 During the 1891 Chilean Civil War , the Itata , a cargo ship employed by Chilean Congressionalists , had loaded weaponry in California , but was detained in San Diego by U.S. officials . After Itata was able to slip away from San Diego , Charleston caught up with the ship at the Chilean port of Iquique in July 1891 and escorted the ship back to San Diego before her cargo could be unloaded . In October , some months after the Itata Incident had ended , the American cruiser Baltimore put in at Valparaíso . On 16 October , a group of sailors from Baltimore ashore on liberty were attacked by Congressionalists , still angry at the Itata affair . Two of Baltimore 's sailors were killed and eighteen wounded ; thirty @-@ six other American sailors were arrested by the local authorities . Tensions ran high in both Chile and the United States . 
