THE BOMBARDMENT OF OMOA.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1708, 24 January 1874, Page 4

THE BOMBARDMENT OF OMOA.

The Illustrated- London News publishes the following narrative of the Englisn intervention at Omoa : — Last year the Government of this state (Honduras), of which General Medina was President, was desposed by a revolutionary party, of which Senor Ariak was chief. A similar movement was successful in the nighbouring Republic of Gautemala. The friends of Medina,, who was and is still confined "in prison at Comayagua, the capital, raised a force, under General Palacios, late Minister for Gautemala id the Court of St. James's, to effect the reinstatement of Medina. Having purchased a small war-steamer, they landed on the coast. For several months a civil war has raged, with varying success, but accompained with the usual stagnation of trade and detriment to foreign merchants, mostly English, who have large capital invested in mahogany and other exports. In June last the Niobe, Commander Sir Lambton Loraine, was despatched from Jamaica ; and during the summer many ports were visited and British residents were protected on this coast. But a sad state of affairs still prevailed at the port of Omoa, one of the chief seats of trade with the interior. The general commanding the Arias party, Streber by name, had there, perpetrated serious outrages on tho merchants and others in the town. Among other misdeeds, the British Vice-Consulate was broken open, and jewels, money, and goods to the amount of many thousand pounds were taken ; while the British flag was hauled down and trampled on. Hearing of this, the Niobe, taking on board Mr ViqcrConsul Bain, proceeded to the scene of action. The following demands were sent in to General Streber :—" The release of all British prisoners confined in the castle, a salute of 21 guns on rehoisting the consular flag, the return bf the stolen plate and the jewels to the consulate, and an indemnification of £20,000 for robberies of British merchants, perpetrated under Streber's orders." As the means of communicating with the capital was cut off by the opposite party, and it was impossible .to correspond with the ■ English Minister Resident, the extreme urgency of the case compelled the alternative of bombarding Omoa Castle to be held out to Streber should the just reparation demanded from him not be conceded. Omoa Castle is a huge casemated fortification on the sea heach, built formerly to protect Spanish interests from the buccaneers. -It is triangular in shape, 600 , yards round the walls, which are 40ft. high , and from 15ft. to 20ft. thick, the . "; parapets mounting 12 or 14 guns, most of them very ancient ordinance. There were, however, 300 to 400 soldiers who garrisoned what was Considered the impregnable fortress on the coast. All peaceable overtures being summarily rejected, Gene- ■■' ral Streber pointed hisiguns on the ship, trusting that his stone walls would defy the Niobe's guns. He paraded'his troops . on the parapet, and gave three derisive ' cheers, at the same time firing his inshore guns. At 3 o'clock on August 19 the Niobe steamed into position, and in a few hours mads considerable havoc in the '- walk .with her -7in. guns, many shells bursting in the casemates, while the crash of falling masonary and debris told of the destruction inside. ,At half-past 5 v.the firing ceased, and the ship anchored • for theevening. . At.l in the morning on the 20th, no signs' of ! yielding being ap—parent, the castle was again shelled for ah hour, the ship returning to her anchorage down the bay. The' desired effect was now- produced, for at 8 o'clock a white flag was seen waving frantically from the fort.. After some diplomatic . correspondence, fill the British demands' were complied with, and it was thus " proved that English people and their flag could not be insulted with impunity.