 Yorktown , a part of the United States ' response , departed Charlotte Amalie for Valparaíso on 17 October for a six @-@ week , storm @-@ tossed voyage around the South American continent via the Straits of Magellan . Less than two weeks after Yorktown 's 30 November arrival , Baltimore departed , leaving American interests in the hands of Evans and Yorktown . Over the ensuing weeks , Chile and the United States came close to war , but cooler heads prevailed . Locally , Evans ' patience was " dangerously tested " , but it held . One inflammatory incident occurred when Chilean torpedo boats bore down on Evans ' ship , turning their helms hard over at the last possible instant to avoid a collision . On another occasion , a group of locals threw rocks at Evans and his gig as it lay at the foot of a jetty . 
