FATE OF THE ENCALADA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 145, 20 June 1891, Page 5

FATE OF THE ENCALADA.

DETAILS OP THE BATTLES AT VALPARAISO.

TWO FIERCE ENCOUNTERS IN THE HARBOUR.

New York, May 25.—Copies of "La Opinion," a national paper published in Lima, give additional news concerning Chilian afl'airs. It says: The steamer City o{ Para from Colon brought news of a big fight in the harbour of Valparaiso between the forts aud the Blanco Encalada. The Government, says a letter containing the news, had taken a largo tug belonging to a private firm, and having armed her with ii 100-pounder was waiting: a chance to get her out of the, harbour of Valparaiso. The captain of the Blanco Encalada yot wind o£ this and made an attempt to destroy the tug, which was named the Mary Florence. The first dark night was used to carry out the plan, and with all lights out the ironclad stole slowly into the harbour. The plan waa to got as close to the Florence as possible, and then blow her up with a " fish " torpedo. Thowarehip succeeded in gatting into the harbour close to the Florence, but when the torpedo was fired it was aimed too low, and missed the tug. It struck a big floating dry dock aad blew it to pieces. The excitement in the city was intense. In a short time the streets were tilled with people, and in the forte fche Bounda of tho drum and bugle were heard sounding the alarm. Tho Blanco was soon discovered, and she was given a hot dose of shot and shell from every gun in the fort. The captain of tho Blanco turned about and quickly got out of range. Tho Government torpedo boat was at Valparaiso and had just been repaired. She was sent out to attack the Blanco, which was steaming back and forth across the entrance to the harbour. The nighb was clear, bub there was no moon whon the torpedo boat, accompanied by the armed tug J'lcrence, stole out on her risky errand. The big ironclad was not alone, but was in the company of thesloop-of-war O'Higgins, armed with ten guns. Almost as soon aa the two boats had got clear of the harbour tbey were detected by tho sloop-of-war, and she at once opened tire upon them. They were not hit, and kept on toward the Blanco. All at once the big guns of the Blanco began to play upon them, and in a few minutes their commanders decided to run in again under the cover of the forts. They started into the harbour with the rebel ships in hob pursuit. A heavy shell from the Blanco struck the Florence, blowing her out of the water, and every one of her crew waa either killed by the explosion or drowned. The torpedo boat kepb on hßr course and the guns on the hills were beginning to take a hand in the game, when a welldirected broadsido from the O'Higgins knocked her all to pieces. The two rebel vessels then turned their guna on the forts on the hills and a lively battle followed. The people of the city flocked to every point from which a view of the fight) could be had. At last a shell from the forts struck the O'Higgins, going clean through her. This was followed a few minutes later by a terrible explosion on deck. It was caused by a heavy shell striking one of the guns on the quarter-deck. When tho smoke had cleared away it was seen that the deck was literally torn oat of the vessol, the gun was lying on the other side of the deck, and nine men out of the gun's crew of twelve were blown to atome. The 3loop was at once taken out of range of tho guns of the fort. The Blanco kept firing for some time, bub did no damage, and she too retired from the fight. It waa in her next fight, in the Bay of Caldera, on April 23rd, that the Blanco was sunk. Regarding this the Governor of Chauaral on April 24th received the following dispatch from Cornelio Saavedra afc Caldera: " The catastrophe has been complete. We were surprised by the torpedo boats afc 4 o'clock in the morning, and we could nob get out of their way, as the ironclad was fastened to a buoy. Several torpedoes were fired at the Blanco, bub only the last succeeded in hitting her. "In the engagement we lost the secretary of the fleet, Senor Vergara, Lieutenant Agullar, Captain Guzman, all the engineers and most of the crew. Altogether nob quite 100 persons were saved. The shipwrecked men are enjoying good health." Latosb advices say thab commerce is paralysed in Valparaiso, Santiago and other principal centres, and even the personal liberty of foreigners is endangered, for the Government has ordered that all strangers residing in Chili must become members of the National Guard.