mowed down like grass before the scythe. The shells from the warships did terrible execution, one shell from the "Esmeralda" being reported as having killed two hundred men. One regiment was wholly destroyed by volleys from the Manlicher rifles at not twenty yards distance.
President Balmaceda made strenuous efforts to recover from the disaster. The southern troops could not be hurried forward, as railway communications had been destroyed by the successful dynamiters. About six thousand troops at Santiago were sent forward toward Valparaiso; the president himself remained in Santiago to await the arrival of the southern reserves.
Canto continued to advance toward Valparaiso; two days later he attacked Vina del Mar, five miles east of the former city. This was a watering place, having a race track and almost surrounded by hills. A strongly fortified place, called Fort Callao, was attacked, the "Esmeralda" and "Cochrane" assisting with their guns. The place was well-nigh impregnable and could not be readily taken, so that the attacking forces were obliged to retire.
This repulse prevented a direct march upon Valparaiso, which port General Barbosa's army was protecting, being strongly posted on the surrounding hills all the way from Vina del Mar. Canto and Körner fell back to Salto, fifteen miles from Vina del Mar, where there was a railway bridge over a wide chasm on the direct line from Santiago to Valparaiso. This was destroyed, thus cutting off the president's chances to hurry forward the southern reserves as soon as they
has Barbosa join Alzerreca after the battle, with reinforcements from the south which swelled the government army to 14.000 men. It seems likely that Alzerreca commanded the advanced guard, consisting of two regiments of infantry and some artillery and that Barbosa's men were behind, as the lines extended over a distance of four miles. Certain it was, that reinforcements were very slow in reaching the front.
