The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-08-16

Rosario went 100 miles
up the river to st. Stephens and took on car
go of wheat for Rio Janeiro. While the cargo
was being unloaded my expectant eye distin-
guished signs of nice little revolution which
was just being shaped up, so sold my ship and
took 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 shot, in
the peaceful revolution" Of November Is,
1889, Deodora da Fonseca was made presi-
dent. Before his weakness had become
apparent he made constitutional presi-
dent. and Floriano Peixotto was elected
vice-president. Deodoro's policy was weak
rapidly. A revolution had been quietly
formed by Floriano, the vicepresident.
He soon had the army at his back and
gained the support of Admiral Mello, ranking
otdcer of the Brazilian navy, and Admiral Sol
danha da Cana, commandant of the naval acad-
envy. They brought matters to head on the
morning Of November %, 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
abdicate 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 row with Mello, who
considered that he was rightfully entitled to
be 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 Mello's plot shaped up began to sus-
pect that his real purpose was to restore
Dom Pedro to the throne and make himself
the power behind it.
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.
1t was along in July of August 1893, that
Mello sent for me and expressed wish that
l go down to Santa Catarina island, off the
southern coast of Brazil, and blow up the
Republica. the one Brazilian warship whose
officers had SO far remained loyal to F1oriano.
While we were still negotiating l received
"a call from one Of Floriano's aids, who asked
me to accompany him to the palace. He took
me in the rear entrance and up back stairway
ito Floriano's private sala, where, after present
ing me, he left me, alone with the president.
II understand" said Floriano, that you
were in Venezuela with President Guzman and
have had military training and experience
THAT Is correct. SIR"
Il am told, too, that you have made a study
of high explosives, and have invented 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?"
Il am open to anything except vulgar assas-
ination. That is my business"
What do you charge for your services?"
THAT depends entirely on the nature of the
work."
Consider yourself, then, in the service of
Brazil"
few days later the revolution was declared.
under conditions such as one would look for
on the ught-opera stage, but never In real life
not 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
all sat together in the presidential box Meo
and Soldanha excused themselves after the
second act. They left their cloaks in the box
and said they would be back in a few min
utes. Knowing full we'll the reason of their
departure F1oriano bowed them out with an
ironical excess of politeness.
At daybreak Mello seized all OF the goy-
eminent shipping in the bay and announced
a blockade of Rio harbor He then sent
word to Floriano that If he did not abdicate,
without naming his successor. by four
o'clock that afternoon, he would lombard
the city.
Floriano's reply was an emphatic refusal
to abdicate and precised at four o'clock
Mello answered it with one shell from q
three-inch gun which exploded near the Amer
lean consulate and killed foreigner During
the next week Mello fred 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-
8uese warships appeared at Rio ostensibly to
protect the rights of their citizens.
About a week after the firing of the drst
shot was on my way to the water front to
witness the regular afternoon duel between tho
Aquidaban and Fort Santa Cruz when I vas
overtaken by a government carriage, and Colo