The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-12-20
FIRED SHOTS THAT SENT YENE-
: ZUELAN VESSELS TO OCEANS 4
BOTTOM.
Admiral D wey's Fleet Has Ord
ers to Go to Scene if Emergen-
cy Should Arise-England
Hesitates About Arbi-
tration-Other
News.

NEWS.
Caracas, Dec. 16.-The governor
Of Margarita Island reports that
British and German warships are
off that island. - : ~
Minister Bowen yesterday polite
1y refused to have a monster patri-
otto parade pass before the United
States legation. Every one here
hopes that the arbitration proposed
by Venezuela through Mr.. Bowen
and Washington will be granted.
When the com mbined feet seized
the Venezuelan ships at La Guayra
the German commander delivered
to the Venezuelan captains the fol-
lowing docum ent:
@By order of my sovereign and at
the command of the commodore OF
the German squadron in West In
dia waters, I, the commander of the
Panther, request you to lower your
ships flag Immediately and leave
your ship with your crew within
10tminutes. This is not measure
Of war on the part of Germany, but
only with the object of making a
provisional seizure of your ship in
order to oblige the Venezuelan gov
eminent to recognize our Just de-
mands. In case you disobey and
wish to defend your ship I shall be
Obliged to prevent you from so do
ing by the discharge of arms.
December /.
"ECKERMAN, Com.
Further details of the sinking of
the Venezuelan ships have been OBJ
tanned from an entry made In the
book of the signal men of the for
tress of La Guayra. It is as fol-
lows:
Tuesday, Dec 9, 1:30 night.
"The adjutant called me to see if
| knew the steamer Retribution of
the English navy was towing the
steamers Crespo and fortune, of
the national navy, three or four
miles north. 1 had heard four can
non shots and saw the two steam
ers had disappeared and understood
they had been sunk by the Vineta
and Retribution. At the end of an
hour the Refribution returned to
the harbor alone.
Signal Commander Of the Forts"
The fact that the Retribution re-
turned to La Guayra alone two
hours after leaving with the cap
tured vessels was confirmed by En-
glish residents of La Guayra. Con.
sequently she did not have time to-
conduct the Venezuelan ships to
Caracoa or Trinidad. s
Washington, Dec. 16.-Disposi-
tion of the men-of.war of Admiral
Dewey's fleet during the holidays
is to be made under the direction
of the secretary of the navy, in.
view of the increasing complications
arising in connection with .Venezu-
ella, and the wishes of this govern
ment not to arouse suspicion un-
necessarily by dispatching a large
naval force to Venezuelan waters.
Admiral Dewey eabled the depart
ment yesterday in regard to the
orders for his fleet during the
Christmas holidays, though Secreta.
ry Moody did not announce the re-
ceipt of the dispatch until today.
Orders are now in preparation for
the various vessels, and will be for
warded to the admiral in the next
day or two.
No reflection upon Admiral Dew.
ey is intended by the navy depart
ment in deciding to give him the
orders for his ships, instead of Civ.
ing him free hand in the matter,
as it was expected would be done.
That there may be thorough CO..
operation of the navy with the state
department. in the handling of the
Venezuelan situation, however, it
seemed that the question could be
more satisfactorily settled here, as
the navy depal tment is in posses
sion of all the facts regarding the
action of the allied powers, and
danger OF conflicting with the poll
cy of the state department. will be
ayerted.
It is unlikely that men, of.war
will be sent to La Guayra. the feel
ing being that the presence of A.
merican men-of-war at this time
might cause uneasiness among the
allied powers, as we'll as offer en-