Had the cruiser picked the line up with her bow, it would have thrown the torpedo along her side, setting an automatic wheel in motion that would explode it.

When he had reached a safe distance, he turned to see the vessel blown up and to his intense disappointment, the cruiser turned a gatling gun on the torpedo.

The Chileans were more watchful than he had given them credit for.
After the Chilean had discovered the torpedo, the little sloop barely escaped by putting out her sweeps and drawing close up under the land, by that means reaching Chorrillos next morning in safety.

A party of marines from the cruiser were landed on an island near where they had discovered the torpedo, next day, to hunt out those who had placed it.

Fortunately for Paul and his crew they had eluded the cruiser under cover of the night.