The Penn's Grove record., 1903-07-24

Through Hail Of Bullets and Cannon
Balls-2oo Defenders DIE Together.
Caracas, Venezuela.-After a bloody
battle that ragged from noon on Sunday
until 8 o'clock Tuesday morning. the
Government troops have captured the
city of Cuidad Bolivar. During the
fighting hundreds of revolutionary
troops and citizens of Cuidad Bolivar
were killed and the city was Complete
~ wrecked by shells.
The fighting was of the most desper-
ate character. Block after block was
disputed, the Government troops enter
ing the city slowly. All the houses had
been b~arricaded and the revolutionists
mad been firing from fat roofs. called
azotoas. When the reyolutionists final
iy abandoned the houses, after having
taken all that could be used for barri-
cades or to otherwise stop the Govern
ment troops, they were Immediately
occupied by the Government soldiers,
who bored big holes in them so as to
communicate with the next house.
At Z o'clock Sunday evening the Gov
eminent forces, which were advancing
from all directions, arrived near the
centre OF Ciudad Bolivar. For two
hours previously firing had diminished.
but it was renewed with more vigor at
TO o'clock at night, and illuminated the
sky.
At 8 O'clock Monday morning. when
the inhabitants of the commercial and
foreign parts of the city. near the
Alameda, saw II advance of the Gov
eminent troops, they all abandoned
their homes and sought refuge in other
parts of the city, crossing the streets
amidst a hail of bullets and shells, the
women carrying their children. the
strong helping the weak. Many men,
in trying to protect the women. fell,
struck by bullets, in the middle Of the
streets. With the firing, the yells OF
the wounded and the crying Of the
women and children, a terrible scene
was witnessed.
The Government troops, however,
acted with humanity, especially the
forces of General Rivas, who, fighting
bravely, was the first to order the at
lacking force to be merciful.
AT 8 o'clock the Government n
erals, having effected a junction Of
their forces, north and south, and hav-
ing received further supplies Of am
munition, decided tt push the attack
on the centre of the city. At 10 O'Clock
the Government troops had captured
the north side of the Alameda, the pubs
lie park of Ciudad Bolivar, which has
been defended by a double row of bar
ricades. Behind one of these were
found more than thirty dead soldiers
lying on top of each other. while
wounded men were seen on all sides.
At 10 o'clock the Government COM
manders, seeing that only the artillery
could make a breach in the barbados
of the Alameda, ordered twelve guns
to open fire on them, and at the same
time the Venezuelan feet, which had
changed its anchorage so as to bring
it's guns to bear effectively ON the city,
opened fire.
The soldiers on both sides had had no
food for two days, no ambulances were
being used, and yet the fighting went
OH. At 1 p. m. the advance of the Gov
eminent troops reached the market
place. The old customs house and the
water works were taken. The Dalton
block, the property of the United States
Consul, where all the leading German
and French firms reside, was being at
tackled when the last telegram was
sent.
The jail was the centre Of a terrible
resistance. All the defeated revolu-
tionists were concentrated there. 1t is
estimated that more than 200 men
We're killed in that vicinity.