The Bombardment of Pisagua.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 28 April 1891, Page 2

The Bombardment of Pisagua.

[ TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER. c Mail letters from Pisagua, Chili, r tell of the bombardment of that city by the revolutionary fleet, which has D also bombarded the ports of Cabeta, c Bsena and Junil. a The bombardment of Pisagua. was begun at 10 a.m. by the Esmeralda c and Blanco. The two cruisers kept a up an almost ceaseless fire for six g hours. The Blanco's fire was mostly a grape and did terrible harm. An „ officer was sent on shore and called \ upon the commander of the port for c its surrender, stating that if in half an hour he did not receive an answer y he would bombard the town. The commander of the port refused to r surrender, and dared the commander 3 of the revolting fleet to do his worst. i When the half hour was up, the Es- | meralda and Blanco came close to a the town. In ten minutes the first g shell was fired. On every side could be seen men and women running around as though wild, the men trampling over women and children c in their endeavour to gain the, ijpper part of the town where they would be safe. No one who saw the terrible spectacle will ever forget it. In three hours the lower part of the 'I town was all in ruins. The land B batteries towards which the fire of the Blanco had been mainly directed were completely dismantled, and not a gun could be fired. The batteries on the hills kept up a constant but 3 not very effective fire. About 2 p.m. J the two cruisers moved in more towards the town, and began shelling the heights. Then there was a rush for the mountains. Women struggled with men and fought like tigers, children and babes were smothered ■ to death in the mad rush, and all the ) time the pitiless guns were sending • in their shower of grape fire. When i the cannonading from the cruisers » had ceased, about 4 p.m., two thirds ■ of the town and buildings were F knocked down. Seventy-two bodies i were taken out. The number of ' dead is believed to be about 2000. Surgeons and medicine froathe'two cruisers were landed as sotijpb( the i bombardment was over. About 2000 persons who took refuge on the English steamer Ramies escaped unhurt, but nearly every other person in town has some scar to show, or has lost a relative : — Press Association.