Show luadan loami 0 WITH an apparently abandoned Abandon fid doat which surprised d a chilian ce crew toward the close of the recent war between chili and peru the peruvians f found 0 und themselves quite shut in from the outside world by the chilian blockading fleet that lay off tho the harbor of callao with two exceptions t the he peruvian navy had all been captured or destroyed by the enemy and t these hese two remaining ships vessels of low speed and little power were moored behind the breakwater absolutely useless for purposes of war with all their power of opposing the enemy gone the peruvians turned their attention toward destroying some of the hostile ships that lay a few miles off a a constant menace to the city of callao frequent futile attempts apts were made to blow up the chilian cruisers with torpedoes but the chillani Chi Chil lians lans were too alert and succeeded in avoiding or destroying ying the deadly missiles one forenoon says harpers young people the picket vessel of the chilian fleet a emall steam gunboat was cruising inshore to talce take a near look at the town and fortifications while steaming slowly along a boat was discovered drifting down with the current A near ea inspection action proved it to be a fine new whaleboat with oars and sails and complete outfit the commander of the chilian steamed close up to tho the boat and ordered tackles rigged for hoisting the prize on board the tackles were hooked and the men walk walked ed away to the pipe of the boatswains sw whistle suddenly as the beat left the water a terrific explosion took place tearing the boat to atoms and crushing inthe in the gunboats gun boats side at thet the water raier line so that she filled and sank leavin leaving her startled crew struggling in th the water most of them were rescued by boats from the foreign men of war lying near but some were never seen again the boat was a cunningly devised weapon having a double bottom filled with a powerful explosive with a fuse and detonator connected to the bolts to which the tackles hooked when the strain came on the bolts as the boat rose from the be water the fuse was ignited and the explosion followed |