The Springfield herald., 1907-08-16
BLANCA is
CITY OF DEAD
STREETS PILED WITH DEAD AND
WOUNDED AFTER FIERCE
BATTLE.
TERRIBLE PICTURES
NOT EVEN SAN FRANCISCO
EARTHQUAKE GAVE SUCH I'M
PRESTON OF HONOR.

LonuOn.-Belated casa Blanca dis
| patches received here describe terrible
pictures of the scenes of desolation and
horror there, besides confirming the
seriousness OF the dangers while the
Arabs were ficrcely attacking the con-
sulates, owing to the inadequately
small force landed from the French
cruiser Du Chayla for their defense.
1t seems that, having completely
| plundered the Moorish and Jewish
quarters and awaiting for further plum
| der, the Arabs found that they must
first of all drive away the guards
around the consulates. which would
place the European shops and store at
their mercy. 1t needed all the courage
+; I'D resource of Lieutenant Tyssiers,
who. with thirty men, was sent ashore
from the French cruiser Galilee, to
save the situation. The Arabs became
SO bold and determined that they sue
ceeded in occupying deserted French
hotel, a high stone building inside the
British consulate line, and also close
to the Spanish consulate, from which
they poured furious rifle fire.
Smaller houses near both consulates
were similarly occupied.
Decides Upon Sortie.
1t was then that Lieutenant Tyssiers
decided upon sortie. His small but
brave band returned from the sortie
with dripping bayonets. having taken
the Arabs completely by surprise. Soon
afterward another officer from the Du
Chayla arrived upon the scene with a
machine gun, which was placed in po-
sition upon the roof and did effective
execution. Even then the Arabs con-
tinued their attacks undeterred, and IL
was only upon the arrival of additional
warships that the fighting ended.
One correspondent thus describes
what followed:
by evening the town was clear OF
Arabs except those in hiding, who
were unable to escape. Then com
menced n second series of pillages.
The Spaniards came first, each man
guarding his own shop and robbing his
neighbors. Then the Jews crept tim
idly from their hiding places and began
to prowl about, looting wherever they
could. When the Foreign Legion was
distributed through the town to pre-
serve order then came the final and
most thorough pillage of all.
Described as Awful.
The same correspondent, wiring on
Saturday, says that not even San Fran
cisco after the earthquake gave such
an impression of horror, and French
officer who was present at Martinique
during the eruption of Mount Pelee
said that Casa Blanca was infinitely
more awful.
The Arabs seemed to have been
equally possessed of the lust and plum
der frenzy and of wanton desire for
the destruction of property. They
went through houses tearing down and
smashing everything in their search
for valuables. In the back parts Of
the town French shells wrought in
finitely less death and destruction than
Arab bullets and knives. Corpses
gashed and battered were scattered
about, while enormous bullet holes,
blackened with powder, showed where
men died at short range by Arab
weapons Many thus killed were huge
limbed Arabs, plunderers, who had
fought among themselves for the loot
and killed each other in the attempt
to escape along narrow lanes when
French reinforcements were landed. In
this mad stampede many were tram
pied to death.
According to other correspondents
200 Jews have fed to the country,
where their fate is uncertain. TWO
hundred jewish girls were caiiieu oh
by Arabs and over 100 Jews were slain
in the most horrible manner. Even
women and children were killed with
the greatest brutality when they re
fused or were unable to reveal the hid
ing places of money and valuabies.
Survivors are now creeping out with
wailings and lamentations, seeking
food among the debris.
Frightful misery has been caused by
n shortage of food, which is sold at
famine prices. Looters are now shot
at sight, many having already paid
the penalty for their crimes. Property
estimated at s2,500,000 has been de-
stroyed.
| council of war was held to discuss
the best means to deal with the nightly
attacks on the encampments. and at
/ the close of the council another vigor-
GUS attack was made by the Moors
| from three different directions.