Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-08-01

~ it there really would be or
XIV how unpleasant it would
XIV proye-I bought the Alice
" Ada, a brigantine of 800
~ tons, and got u general car
kI go for Rosario, Brazil, on
Il the River Parava. From
Rosario l went 100 miles
80 the river to st. Stephens and took on a car
go of wheat for Rio Janeiro. While the cargo
was being unloaded my expectant eye distin-
guished signs Of a nice little revolution which
WAS just being shaped up, so l sold my ship and
noOk quarters at the Hotel Freitas to watch
developments.
When the last emperor Of Brazil, Dom
Pedro H., was dragged out of he'd at night
and deported without the firing Of a shot, in
the peaceful revolution" of November Is,
ASS9, Deodora da Fonseca was made presi-
DENT. Before his weakness had become
apparent he was made constitutional presi-
-denE- and Floriano Peixotto was elected
vScepresident. Deodoro's policy was weak
And vacillating, and his popularity waned
rapidly. A revolution had been quietly
fnrned by F~qoriano, the vicepresident.
He soon had the army at his back and
gained the support Of Admiral Mello, ranking
Ssacer of the Brazilian navy, and Admiral Sol
.&anha da Cana, commandant of the naval acad-
SHMy AnSy uIOu6uI mdIIcIS L d H6du Ou IL
EaoFning of November 20, 1891. Mello took up
"a position at the foot of the main street of Rio
in the cruiser Riachuelo, the finest ship in the
NAVY, trained his guns on the palace Itumary,
and sent word to Deodoro that he would
open fire on him In two hours if he did not
a1sdtcate in favor of Floriano. Deodoro abdi-
Gated in two minutes, dropping dead soon
afterward from heart disease, and F1oriano was
proclaimed president.
Before he had time to get his new chair
we'll warmed he had a row with Mello, who
considered that he was rightfully entitled to
be the power behind the throne.
Mello worked chiefly among naval officers,
ssristocrats, adherents Of San Pedro and the
Catholic clergy, and in the end they all became
Ais allies.
AS Mello's plot shaped up l began to sus-
nect that his real purpose was to restore
ESnrn Pedro to the throne and make himself
the power behind 1t.
1T was amusing to watch the development of
Mello's revolution. One would have thought
two friendly leaders were planning rival sur
prise parties, in which there was to be nothing
more serious than the throwing Of confetti.
Kt was along in July of August, 1898, that
Mello sent for me and expressed a wish that
* go down to Santa Catarina island, Off the
southern coast of Brazil, and blow up the
EEepublica, the one Brazilian warship whose
officers had so far remained loyal to Floriano.
while we were still negotiating / received
a. all from one of Floriano's aids, who asked
me to accompany him to the palace. He took
me in the rear entrance and up a back stairway
st0 Floriano's private sala, where, after present
Ing me, he left me, alone with the president.
Il understand" said Floriano, that you
were in Venezuela with President Guzman and
have had military training and experience.
THAT is correct, ST."
II am told, too, that you have made a study
uf high explosives, and have invented a remark
able torpedo"
That is also true" ~
Would you be willing to undertake
a mission that would involve considerable
danger, but for which you would be we'll paid p
4 am open to anything except vulgar assas.
'~THation. That is my business"
VIVA do you charge for your services?"
THAT depends entirely on the nature OF the
evork.'
Consider yourself, then, in the service OF
Brazil"
A few days later the revolution was declared,
sander conditions such as one would look for
on the light-opera stage, but never In real life.
mot even in South America. On the evening
of September s, Floriano went to the opera.
accompanied by Mello, Soldanha and several
other officers Of the army and navy, and they
ali sat together in the presidential box. Mello
and Soldanha excused themselves after the
second act. They left their cloaks in the boz
and said they would be back in a few min
utas. Knowing full well the reason of theil
departure, Floriano bowed them out with an
ssronical excess Of politeness.
At daybreak MeIo seized all Of the gov
rernment shipping In the bay and announced
a blockade of Rio harbor. He then Sent
word to FIoriano that II he did not abdicate
without naming his successor, by fouI
O'Clock that afternoon, he would bombarc
the city.
Floriano's reply was an emphatic refusa
tn abdicate, and precised at four o'clocl
Meilo answered it with one shell from
gthreeinch gun. which exploded near the Amer
dean consulate and killed a foreigner! Durin,
the next week Melo fired 40 or 80 shots int
the city every day, but they did little damage
Very soon after the firing Of the first shot
italian, English, German, Austrian and Portu
ygaese wgrships appeared at Rio, ostensibly +
protect the rights Of their citizens.
About q week after the firing OF the frs
shot / was on my way to the water front t
Witness the regular afternoon duel between tn
Aauidaban and Fort Santa Cruz, when l wa
rovertaken by a government carriage, and Colt