THE CHILIAN INSURRECTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3052, 6 February 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE CHILIAN INSURRECTION.

Drui.vo the progress of the troubles in Chili which ended in the downfall of the President (I3almaueda) and his death, the news coining to hand at that time through the usual channels was known to be unreliable, as the Government party in power were not over-scrupulous, and having control of the avenues of information, many of the item:* were, no doubt, coloured or suppressed to suit the exigencies of the Government party. An account of some of the chapters in the revolution, written by an eye-witness, will add to the previous reports received, and will be interesting reading and go a long way to make us realise the advantage of living under a flag where such scenes of destruction and loss of life are happily impossible. Iquique, Chili, South America, March litli, 1891. I should be very much pleased to know that my wife and I were living in some country over which the flag of England waves. We thought the strikes were pretty rough on us, but we are now in the midst of a howling revolutionary war. Our President finding the Congress of the republic not amenable either to his wheedling or bungling, has started the despotic business, and is now Dictator. First the navy, en masse revolted, and many of the ports were blockaded— Iquique for nearly a month—till things were getting pretty bad. Then the Government authorities surrendered to the rebels. This was on the 16th of February, and the navy men took possession of the place amid the rejoicings of the population. During the night following, the kotos (mob) thought they would like to plunder the grog shops and some other places. The clerks and shopmen had made themselves into a volunteer guard for the time, and splendidly did the fellows fight—over and over again did the roughs gather in crowds to try and rush them, and every time they were driven back with loss, scores were killed and no end were wouuded. Then we had quiet for a few days, till the 19th, when a fiery Government leader crept into the town before daylight and with 300 men or more he attacked the rebel garrison. In consequence of the disturbances and fighting expected, my wife has been staying on board an English ship for some weeks. The ISth being such a quiet day I let her stay on shore, but at 6.30 a.m. on the 19th, the shooting began in the streets ; then the fleet helped their men with Gatlings and shot and shell from cannon, so that all that day until 5 p.m. the air was full of missiles and the cracking of rifles, the roar of guns, and the screeching and buzzing of bullets was continued. Old Colonel Soto finding the navy garrison would not be cleared out, set the town on fire and ordered his men to shoot the fire-brigade men who tried to put the fire out. We thought the whole place would be destroyed, but Holtham, British Admiral in command of the Warspite, interfered and got a truce arr.inged from 5 p.m. on the 19th to 12 noon of the 20th, when the fire was put out. Before the truce ended, the Government leader gave

in. Five blocks of merchants' offices aud stores were burned, and the places near the Custom-house (where the naval garrison was) were torn to pieces by shot and shell. Great numbers of soldiers and lookers-on were killed in the streets, and the pools of blood were terrible to see. As soon as the truce was made I rushed Allie (his wife) and her servant off to the ships again. We had a terrible walk through the burning town, over the quay, torn with shell and slippsry with blood. The Red Cross men were everywhere, picking up the dead and wounded. The town has been quiet since the rebels have been in possession, but the Government forces are gathering inland, and the forces collected here, together with the navy men, have gone up to fight. This evening I have put Allio afloat again, and I have just been told that the fighting has begun about thirty miles away. Everybody here is anxious that the rebels should win. They represent the comtnon-sense intelligent part of the nation, and no party seems to side with the Dictator, except the officers of the regular army. He is their Commander-in-Chief, and pays them very high wages for sticking r,o him. We hope to see things right before long; but in the meantime nearly all our moveables (such as books, ornaments, etc.) are in the Bay or packed away at the railway station, for if the Government men beat the rebels here the whole place is sure to be destroyed. I have buried a lot of things in the backyard to save them from fire if the house goes. We long for the clouds to roll by. March Bth.—The battle came off yesterday at Pozu-al-Monte (Mountain Well). The Constitutionalists started the attack at about seven o'clock and the fight lasted

till half-past ten. About 800 were killed and wounded. Last night, about eight o'clock, the trains began to come iu filled with wounded. It was a terrible sight. The firemen stood with torches, while others picked the poor fellows up and took them in their arms to the coaches, which bore them to the hospitals (all the schools an being used as hospital wards). Some hud to be carried along oil stretchers, moaning pitifully. The Government leader (Roblcs) was desperately wounded yesterday morning, and died soon alter. This triumph is likely to tie the means of securing all North Chili to the insurgents. It was pitiful to see the thousands of poor people waiting to hear of their frieuds who had gone up to the field. They stood in two long lines from the railway gates. The firemen held some torches, but the poor women—scores of them — had candles. Every man that was brought out they peeped at, and when the fane was covered or the stretcher was carried so high that they could not see, you could hear all along the question : " What is his name ?" and then the bearers would answer or the wounded man for himself. This procession lasted from eight last night up to four or five this morning. I went through the Government schools about 10 o'clock, and found the rooms all full Many were very severe and hopeless cases, but all seemed wonderfully patient. It is said that the Iquique men fought like heroes. I must close now. I did not know much about war before. This, perhaps, is a small affair, but it is a fearful thing. I do not think that President Balmaceda has a chauce to hold this people in his despotic grasp. They have seen enough of freedom to mean to rule themselves. The Nitrate Province is now everywhere iu the hands of the rebels.