Mr. Egan to Mr. Blaine.
Santiago, August 31, 1891. (Received November 13.)
Sir: In the conviction that the cause of the Government was lost, and to prevent, if possible, more bloodshed, I conferred with the minister plenipotentiary of France as to the possibility of prevailing upon [Page 156] President Balmaceda to make terms with the opposition leaders on the basis of his immediate resignation. The French minister had a conference with the President on the matter on the morning of the 26th, when President Balmaceda seemed to receive the suggestion very favorably, and promised to communicate his decision between 3 and 4 o’clock of that day, but as he did not do so we were obliged to abandon the attempt.
On the 27th instant, fearing a battle that day, I forwarded a telegram requesting the earliest possible information, as I had hopes that it might be possible to prevent a final struggle here, it being understood that with the troops in Santiago the President would, in case of defeat at Viña del Mar, make his last stand.
On the 28th was fought at Placillas, near Valparaiso and Viña del Mar, another sanguinary battle, in which the Government forces, amounting to about 9,000 men, were again completely routed, with the loss of about 2,000 in killed and wounded, the two generals in command, Alcerréca and Barbosa, and their staffs, and many of the principal officers killed, while the losses of the opposition forces did not exceed 600 in killed and wounded. The defeat of the Government forces in this fight, as well as at Concon, was caused—
- First, by superior generalship on the side of the opposition forces;
- Second, by the superiority of the new Männlicher rifle, with which the opposition troops were armed; and
- Third, by defection and treason on the part of several of the officers of the Government troops.
The true result of the battle only became known outside of the President and some two others at close to midnight on the 28th, and then the excitement was intense. I immediately went to the Moneda at midnight, saw Señor Manuel A. Zañartu, minister of foreign relations, and from him received the confirmation of the news and the assurance that the arrangement referred to in my dispatch No. 194, to hand the charge of the city over to Gen. Baquedano, would be carried out, and that President Balmaceda was at that moment writing his decree to that effect and his resignation. At about 3 o’clock on same night the wife of the President, his three daughters and two sons, came to this legation for asylum, and are still here, but will leave to-night. All that night and next day numbers of prominent Government supporters, including ministers of state, senators, deputies, judges, and others, sought asylum with their families in this and other legations and I have now in my house about eighty refugees. The only legation which closed its doors and denied asylum was that of England, which refused to admit a single person. The Spanish legation has about the same number of persons that are here, and the French, the German, the Argentine, and the Brazilian legations have each more or less people.
In the morning of 29th, at 8 o’clock, was publicly read the resignation of President Balmaceda and the temporary transfer of authority to Gen. Baquedano, copy of which I inclose (inclosure 1), and the general at that hour took charge of the Moneda. I inclose copy of his official announcement of the temporary transfer of authority to him (inclosure 2) and copy of my reply thereto (inclosure 3).
As soon as the news got out through the city the military and police became greatly demoralized the latter, about 1,000men, dissolved and absolutely disappeared with their horses and arms, and most of the military officers abandoned their posts, leaving their men without direction.
By 10 o’clock in the morning mobs began to collect, and very soon [Page 157] began the most desperate attacks on the houses and property of all the prominent supporters of the late Government. This sack was not a spontaneous outburst, but the result of a carefully organized plan, carried out under regular gangs, commanded by recognized leaders, each gang having a regular list of houses to be sacked. It was originated by the more extreme sections of the revolutionary element, but I am quite sure without the knowledge of the responsible leaders of the movement. The sacking continued nearly all the day. The palatial residences of Don Claudio Vicuña, who had been President-elect; of Don Adolfo Eastman, president of the Senate; Don Juan E. MacKenna, vice-president of the Senate; of Don Eulogio Aliendes, president of the House of Deputies; of the mother of President Balmaceda; of Gen. Gana, commander-in-chief of the army; of Don Adolfo Ibahez, Ruperto Ovalle, Alfredo Ovalle, Guillermo MacKenna, and the houses of numerous others, in all numbering about two hundred and fifty, were completely gutted, all the furniture and valuables destroyed or carried away, and in most cases even the doors and windows of the houses carried off. The loss inflicted by this wanton destruction can not be less than some $5,000,000, and the lives of the proprietors would also have paid the sacrifice had they not sought asylum in the legations and other places of safety.
Towards evening Gen. Baquedano, with the aid of the members of the revolutionary committee here, was able to reorganize the troops and put a stop to anymore destruction. Yesterday, Sunday, everything was quiet, and now all danger of further disorder appears to have passed over.
Having so many prominent refugees, and especially the family of the ex-President, I considered it prudent to ask for special protection, and I have now a guard of 10 soldiers at the legation supplied to me by the authorities.
I have, etc.,