthcoming in
two hours, at 5 o'clock, the fortress
and the custom house would be bonn
barded.
At a quarter before 5 a reply was
received from President Castro, who
authorized the chief official to
give the British commodore ample
satisfaction. Before this answer could
be communicated to the American
consul the hour stipulated for its re-
ceipt had arrived; the cruisers imme-
diately opened fire On the fortress.
The fire was returned from Fort So
lano and Castle Libertador, but the
Venezuelan guns were soon silenced.
While the firing continued there was
intense excitement. Every house in
town was closed.
The News in Washington.
Minister Bowen, in a dispatch re-
ceived by the state department Sun
day afternoon, cabled that he had
been informed by President Castro
that British and German warshlps
were bombarding Puerto Cabelio.
In an earlier dispatch, received by
the state department at 1922 o'clock
Sunday morning, Minister Bowen
said that the situation at the Venezue-
Ian capital, Caracas, was much quiet
er. The great excitement noted at the
outset of the affair, he said, was
caused by the precipitate flight of the
British and German ministers, the ar
rest of all the subjects of those two
nations and the seizure of the Vene-
zuelan gunboat without first declaring
a blockade, thus causing the people to
fear a bombardment would follow at
once
The act of bombardment means
fragrant war, even if the forts at Puer-
to Cabello had not returned the fire.
Great Britain ant Germany have thus
given plain notice to the United
States that there is war, and probably
fired on the Notifications at Puerto
Cabello to provoke it. 1t is not con-
ceivable how Germany can now justi-
fy her original intimation that it was
proposed to establish peaceful block
ade.