Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 September 1891 — CHILIAN REBELS WIN. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CHILIAN REBELS WIN.

CRUSHING BLOW FOR UHE IRONWILLED DICTATOR. Balmaceda’s Troops Are Defeated in Two Bloody Engagements and Valparaiso Is Captured by the Insurgents—lt Is Thought the Cruel War Is Over. A Decisive Hattie. Balmaceda’s power In Chill is broken. Hi« army has been crushed a'tor five hours’ hard lighting, and is scattered be-

yond all hope of reorganization. The revolutionists have taken possession of Valparaiso. This is is the latest budget of news from Valparaiso. The future of Chill, continues the dispatch, for the time has been settied, and settled conclusively, oa the hills to the east of this city by the gidm arbitrament of war.

With Balmaceda pract cally a fugitive without resources in men or money, with the principal seaports of the country in the hands of the Congressionalists, and a consequent shutting off of all income from customs receipts, with President-elect Vicuna a refugee on board a German warship, and tho country flocking en masse to the stand-

ard of the invaders, •ft is a matter of only a short time when the capital will fall into the hands of the revolutionary leadera A new government, with possibly Judge Belisario Prats, head of the ; last parliamentary cabinet of Balma ceda, or Manuel Jose Irarrazaval, head 't r the congress eab’nut,

at its head, will be forn ed, and things will go along in about the same way in .Chili as they did before Jan. 7, when hostilities were formally begun. Gen. Canto and his army won the battle by superior generalship, good hard fighting, assisted by good fortune in the killing of

Balmaceda’s Generals and the consequent demoralization of the army and the desertion of entire regiments. Ever since the arrival of the congressionalst army at J* Vina del Mar there 'has been a constant ' steries of maneuvers for position on the part of both Generals. Ever day, and ’nearly every honr of .the day, there have .been skirmishes, in some instances

amounting almost to battles. In nearly all of these the opposition has had the better of it. A close censorship of disEatches was established by Balmaceda, owever. and only an inkling of the reverses to his arms could be got through. The bom of cannon announced to the people of Valparaiso that a movement beyond the ordinary skirmishes had begun. The occasional bud the

heavy guns soon swelled Irsto one continuous roar, and then it was known that the final decisive struggle which, at the cost of thousands of lives, perhaps, was to decide whether Balmaceda or the junta was to be the ruling power in Chili had begun. Excitement was Intense in Valparaiso. General Canto’s position was on the hills above the race track at Vina del Mar, outside of the city. He had absolute control of the railroad at Santiago and commanded the ordinary roads Hence Santiago was prai t cally in a state of siege. Affairs had come to such a pass that it was necessary for President Balmaceda to make some move, and a little after daylight the woid was given to attacEn,he position held by the revolutionists. and, led by General Barbosa and Alcerreca, the Government troops left their breastworks and advanced on the enemy under cover of a heavy fire from their batteries. The. insurgents were generally armed with Mannlicher rifles and used smokeless piwder. The Government troops were also well armed. As soon as the approaching column got within range of the Mannlichers, a destructive fire from the intrenched revolutionists, shot and shell, grape and canister and rifie bullets, tore through the ranks of the advancing troops until it became too hot, and despite the efforts of the officers they broke and retired almost in a panic. Officers worked like beavers to re-form their columns as soon as they got within range of the deadly Mannlichers and at last succeeded. Then came another attack. In steady ranks the government troops started on a double-quick up into the torrent of fire and lead which blazed from the ranks of the insurgent army Early in the second charge General Barbosa was shot down and killed. The line wavered but kept on. Then General Alcerreca fell from his horse, wounded unto death. He was removed from the field and died within an hour. Another break and then General Canto gave the order to charge. With a wild yell the •ongresslonalist army left their defenses and charged on the retreating enemy. Their artil ery poured a dea. y fire into the ranks of Balmaceda’ army. The loss of their genera s left them without a head, and all the e r orte of the

subordinate officers to rally them to meet the onset of Canto's regiments and squadrons were of no avail The retreat became a rout, the rout a panic, and then came utter demoralization. The Government cavalry made a stand, but it was short. They were literally cut to pieces. Volley after \olley was poured into the demoralized mob of Balmacedists. Whole regiments which had not lost their regimental formation went over to the victorious troops of Canto and joined in the attack on their late comrades. The fighting lasted a little less than five hours, and Its despe ate character may be judged by the fact that fully 5,000 men were killed and wounded. The defeat of the government is absolute and complete There is no possibility of a reorganization, and if Balmaceda does not succeed in making his escape through the mountain passes which are yet open the chances are that he will be captured and shot The inhabitants of Valparaiso are now appa entiy revolutionists in their sympathy, for as the insurgent troops, flushed with victory, marched through the stree'.s they were greeted with the wildest e thusiasm. From the windows of the houses showers of flowers were flung by tho enthus astic women on the heads of the leaders Shortly after the eitry of the army of General Canto, Captain Alberto Fuentes, of the torpedo boat Almirante Lynch, whiih was lying at the Fiscal Mole, was summoned to surrender. He attempted to steam out, and opened fire with his machine guns on the insurgent troops. There was a sharp engagement, lasting fifteen minutes, and then ( aptaln Puentes hauled down h s tag and the e was not an enemy to tho i evolution from Fort Aldivia to Vina del Ma - . Va paraiso is as quiet as could to expected under the circumstances and no trouble is expected Not much has be n done as yet toward leorganiziiig the city. But thia will Le attende I to as soon as possible. Nobody here has any knowl dge of the whereabouts of Prcs’dent Ba maceda. The insurgent leaders ar> exceedingly anxious to find o t where ho i l , and if they sue eed in fin ling him the chances are that it w.ll go hard with him. The general belief here is that he is making his v. ay out of the . ountry, perhaps over’ar.d to 1 uenOs Ayres. Senor I a cano, the Chib an Minister at Washington, on being interviewed, said that he had received no r.cws from Chili other titan the dispatch given to the press. The fall of Va’paraiso in ures that of Sant ago. General Canto, tho congress-

ional leader, has hail this object in view in every movement he made since he landed on the teach of Vina del Mar. Mar. He maneuveicd so that he was able to swing his little army round until he got it into a strong position between Balmaceda and Santiago. The President had already drawn every available man from the capital for the defen ; e of Valparaiso when Canto got possession of the railroad and cut it so effectively that it could be of no further use. Then he stationed one of his best regiments in a strong position on the line to prevent the poss bility of repairing it until he should be through with Balmaceda. The President saw his intention, and hastily made arrangements to smuggle off on one of his steamers in the dead of night a body of troops to reenforce Santiago’s depleted garrison. But it will not bo able to make even a decent show of resistance, and the surrender of the capital is only a quest on of the length of time it will take the victorious army to get there. With Santiago in the hands of the junta’s army, the war is over.

DON JOSE BALMACEDA.

A. FUEUTIS, COMMANDER OF THE CAPTURED TORPE-DO-BOAT, ALMIRANTE LYNCH.

GEN. CANTO, REVOLUTIONARY LEADER.

SCENE OF THE CHILEAN WAR.

THE ALMIRANTE LYNCH.