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.