Torpedo Experiments In the Bay of Ancon

Paul Boyton and George Kiefer looked forward to their rail trip across the coastal plain to Ancon.
Residents of Lima regarded Ancon as a pleasant seaside village, perfect for a weekend escape from Lima, just an hour and half ride away on the new steam railway. In a Peru summer, the sea breezes gave a little relief to visitors from Lima. Persons with pulmonary and bronchial afflictions found Ancon's dry atmosphere healthful.

On this visit, the small party saw few local villagers. Many of the villagers had left town to escape the Chilean's indiscriminate coastal bombardments. The group took care to prevent the Chileans or other inquisitive people from discovering the true nature of their activities. To avoid attracting any attention, the group tried their torpedo experiments hidden between several rocky islands, detached from the mainland by volcanic action. They tested the torpedoes on various dummy vessels, while a troop of soldiers stood guard at all approaches.

After some successful experiments, the group returned in good spirits to their railroad car for the journey back to Lima. Don Nicolás de Piérola anticipated future success in getting rid of the Chilean blockade of the port at Callao by sinking the Chilean warships. Just a mile outside of Ancon, La Favorita hit a pile of drifting sand, throwing the engine off the tracks. The passengers climbed out of the car to see what could be done.

The Covadonga is Sunk

In early September, the Chileans again bombarded Callao. On September 13th, 1880, while the Covadonga blockaded the small port of Chancay north of Callao, firing at the town with artillery, the Chileans saw an empty gig adrift. The crew of the Covadonga sent a boat to examine her. Having checked her thoroughly, they brought the gig alongside the Covadonga, and hooked her with tackles to hoist her in. As soon as a strain was brought on the after-tackle, the gig exploded. The blast blew in the side of the Covadonga.

The Covadonga sunk almost immediately. Apparently, the gig had been fitted with a false keel, packed with dynamite, and connected to an igniter, so that no explosion could take place unless an effort was made to hoist the boat. Twenty men, among them the Commandant, drowned or died as a result of the explosion; the rest reached land and were made prisoners. In retribution, the Chileans bombed the bays and neighboring ports of Callao, including Chorrillos, Chancay and Ancon. (Mason, 1885)


Resources:
Mason, Theodorus B. M. 1885. The War of the Pacific Coast of South America Between Chile and the Allied Republics of Peru and Bolivia. 1879-'81. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.