Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-08-16
Report That May Account
for Boyaca and 800
Soldiers.
COLOMBIAN MYSTERY
Agna Du1Ce Fight Not a
Decisive Affair--The
Situation.

San Juan &c Costa Rica, Aug. TO-
News has reached here fro mthe camp
of the Colombian revOlutionistS in the
Aqua Dulce district that after a ma
val Engagement the Colombian gov
eminent gunboat Boyaca was captured
by he Colombian revolutionists. Three
hundred government soldiers and Gen
erals Ortiz and Henao. and supplies
of munitions of war and provisions
Were captured with the BOyaca. The
Colombian revolutionists also are
sal do have secured Il gasoline launch
which was in the government service.
The Boyaca left Panama July % with
500 troops of the Colombian govern
ment on board destined TO reinforce
the command of the government gen
cral Morales BERT. at Aqua Dulce.
Aqua DuIce Fight Was IndecisIve,
Kingston. jamaica, Aug. 16-The
British steamer FIoridian. from Liver
pool July n for West Indian and Cen
trail American ports, arrived here yes
terday from Colon. and reported con-
siderable insurgcnt activity in the
neighbOrhoOd of the isthmus. An at
tack on Panama was feared. and the
Colombian government was making
strenuous efforts to largely reinforce
the carriSOnS there and at Colon. Re
garding the recent battle at Aqua
Dulce the FlOridian's officers reported
that the government of Colombia
claimed that the insurgents were rout-
ed, hut that it was believed Mt Colon
that the cement was undecisivc.
View of the Venezuelan Revolution.
WillemStad. Curacao. Aug. l6.-A
correspondent of the Associated Press
has had IN intervicy with General
Cruz Mona gas. chief of the NeneZue-
Ian revOlutionists at Barcelona. in
which General MOnagas said foreign
erS might he sure no coercion would
be applied to them. According to Gen
eral MOnagas the revOlutiOnists have
divided their forces into five sections.
each containing from 1000 men up
ward. One division of 5000 men.
commanded by General NIatos and
General Domingo MOnagas. is mt ORR
tucO. awaiting an attac kby President
Castro. who is at San CasimirO. Gen
era1 AIOnagas added that the revolu-
ZIONIST telegraph lines reached TO
many points. enabling them to keep
themselves better informed than the
government
Who Occupies Porto CabeIIo?
Washington. Aug. ia dispatch
from Venezuelan government sources
states that the report that the rebels
had captured Porto Cabello was incor-
rect and that the port remains in the
hands of the Castro forces. The navy
department is in considerable doubt
as to the exact status of affairs there,
as it has developed that there was
some confusion in the transmission or
Interpretation of the dispatch of
Thursday relative to the control OF
the town by the revolutionists. As
originally deciphered. Commander
Nichols dispatch announced that there
was no Immediate danger of lombard
meut. and from this it was assumed
that the revOlutiOnists had obtained
possession of the town. Closer study
of the dispatch has changed this view
and it is now believed that the town
is still loyal to Castro.
Washington, Aug. 16.-Thc depart
ment today received this cablegram
from Commander Nichols, of the To
peka, dated Porto Cabello: Every
thing quiet at Porto Cabello. VIII
sail from Curacao for coal and stores;
start tonight. The German man-of-
war will remain here during my abb
sence."
1t is apparent from the above dis
patch that the forces of Castro still
hold Porto Cabello. The United
States minister telegraphed the de-
partment of state that he has relia-
bic information to the effect that
there is no blockade of ports at Car
upano, Cano Colorado, and Guiria.
At Ciudad Bolivar, however, the
blockade is effective.