The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-12-09
War Vessels
Continued from Page one)

army in northern Mexico, with the
frantic flight of his generals for safe
ty TO the border, and the demoraIiza-
tion of the unpaid troops, was estab-
lished with the arrival at Oiinaga,
Mexico, opposite Preside, of tile
civilians and soldiers who deserted
Chihuahua City.
In the remarkable hegira which
struggled for eight days over an 1855
mile trail through the desert ard ell
dured great "hardships FOR want or
foodAand water, were General Saliva
doEkMercado, Huerta's deposed mill
'tafgzgovernor and commander OF the
GsdeEal troops in the north; General
Fascdal Orozco, General Antonio Ro-
Ias, General Marcelo Caraveo. Gen
sta1 Ynez salazar and host or sub
ordinate officers. TheyGha deserted
their posts in fear of General Frun-
cisco Villas rebel army, and virtually
had surrendered to the rebels Chihua-
hua, the state capital and largest of
the far northern cities.
Many Fugitives.
Along with them came burdened
with what property they could carry
men, women and children, represent
ing some of the richest families in tic
republic Their flight with the army
was in tile face of reports that they
might expect no mercy should they
fall into the hands of the rebels. Luis
Tcrrazas, wealthy land owners re-
puted to own half of the state of Chi
huahua, was said to have brought
with him q vast fortune in cash, fear
ing it might be looted by the rebels
il lie remained in the evacuated city.
Witnesses viewing the oncoming
throng from the hills at Ojinaga re-
ported the refugees were scattered ia
a thin line for several miles into the
interior and that the dusty confusion
of broken wagons, disabled artillery
and mingling of disheartened SOL
diers and ramished civilians as they
slowly moved over the desert present.
cd a spectacle Of
Universal Despair
The fear of being unable to Keep
pace with the escorting army of be.
ing lost on the desert or caught by
the rebels added to the miseries Of
so preciptated a flight and kept the
refugees in almost continuous
frenzy. Their arrival in q panic, bit
unmolested by thesrebels, formed one
Of the most tragic Incidents of the
present revolution.
Many who started out in vehicles
later marched on foot; scores who at
tempted to carry their treasures had
to abandon them through sheer
WEAKNESS so their tracks were liter
ally strewn with discarded impedt'
nents, - clothing, brica-abrac, and
valued trinkets, which they had hop
ed TO carry to safety. Behind them
they left the blackened ashes of camp
fires, marking at eight stages of camp
fires the eight nights where they
Lad camped; some times in a cold
wtnd.-blowing off the high plateau
/, and often within the hearing OF inc
bowling coyotes. The travelling In
the day was sometimes through sand
storms. 1t was impossible to esti'
mate the number Of refugees, but OBJ
,nA,,ore cnid fbnV would
Total Several thousand.
Whether the federal officers anu
the soldiers would attempt to seek
refuge in the United States was not
made known on their arrival. Just
before the approach Of the federals
whose oncoming was announced by
twenty exhausted soldiers early In
tho day. the few rebels at Ojinaga'
who were greatly outnumbered by
the advancing federals left their gar
rison and retreated to the field. TINS
left the way open for the federals TO
advance to the Rio Grande rivel
without Fighting. 1t was believed
they probably would remain on the
Mexican side so long as they were not
pressed BY, the rebels.
General Villas rebel force had
been in pursuit of the fugitives bu!
the federals, by exacuating the city
unawares had an advantage in point
Of time and Villas forces were un'
able to oycrtake them. 4
United States troops were on the
border to take action in case of any
infringement of tho neutrality lava:
1t was known that the authorities
had telegraphed to 81 Paso for a ca
pias for the arrest Of General Sala't
gar, who is under Indictment In this
country. All the available automo-
biles have been taken to the border
town Of Maria, Texas, about %
miles, by wagon road, from Preside.
This arrangement for carrying the
civilian refugees to the nearest rail.
road station was made by friends Of
The Terfazas and other families. 1t
was understood the civilians would
crnss NJ The earliest opportunitySA q