1880 July

The third of July, a small coaster left the port of Callao and stole along the coast to the north. The armed transport, Loa, that had joined the blockading squadron after the fall of Arica, was sent in chase. Shortly afterwards three men were seen leaving the coaster in a small boat and landing through the surf.

The men of the Loa captured the vessel and found it loaded with fruit, vegetables, and poultry...a valuable prize to a blockading force. Bringing it alongside the Loa, they began to unload the captured items. In a few moments the boat exploded; the Loa sunk, her mastheads still above water when she reached the bottom.

It is supposed that the packet contained a large case of dynamite fitted with friction fuses, from which wires led to some of the packages of the cargo. In unloading, as intended, one of these packages was probably lifted and the torpedo exploded, blowing a large hole in the Loa's side and causing the loss of 145 officers and men out of a crew of 200.

In the middle of July, Nicolás de Piérola suspended the build up of defenses around Lima, because he believed that the Chileans would not march against the capital.