New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-21
STRUCK BY REBEL BULLETS
THE :MARACAIBo's CAPTAIN TELLS OF
HIS EXPERIENCE IN VENEZUELA

HIS EXPERIENCE IN VENEZUELA
Bearing marks on her tunnels made BY thu
bullets OF venezueIa's insurgents and otherwise
showing the signs OF hard usage in war. tina
new steamer Maracaibo OF the Red D Lins1 re-
turned yesterday from her maiden voyage, and
came up 10 Pier No. 10 Roberts Stores, near
the end 81 Montasue-su-. Brooklyn
When Tribune reporter boarded her yssrsr>-
day afternoon he vas greeted by Captain ". NJ.
Hopkins, and the second officer, George z Ter
r1A- The Two men served the converted
yacht Panther during The Spanish war Cap
tain Hopkins told OF the experiences OF the YES
sci IN the Instruction in Venezuela. as was told
briefly in The Tribune some time ago
captain Hopkins narrative was as foiloEss
At Caracas our vessel took a cargo for Mara
CalOO, another Venezuelan port We also had
on board General De Barr who in CON-
mand OF the troops Of The Government He
took passage so that he could take command
reached MaracaibO on December L last and went
Alongside or the Government wharf Scarcely
more than block away was the Custom House.
ana further on were the houses Of the town.
stretching along for quite 2 distance The ar
rival Of General De Bari in 1laracai5O started
the revolution On the night OF December ].
the night We arrived II port the insurgzuts
from the neIghbOriug parts OF the country BE-
gan 10 gather in town At 9I5 O'Clock thew
had collected large number OF men and began
20 IRE on the Custom House. in which were the
Government troops The Insurgents occupied
The houses and shot from out OF the windows
As / said. our vessel was only a short distance
from the Custom House and directly IN the line
pierced the tunnels and the ships boats Ths
insurgents tore down the partitions between
the houses until they had r1assed large nun
Der OF troops directly alongside the Custom
House There was sort Of plaza Intervening
between the house where the insurgents
and the Custom House They made sortt8
and captured the Custom House The Govern
Ment troops threw their caps and rifles into the
water and surrendered, put on old straw
hats and mingled in the crowd
During all this were unwilling spectators
OF the assault Our vessel was struck seventy
six times The bullets were from Lauser rifles
I myself was hit in the finger The second mate.
Pennington. was struck IN the shoulder The
boat was under fire sixteen hours in all On
the morning Of December ;, while the assault
was stiu on. we could see from the vessel some
OF the Government troops shot down on the Gov
eminent pier before US one man was shot IN
the neck and killed y number OF MS friends
lay the wharf in the brCiling sun for four
night the excitement abated, and the lighting
apparently ceased
The Insurgents took charge OF the town but
flying the American has. We were allowed 70
sail back 70 Caracas with cargo and General
De Barri again with return trip-
We waited ar Caracas several weeks. during
which time General De Bari at the head OF The
troops put down the instruction and restored
Maracafbo to the control q the Government We
took a cargo then for NeW-York- II was one OF
the most exciting experiences OF my life
The Maracaibo win sail next Friday for La
Guayra with general cargo