Mr. Egan to Mr.
Foster.
Legation of
the United States,
Santiago, July 16, 1892.
(Received August 22.)
No. 331.]Sir: I have the honor to refer to my No. 326 of
12th instant and to say that on 14th instant I communicated verbally to the
minister of foreign relations the purport of your telegram of 12th instant,
in regard to offer of compensation in the Baltimore
case, at which he expressed much pleasure. To-day I received a note from him
dated 13th instant, translation of which is herewith inclosed, formally, on
behalf of his Government, placing at my disposal the sum of $75,000 gold,
with the request that it be distributed among the families of the two men
killed and those who received personal injuries in the attack of 18th
October last in Valparaiso.
In accordance with the authority conveyed in your telegram, I have replied
cordially accepting same, copy of my note herewith, inclosure No. 2.
In a few days I hope to receive and remit the amount named above, and thus
bring to a satisfactory conclusion this very deplorable occurrence.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
331.—Translation.]
Señor Errazuriz to
Mr. Egan.
Department of Foreign Relations,
Santiago, July 13,
1892.
Sir: In conformity with the indications which I
made to your excellency as soon as I entered, in June last, upon the
duties of the office which I hold, I have now the honor to communicate
to your excellency that my Government places at the disposition of your
excellency the sum of $75,000 gold, requesting that it may be
distributed between the families of the two seamen of the crew of the
United States cruiser Baltimore, who died from
wounds received in Valparaiso the 16th October, 1891, and those of the
crew of the same ship who may have suffered personal injuries more or
less grave from that lamentable occurrence.
The undersigned would have been pleased to give effect before now to the
offer referred to, but he has had delay and embarrassment for want of
exact knowledge of the necessities to which the Government of Chile
proposed to satisfy; and it was for this reason that the undersigned
permitted himself to indicate to your excellency that the sum which he
desired to place at your disposition should be fixed by some high
functionary of the United States who would find himself in a better
position to know the injuries caused to the persons and families of the
crew of the Baltimore than we could be.
I renew, etc.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 331.]
Mr. Egan to Señor
Errazuriz.
Legation of the United States,
Santiago, July 16,
1892.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of the attentive note of your excellency of 13th instant
communicating to me that in conformity with the desire expressed by your
excellency upon undertaking the duties of the office in June last for an
early and friendly arrangement of the Baltimore
question, the Government of your excellency now places at the
disposition of the undersigned the sum of $75,000 in gold, with the
request that it be distributed among the families of the two sailors
[Page 65]
of the crew of the cruiser Baltimore who died from the wounds received in
Valparaiso the 16th October, 1891, and among those of the crew of the
same ship who may have suffered personal injuries more or less grave in
the same lamentable event.
On the part of my Government I accept with pleasure the sum which the
Government of your excellency has been pleased to place at my
disposition for the purpose indicated. In doing so I beg to convey to
your excellency my expression of the very cordial feelings with which
the Government of the United States of America appreciates this frank,
friendly, and entirely satisfactory compensation on the part of the
Government of Chile, and I am confident that this generous and
spontaneous action on the part of your excellency’s Government will do
much to cement those bonds of cordial friendship that I trust shall ever
unite our sister republics.
I avail, etc.,
