The Elbert County tribune., 1912-08-02

FO go for Rosario Brazil Oh
~ the River Parava. From
Rosario / went 100 mile
up the river to st. Stephens and took on q car
so OF wheat for Rio Janeiro. While the carg,
was being unloaded my expectant eye distin
guished signs Of nice little revolution whicl
was just being shaped up. SO l sold my ship an,
took quarters at the Hotel Fretas to watcl
Developments
When the last emperor of Brazil Don
Pedro IL, was dragged out of bed at nigh
, and deported without the firing of shot, IL
the peaceful revolution" of November IL
1883, Deodora da Fonseca was made presi
dent Before his weakness had become
apparent he was made constitutional presi
dent and Floriano Peixotto was elected
vlcepres,dent Deodoros policy veal
ana vacillating. and his popularity waned
rapidly A revolution had been quietly
formed by F1oriano. the vice-president
he soon had the army at his back and
gained the support OF Admiral Mello ranking
onicer of the Brazilian navy. and Admiral Sol
danha da CANA, commandant of the naval acad
emy 1hey brought matters to a head on the
morning Of November 49, 1891. Mello took uu
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 sept word to Deodoro that he would
open IRE on him In two hours If he did not
apdicate In favor of Floriano. Deodoro abdi
afterward from heart disease and FIoriano was
proclaimed president
Before he had time to get his new chair
well warmed he had a row with Melo. who
considered that he was rightfuly entitled to
De the power behind the throne
Mello worked chiefly among naval officers
aristocrats. adherents Of San Pedro and the
catholic clergy. and in the end they all became
his allies.
AS Mellos plot shaped up began to sus.
pect that his real purpose was to restore
Dom Pedro to the throne and make bimsa,f
the power behind It,
1t was amusing to watch the development n,
Mello's revolution. One would have Thought
two friendly leaders were planning rival sur.
prise parties, in which there was to be nothing o
more serious than the throwing Of confetti.
1t was along In July of August. 1899 that
Meilo sent for me and expressed wish that
l go down to Santa Catarina island on The
southern coast Of Brazil, and blow up the
Repubnca, the one Brazilian warship whose
officers had SO far remained loyal to F1oriano
while we were still negotiating received
call from one of F1oriano's aids. who asked
me to accompany him to the palace. He took
me In the rear entrance and up back stairway
to F1oriano's private sala where, after present.
Ing me, he left me, alone with the president
Il understand" said Floriano, that Won
we're In Venezuela with President Guzman and
nave had military training and experience.
THAT Is correct, SIR"
II am told. too, that. you have made a st,dv
of high explosives. and have invented n remarr
able torpedo"
That Is also true"
Would you be willing to undertake
mission that would involve considerable
danger. out Tor which you would be well paid ?"
Il am open to anything except vulgar assa..
ination. That is my business"
What do you charge for your seryices7"
Ihat depends entirely on the nature of n.
work" " A'
Consider yourself then, in the service n,
Brazil"
A few days later the revolution was deo,.,.,
under conditions such one would Iook for
on the light-opera stage. but never in real ,i,n
not even in South America On tba ana.,
of September 8. Floriano went to the orara
accompanied by Mello. Soldanha and sare-a,
other officers OF the army and navy. and r..
all sat together in the presidential boz Ma,,,
and soidanha excused themselves after the
second act. They left their cIoaks I'm the 49,
and said they would be back in few ~.
utes. Knowing full well the reason of th,
departure, F1oriano bowed them out with a.,
ironical excess OF politeness.
At daybreak Mello seized all of the gov.
ernment shipping in the bay and announced
blockade OF Rio harbor. He then san,
word to F1oriano that If he did not abd,cata
without naming his successor. BY fonr
o'clock that afternoon, he would bomhard
the city.
Floriano's reply was an emphatic refusal
to abdicate. and precised at four ocIock
Mello answered 1t with one shell from a
threeinch gun. which exploded near the Amer.
lean consulate and killed foreigner During
the next week Mello fired 40 or so shots into
the city every day. but they did little damage.
Very soon after the firing of the first shot
Italian. English. German Austrian and Portu.
guese warships appeared at Rio, ostensibly tn
protect the rights of their citizens.
About week after the firing Of the first
shot ! was on my way to the water front to
witness the regular afternoon duel between the
Aduidaban and Fort Santa Cruz. when was
overtaken by a government carriage and Colo.