The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-12-17
MAKES them STOP
AMERICAN ADMIRAL PROHIBITS
BATTLE AT TAMPICO
OFFERS TO open FIRE
Huerta's Men Held Position in Town
Where They Were Protected by
Shells From Gunboat BraVo-They
Manage to Retain Town Until
Fletcher's Mandate End Strife.

Fletcher's Mandate End Strife.
Rear Admiral Fletcher, command
er Of the American naval forces il
Mexican waters, Friday ordered th'
rebels and federals fighting at Tam
pico to cease firing, threatening tt
open upon them with the guns Of the
gunboat Wheeling if his order wa:
not obeyed. Both sides compiled
with the order.
This information is contained in
dispatch received at Mexico City Fri
day night by Sir Lionel Garden, the
British minister, from Rear Admira
Sir Christopher Craddock Of the Brit
ish cruiser Berwick. which Is lying
off Tampico. The federals hold the
centre of the town Of Tampico and
the water front. Rear Admiral
Fletcher has ordered foreigners tc
take refuge on board the ship or to
congregate on the water front, where
they will be under the protection OF
his guns.
Two thousand federals at Tampico
protected by the shells Of the gun
boat Bravo more than by their own
efforts, late Friday were waiting for
a forward movement of the rebels or
some other manoeuvre that might de-
eide the fate of the seaport. The
fighting, which began two days ago,
was then continuing.
How many rebels are engaged in
the attack on Tampico is not known
but it is estimated that their number
is at least twice that Of the federals,
and their operations indicate that
they expect more men from Victoria.
capital Of the State Of Tamaulipas,
which lies half way between Tampico
and Monterrey to the north. The
rebels, who are in possession OF the
railroad yards and shops and large
stores Of material, have detached
from their lines sufficient men to un-
dertake repairing the railroad north
and west from Tampico towards Vic
toria.
Occasional shells fell in the heart
OF Tampico during the day and bul:
lets from rifles and machine guns
were numerous enough to make it
advisable that all residents not en-
gagged in the conflict seek cover. The
rebels hold the area between Tampico
proper and the coast, including Dona
Cecilia and Abol Grande, where are
located the storage oil tanks Of the
Waters-Pierce company, the Cowdray
interests and the Hsuarae company.
The Waters-Pierce refinery is at Ar
boil Grande. The Codwrays also have
a refinery there, but it is not yet in
operation.
According to reports the rebels
have not damaged any property, but
the firing, especially that fror the
Bravo and a few federal cannon, en-
dangers the tanks Of the refinery of
the Waters-Pierce company. The
federals have their positions In that
part Of the city behind triangle
formed by the Panuco river, which IS
really the city's harbor, and the canal
running into it between the city and
the coast. Just below the mouth Of
the canal, and above Dona Cecilia,
lies the Bravo.
The rebels are utilizing hill about
100 feet high in attempting to land
shells on the Bravo, which. in turn,
is trying to render their position un-
tenable. To the west or rear of the
city the federals have defense in
the Tanezi river, which also flows
into the-Panuco, a stream not easily
crossed. Trains entering Tamplco
from the west do so over draw
bridge which the federals are keep
ing open. No rebels yet have appear
ed on that side of the city, to the
wonderment of the government OBJ
servers.
The track of this railroad has been
respected, and two train loads Of
refugees were taken out of the town.
Failure of the rebels to throw out OF
commission this line, which extends
to San Luis Potosi, before the inau-
guration of their attack, enabled the
government materially to strengthen
the garrison OF Tampico. Three
train loads of men were run into the
town from the west.
The meagre information available
indicates that the federals at
Tampico will be able to do nothing
more than resist the rebel attack. 1t
it not believed likely that the 500
men the war Office says left Vera
Cruz for Tampico will be able to en-
ter the town, as the rebels hold the
banks Of the river from the coast
farther in than Dona Cecilia. The
loss of life in the fighting at Tam
pico probably has not been great.