The San Francisco call., 1905-05-04
CRUISER UMBE2IA OF ITALIAN NAVY WILL
SPEND THREE WEEKS AT THIS PORT
War Vessel of the Fifth
Class Arrives From
the South.
Her Officers Include
Members Of the
Nobility.

The Italian hfth-cIass cruiser Um-
bria. commanded by Captain Corsi Ca
milo and manned by 24O swarthy blue
jackets. arrived here yesterday after
noon and dropped anchor off Folsom
street where she has man-of-war row
all 10 herself She VIII remain here
about three weeks. perhaps longer, and
during her stay VIII receive visitors on
board The Umbria's s arrival is an
event or social Importance to the local
ltalian colony, as among the cruisers
4. officers are several real noblemen-
The officers of the Umbria declare
that the cruisers guns did not cause
the disastrous fire al San Jose de Guat-
emala. but that the little old feldpiece
with which Cabrera's representatives
struggled 10 return the Umbria's sa-
Iuue was responsible for starting the
conhagration-
AS soon as she anchored OF San
Jose the Umbria fred a national sa-
lutte as a mark Of courtesy to the head
Of the republic in whose waters she
was visiting The Umbria's salute was
rendered by a modern battery in proper
naval style There was great excite
ment among the military ashore when
the Cmbria began to shoot Uniforms
We're Strengthened, swords buckied on
and every available artiIlerist wakened
10 the comandancia- Kegs of powder
were rolled out and shortly after the
last echo Of the Umbria's twenty-first
gun had died away an ancient, muz-
zle-loaoing, smooth bore fleldpiece,
emitted a roar. Ten minutes later
bang" went the heldpiece again An
other interval of from ten TO fifteen
minutes and another explosion oc-
Cured -Four, five, six, seven, eight,
nine, ten Then came a long pause.
The Guatenalan soldiers had run short
OF Wadoing- Volunteers were called for
and parties of foragers sent forth TO
seek rags. bags and other odds and
ends 10 be rammed down the throat Of
the fieldDiece- Eleven, twelve The
twelfth charge carried the bundle OF
burning refuse which had done duty as
wadding TO the comandancia roof, and
when shot thirteen was fired the off,
cisl residence of the comandante was
sblaze-
The saluting ceased and the weary
aruAer1sts turned their attention to
extinguishing the flames, which threat
ened TO wipe San Jose de Guatemala
from the map. A force Of bluejackets
was landed from the Umbria, and after
an hours fight the flames were sub
oued- The comandaacia was a heap Of
ashes, but the fieldpiece remained and
there was powder left The Cmbria's
men returned 10 I6er vessel Inc
srtillerymen tackled the salute again
and with q boom Of triumph there
came from the muzzle Of the heldpiece
fourteen, fifteen and so on, right 70
the bitter end. The gun was red hot,
the cOmandancia had been converted
into a heap Of smoldering ashes, the
army was worn out But the ameni-
ties had been satisfied The salute of
the stranger had been returned. gun
for gun, and GuaIemala's reputation
for courtesy was vindicated-
The Umbria is q vessel of 2600 tons
She is powerfully engined and has no
difficulty in attaining a speed Of eight
cen knots. She is equipped with two
siK-inch guns, eight four-inch, sixteen
two-pounders and three Maxims. She
carries 260 men and fourteen officers.
Her officers are Captain Corsi Camilbo
Lieutenant Commander Cavalier Carlo
de Luca, Lieutenant Tonta, Lieuten-
ant Count Mansoni, Lieutenant Carac-
crole Of the house of Prinz Forino;
Lieutenants Oricchia and Fongi, Sub
Lieutenant Count Rainer Biscia, Sub
Lieutenant Albertelli, Midshipman
Franz Roseler, First Engineer Douga,
Second Engineer Cosa, Surgeon Luz
Eati and Paymaster NOlpe