Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1891 — THE REBELS WIN. [ARTICLE]

THE REBELS WIN.

Decisive Battle at Valparaiso and the Fall of the City. Flt* Thousand Men Killed and Wounded— Balmaceda Flees and the Insurgents Take Possession-Full Details. The Yew York Herald of the 29th devotes a page to Chili news, its nows leader being the following dispatch: Valparaiso, Chill, Aug. 28.—Balmaceda’s power In Chili is broken. His army has been crushed after five hour’s hard fighting, and is scattered -beyond all hope of reorganization. . The revolutionists have taken possession of Valparaiso. The future of Chili for the time has been settled, and settled conclusively, on the hills to the east of the city to-day by the grim arbitrament of war. With Balmaceda practically a fugitive) without resources in men or money; wish the principal seaports of the country in the hands of the Congressionalists, and a consequent shutlingoff of all income from customs receipts, with President-elect Vicuna a refugee on board a German war ship and the country flocking en masse to the standard of the invaders, it is a matter of only a few days when the capital will fall into the hands of the revolutionary leaders. General Canto and his army won today’s battle by superior generalship, good Bard 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 Congressionalist army at Vina del Mar there has been a constant series of maneuvers for position on the part of both Generals, as was indicated in Giese dispatches. Every day and nearly every hour of the day there have been skirmishes, in some instances amounting almost to battles. In nearly all of these the insurgents had the better of it. A close censorship of dispatches was established by Balmaceda, however) and only an inkling of reverses tohis arms could be got through. The position up to this mo-ning was, in brief: Balmaceda was not in a position to make an offensive movement and devoted his time and energies to making his defenses as strong as possible. Then all was hot harmonious in the military councils of the President. Both Generals Barbora and Alserecca wanted to have supreme command of the forces during the fight. iThis friction and jealousy resulted in almost an open rupture yesterday, and the ■two officers worked at cross-purposes. General Canto was in no hurry to move on the enemy because he was receiving constant accessions to his ranks from the people of the surrounding country, which Is Inhabited largely by those bound by ties of blood or of Interest to the leaders of the revolution, many of whom are natives of the province. Then he had a strongly intrenched position and could well afford to wait.

Early this morning the boom of cannon announced to the people of Valparaiso that a movement beyond tho ordinary ikirmishes had begun. The occasional loud reports of the heavy guns soon nvelled into 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 Bainaceda or the junta was to be the ruling power in Chili, had begun. General Canto’s position was on the hills above the race track at Vina del Mar, jutsido of the city, His raiders have been getting holder ani bolder as the time passed, and have been making excursions further in the country. He had absolute •ontrol of the railroad to Santiago and commanded the ordinary roads. Hence Santiago was practically in a state of 3iege, Affairs had come to such a pass that it was necessary for President Balmaceda to make some movo, and a little after daylight this morning the word was gives to Ittack the position held by the revolutionists, and, led by Generals Barbosa and Afzerecca, the government troops left their breastworks and advanced on the tnemy under cover of a heavy fire from their batteries. As soon as the approaching column got within range of the rifles as the insurgents a destructive fire was ppened by tho intrenched revolutionists. The government troops advanced with touch steadiness to the attack. They were soon near enough to do effectiv® work with their pieces, and the engagement became geneiai. Shot and shell, grape and eannistcr, and rille bullets tore through the ranks of the advancing troops lintll it became too hot, and despite the efforts of the officers they broke and retired almost in a panic. Officers worked like beavers to reform their columns as soon as they got without the danger of the deadly insurgent fire, and at last succeeded, k Then came another attack. In steady ranks the government troops started on a double-quick up into tho 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 lino wavered but kept on. Then General Alzerreea 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. AVith a wild yell the Congressioualist army left thei r defenses and charged, on tho retreating army. Their artillery poured a deadly fi.rp into the ranks of Baimaceda’s army. The loss of their generals left them without a head, and ail the efforts 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, aud then cameutter demoralization. The goverment cavalry made a stand but It was short. Thoy were literally cut to pieces. Voiiey after volley 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. Thcsa I deserters were generally tho volunteers,” who had been impressed into serviced

Balmaceda since the commencement of hostilities. Their sympathies have all along been with the Insurgents and they took this, the first opportunity, to go over to them. The fighting lasted a lHtle less than five hours, and its desperate character may be judged by* the fact that fully five thousand men were killed and, wounded. The country for miles around is filled with men, many of them wounded, who were this morning the dependence of President Balmaceda. The defeat of the government Is absolute and complete. There Is no possibility of a reorganization, and if he 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. Early this morning stragglers from the battle-field began to come in. As the day wore on they came in greater and constant ly growing numbers and it became apparent that the government troops were getting the worst of it. The reports they brought in became more alarming. Presi-dent-elect Vicuna took tho alarm early and went abroad tho German flag-ship and asked protection of the admiral,which was granted. Then the intendente, Oscar Viel, sent a communication to Admiral Brown and the commanding officers of the other foreign fleets in the harbor, requesting them to send men ashore and protect their citizens as the probabilities were, that there might be trouble. A landing party of blue jackets and marines from the” San Francisco were ordered ashore by Admiral Brown and took up a i.osition about the American consulate. The other naval officers followed suit and soon there were enough foreign men-of-wars men ashore to protect the city against any possible outbreak. The streets of the city by 11 o’clock were filled with a disorganized mob of Balmacedian soldiers. The execution among the officers had been terrific. In addition to the two generals, Barbosa and Alzerreca, nearly alj the staff officers bad been either killed or wounded, and the fatalities among the line officers had also been great. An attack on the city was momentarily expected. To avoid the bloodshed which would naturally 7 have resulted from the victorious army entering the city, heated with the fire of battle, Admiral Viehl, the Intendente,sent a flag of truce to General Canto, with a proposition to surrender the city. It was accepted, and Senor Don Carlos Martinez, a Congressional leader, Who was refused a safe conduct from Balmaceda, and has remained in Santiago since the commencement of the revolution, directing the conduct of affairs for them in the south, was requested by General Canto to take possession of the city and act as Intendente until such time as permanent arrangements could be made. This he did. In the meantime there had been a general flight of the government officials here. Senor Walker Martinez left Santiago and joined General Canto aS soon as he heard of the landing at Quintero bay and bas been with him ever since.

Shortly after noon the victorious army began to enter the captured city from the hills to the southeast. General Canto, with his chiefs of stall,Colonels Holley an 1 Korner and Senor Walker Martinez, were at the head of the troops. As the insur gent troops, flushed with victory, marched through the streets they were greeted with the wildest enthusiasm. The people were wild with excitement, and the streets resounded with their shouts of “Viva Chili,” “Viva Canto.” Shortly after the entree of the army of Gen. Canto, Capt. Alberto Fuente3, of the torpedo boat Almirante Lynch, which was lying at the fiscal mole, was sum. moned to surrender. He attempted to steam oub and opened fire with his machine guns on the insurgent troops. A sharp engagement ensued, lasting fifteen minutes, and then Capt/Fuentes hauled down his flag and there was not an enenqy to the revolution from Fort Vandiva to Vina del Mar. , the government troops as were in the city or who came in gave up their arms and most of them were paroled. Guards were stationed in the streets to see that the crowds of disbanded soldiers and tho dangerous classes did not make trouble The city is as quiet as could be expected under the circumstances and no trouble i« expected. Nobody here has any knowledge of the whereabouts of President Balmaceda. The insurgent leaders are exceedingly anxious to find out where he is, and if they succeed in finding him the chances aro that it would go hard with him. The genera belief here is that he is making his way out of the country, perhaps overland to Buenos Ayres,

The Indiana Bureau of Statistics is making an entirely new departure this year under the law of ISB9. which require the investigation of labor questions. Soon after the passage of the act adding this duty to those of the bureau the Governor denied tho right of the Legislature to elect the chief of tho bureau, and the PeelleWorrell controversy then went into the courts. The appropriations mado by the Legislature were locked up in the treasury by the legal controversy and tho two rears passed without tiny investigations being made under the new law. Mr. Peel Iris now preparing- to- carry out thp nurposesof the law, and to this end will institute inquiries in every eity of the State into questions which affect the laboring classes, including wages, covt of living, hours of labor and general conditions as regards the prosperity of laboring men. This work will be done by special agents oi the hurean, who will gather the information by personally visiting the factories ol the State, and making inquiries in such manner as will give the work, when accomplished, all the value that surroundinvestigations made under direct authority from tne Legislature. Comparisons will be drawn between wages, cost of living and general condition of the classes in different cities and lnititiere.it trades, and it is expected to be able to present to the Legislature at its next session a volume which will lie of value to the legislator who desires to enact laws affectkig the laboring classes in the light of the knowledge of their real needs. Blanks have been prepared for the several trades or occupations. and the work of collecting tl e data will begiu early in the coining month, after which it will l>o gfonped in tabici and analyses made of the results.