Subcomandante Marcos
22nd May 2003, 04:08
Today, May 21, here in my country Chile we conmemorate the Battle of Iquique, 1879. A Naval battle fought between Peru's steel ships and Chile's wooden boats, all for some saltpetre.
On that day, 124 years ago, at 7 A.M. on the shores of Iquique the Watchman of the courbette Covadonga gave the signal that the Peruan battleships Independencia and Huascar were approaching the port. At that moment the commander of the Covadonga signled the commander of the courbette Esmeralda, Arturo Pratt, the arrival of the ships.
The battle itself started about an hout and a half after, when the Esmeralda was fighting and uneven battle with the Huascar along with the ground artillery of Iquique.
Half an hour before noon the Huascar crushed against the weak Esmeralda, before the ships splitted up the commander Arturo Pratt order a boarding of the enemy ship, he died on deck along with three fellow compatriots.
Today we remember the death of this heroe who fought on that uneven war and died under the Chilen flag, after that the Covadonga runned southward and finally on Puenta Gruesa the big [/i]Independencia[/i] was stuck on the rocks.
At the end Chile won the war against Peru and Bolivia and gained property of Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta and the Bolivian sea.
On that day, 124 years ago, at 7 A.M. on the shores of Iquique the Watchman of the courbette Covadonga gave the signal that the Peruan battleships Independencia and Huascar were approaching the port. At that moment the commander of the Covadonga signled the commander of the courbette Esmeralda, Arturo Pratt, the arrival of the ships.
The battle itself started about an hout and a half after, when the Esmeralda was fighting and uneven battle with the Huascar along with the ground artillery of Iquique.
Half an hour before noon the Huascar crushed against the weak Esmeralda, before the ships splitted up the commander Arturo Pratt order a boarding of the enemy ship, he died on deck along with three fellow compatriots.
Today we remember the death of this heroe who fought on that uneven war and died under the Chilen flag, after that the Covadonga runned southward and finally on Puenta Gruesa the big [/i]Independencia[/i] was stuck on the rocks.
At the end Chile won the war against Peru and Bolivia and gained property of Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta and the Bolivian sea.