Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-04-12
Vera Cruz. Mexico. March IS.

! o.
Vera Cruz. Mexico, March IS.
In our last letter historic Vera Cruz
was dealt with. Modern Vera Cruz
is quite a different city to the fam
Gus city of New Spain. Under the
| policy of the Mexican Republic one
| of the first national Improvements
was the construction of a harbor at
| this point.
The harbor is of the large type, hav-
| ing an area of some $50 acres. dredg.
cd TO a main depth of nine meters,
or nearly 30 feet. this was accomplish
ed by dredges of the latest type and
he greatest capacity afioat.
The sea wall runs parallel to the
Town, and has reclaimed some 80
acres from the barbor. This land
was formed from the sand pumped
mp by the suction dredges and dis
charged through pipes. and was top
lined with foot of earth, brought
from distance OF 20 kilometres by
rail. The coping of this wall is CON
structed of Scandinavian granite.
This gives at once a durable and or
namental finish. Many residences
have been bnilt on this reclaimed land
On the north the harbor has been
completely closed by running break
water from the shore to the Gallaga
eef, on which San Juan de Ulua
stands, and by continuing same from
san Juan de Ulua in southwesterly
direction to the point selected for the
mouth of the harbor. where a mod
ern lignt house will be placed. The
mouth of the harbor will be 260 me-
tres wide, and upon the other side
another light house will be placed at
he extremity of another break water
running out from the shore on the
southern side of the town, in north
easterly direction to aforesaid mouth
of harbor.
Jetties have been constructed from
the quay wall by the government and
by the Mexican and Interoceanic rail
ways. They extend into the harbor
about 1870 metres. which enables two
steamships of the largest kind to un-
load at once<t each jetty
There Is a solid masdnry pier $50
metres long by 100 wide, which have
warehouses in the center and all the
most modern facilities for loading and
dischareing freight, thus enabling all
the railways to run their tracks out
on it. This pier will accommodate
at the same time, seven of the larg-
est ocean-going steamships.
The town of Vera Cruz furnishes
many points of interest TO the visitor.
There is the harbor. San Juan de
Ulua, the Casa Municipal ibuilt in
1920, the public library Gn the form
er Franciscan convent). also the light
house in the same building. the Par
ish church, dedicated June 13, 1894.
and which fronts upon the main pla-
"a: also the churches of the Com
pania and San Agustin. both dating
from 16l9-tnough of older founda-
ton, having been rebuilt after the SER
ious fire of that year.
The Alameda is worth a visit. 1t
is an outburst OF tropical foliage. The
best way of getting there is by TAX
ing the tramway, but probably the
most picturesque part of the town is
the Main Plaza itself
The federal government as long
ago as Sept. 6, 1860, granted a con
cession for the construction of a rail-
road from Vera Cruz to Medellin, aft
er the building of which communica-
tons for many years afterwards
were carried on from the latter place
TO Alvarado by mule tramway. The
| present railway being finally substi-
tuted for It,
Upon leaving Vera Cruz by the AL
yarado railway, the traveller finds him
sell Immediately traversing the sandy
chaparral region of the coast The
road at first runs parallel for quite
some distance with the track of the
Mexican railway.
To the right is the Laguna de Co
COS, near which the army defending
Vera Cruz in lS47 surrendered to Gen
eral Scott, and on a slight eminence
to the left is fortified building, the
old powder house or Casa Mata.
Meddellin has quite an interesting
past. IL was a spot particularly liked
by the great Cortez himself and one
OF his first acts after the pacification
of the country and the confirmation of
his appointment as governor and cap
tain general of Nav Spain. was to Of