New-York tribune., 1903-07-22
TAKE CIUDAD BOLIVAR.
GOVERNMENT VICTORY.
Desperate Battle from House to
House-FIeet Shells City.

Caracas. Venezuela. July 21.-A messenger who
has arrived here by steamer and train from
Ciudad Bolivar reports that the city was capt
ured by the government troops at O'Clock this
morning.
The fight from 1 O'Clock this afternoon has
been horrible, and at this hour the only places
which still resist the onset Of the government
troops are the Jail and the Capitol Early IN
the afternoon the government troops, which hao
received all the reinforcements available ana
ammunition and who numbered in all o'Zoo
men. were ordered to make general attack on
all positions still held by the rebels. AT O'CLOCK
this afternoon the Zamora, called the Sebastopol
of Ciudad Bolivar, stormed and captured.
Ninety-four dead rebels were found inside
among them being General Azanza. one of the
revolutionary leaders, whose head had been
blown off by shell.
It is impossible to render idea of the car
mage which occurred at this point. At the same
time General Rives, General GOmezs CHIEF lieu
tenant with 2300 men. succeeded in destroying
a barricade erected around the Miranda Plaza
the key to the Capitol, where all the survivors
of the revolution were concentrated. All the
roads and streets running into the capital are
guarded by government troops and the escape
of the revolutionists after the capture of the
Capitol, which is inevitable, seems impossible
They must either surrender or die. At o'clock
tonight the Custom House was taken after
ten hours fight. The Associated Press repre-
sentative counted sixty killed result Of
this fight.
The Dalton block, where the American Con-
sulate and most Of the foreign business houses
are situated, was captured at 3 o'clock. The
revolutionists without provisions and water,
the supply pipe having been cut yesterday
MI
hopeless. The shops are being pillaged.
Since o'clock yesterday afternoon the bat
tie between the revolutionary forces and the
government army commanded by General Co
mez had ragged mady Block after block was
disputed. the government troops entering the
city slowly All the houses had been barricad-
ed. and the revolutionists had been firing from
fiat roofs called azoteas. When the revolution
lists finally abandoned the houses. they were
Immediately occupied by the government SOL
diers. who bored big holes in them so as to COM
municate from house to house. The city ap-
pears to have been struck by a cyclone.
At O'Clock on Monday evening the govern
nlent forces, which were advancing from all di-
rections, arrived near the centre of Ciudad Boil
var. For two hours previously firing had di-
minished; but it was renewed with more vigor
at 10 o'clock at night, and illuminated the sky.
At 3 O'Clock in the morning, when the in
habitants of the commercial and foreign parts of
the city, near the Alameda, the advance of
the government troops. they abandoned their
homes ard sought refuge in other parts of the
city, crossing the streets amidst hail of bull
lets and shells, the women carrying their chill
dren, and the strong helping the weak. Many
in trying to protect the women fell. struck
by bullets. in the middle OF the streets
The government troops. however acted with
humanity. especially the forces of General Rivas,
who, fighting bravey was the first to order
the attacking force to be nercifu.
At o'clock this morning the government gen
erals, having effected junction of their forces
north and south. and having received further
supplies of ammunition, decided to force the at
tack on the centre of the city At 10 o'clock
the government troops had captured the north
side of the Alameda, the public park. which
had been defended by a double OF barri-
cades. Behind one of these were found more
than thirty dead soldiers. on top Of one another,
while wounded men were PROSTATE all sides.
At 10 o'clock the government commanders
seeing that only the artillery could make a
breach in the barricades of the Alameda, or
dered twelve guns to open fire on them, and at
the same time the Venezuelan fleet which had
changed its anchorage SO as to bring its guns to
| bear effectively on the city. opened fire. The
combatants had not had food for two days. No
ambulances have been used.
The Jail was the centre of a desperate re-
sistance. 1t estimated that more than two
hundred men were killed round about it.
The artillery of the reVolutiOnistS replied to
| the attack of the fleet, which for two hours
| shelled La Soedad.