A MUTINOUS NAVY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15033, 5 January 1911, Page 5

A MUTINOUS NAVY

EIO DE JANEIRO SHELLED.

OFFICERS KILLED.

(Frou. Oub Own CoBBEsroNDZHT.)

LONDON, November 25. A. somewhat serious naval mutiny has broken out at Rio tie Janeiro. The vessels involved were the newly-built Brazilian Dreadnoughts—Minas Geraes and Sao Paido, the latter of which was at Lisbon during the recent revolution, and afterwards for Brazil conveying Marshal Hermes da. Forseca, the President-elect, back to his native land after his tour in Europe. The crew murdered some of their officers, shipped the others on land, and then fired shells on the city. Tho men then offered to surrender if an amnesty was guaranteed l and their demands attended to. This demand js under consideration by the Senate, and, in official language, the incident is regarded as closed. The result was entirely non-political, and .was confined to the sailors. THE BOMBARDMENT. Captain Neves, commanding the Minas Geraes, had on Tuesday night been dining on board the French cruiser Dugnay Tronin. Toward 10 o'clock he returned to his ship, and as he stepped on board there was a great uproar, mingled with the- report of rifles. This was tho iirst intimation of the mutiny. The captain and .two officers, supported by a few bluejackets, resisted their assailants, but were soon despatched, while another officer was mortally wounded. The crew shouted "Long live liberty!" This success was immediately followed by a mutiny in the other Dreadnought, the Sao Paulo, and the scout Bahia. All the officers were put ashore, and a first class seaman named Joao Candido took command of the squadron. The • ships were abundantly supplied with ammunition and provisions, and they requisitioned coal from the private depot on Vianna Island. They also seized some barges carrying coal for the French mail steamer Atlantiquo and the British steamer Oronsa.

Later a borabaidment of the city was begun and kept up at intervals throughout the night, causing consternation among the inhabitants. In the morning a gun was occasionally fired by the mutineers. The nivtiuous ships nearly all flying the red flag, proceeded to perform some evolutions in the bay. Tho loyal torpedo destroyers took up stations at the end of the "bay in readiness to torpedo tho mutineers at tho word of command. At 1 o'clock the Minae Geraes, Sao Paulo, Bahia, and Florivno croesed tho bar and opened fire on the forts, which did not reply. As soon as they were over the bar the mutineers F»t about and ve-eritered the bay, taking up positions commanding tho city and firing their guns at various points. One shell of ..email 'calibre penetrated a house on CasteMo Hill, in the middle of the city. Two children nnd a woman in the si-rest - were killed. During the day the raval arsenal formed a special target for the mutineers. At midday a boat flying a white flag hailed' the Sao Paulo. On board it was a deputy and retired naval officer named Carvalho, who came to parley. Later ho went on board to convey tile terms on which tho Government would accept surrender. CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE. According to a Belgian at present in London, discontent has been smouldering for some time past among the Brazilian sailors, who complain of their inconsiderate treatment and inadequate pay. This discontent was greatly accentuated by tho visit to England of tho crews whose business it was to take tho new Dreadnoughts and destroyers out to Rio. These men saw how different their conditions of life were from those of tho sailor in the British navy, and probably made up their minds to make an early effort to better their condition while such powerful weapons of compulsion were ready to their hands.