Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-12-15
Effort to Capture TampiCo
Ends in Failure, Due Large
" to Effective Fire Of Fed
eral GunboatS,
ADMIRAL FLETCHER
REPORTS CONDITIONS
Practically All Foreigners Safe
Aboard Ships and Out Of
Danger During the Entire
Battle,

NHF NNNHlNH JOURNAL hfAAlAA AAhNhh NiNNN
Washington. Dee. i4.--After four
Gays of fierce fighting. the Mexican
federal garrison at the scapor; of
Tampioo, reinforced by the arrival of
gunhouts with troops ammunition
and dynamite has driven the attack
ing constitutlonalists out of range Of
their gums
with a cessation of hostiltics med-
ical officers from me United Stntes
gunhoat Tacoma and the scout cruiser
Chester are ashore In the military
hospital helping to cure Tor more
Than 200 wounded
THIS Information was contained Ia
dispatches from Rear Admiral
Fletcher Go the navy department The
last message was dated 10 p. m. Sat
urday when The firing had ceased
and the constitutionalists had with
drawn Tho message was sent BY
wireless from Tampico to Vera cruz.
where 10 was cabled in cipher to
Washington via Galveston. which
accounts for its slow transmission.
The only foreigner mentioned IN
Rear Admiral Fletcher's dispatches
aa having been injured Is Edward
Fulay who was shot in the ankle.
but II bene cared for in the hospital
Wa rmupieo and is reported to be do-
ing we'll Practically All the for
eigners were ont In the harhor, sew
cral miles from the scene OF the
fighting, some aboard the German
and English ships but the greatest
number on the American hattleshps
Rhode Island. virginia and New Jer-
sey The American army transport
sumner ana the American liner MORO
Castle were due to arrive at Tampico
today TO take away any refugees who
desired to go The official number of
refugees aboard the American battle
ships was given az the navy depart
ment tonight as 1875 men, l56 women
ana liG children.
From the maps az the department
showing the relative position Of the
forces. the federal gunhoat probably
was a strong factor in causing the
attacking force to withdraw.
Admiral Fletcher ut first estimated
the strength of the constitutionalists
at 5000, while the federal garrison
had about half that number. The
gunboat Bravo was the first to arrive
with q few hundred men and she WAS
followed IN quick succession by th
federal gunhoats, zarago2a, Vera Cruz
and Tampico swelling the federal
forces 10 about 5000 The gunboats
could she'll the rebel positions from
the river and keep them from making
much Of an impression on the fed
eral defcnses in The city
Whether the consttutlonalists have
only temporarily withdrawn or have
given up the idea of attacking Tam
pico while it is protected by the gun
boats, is not disclosed IN any of the
dispatches thus far received.
Satisfaction was expressed at the
navy department over Roud Admiral
Flctchcr's method Of dealing with the
situation Not only have foreigners
been taken safely out Of danger, but
according 10 latest udvlccs no valua-
bic property has been destroyed. Sto-
Ties that the position of the Ameri-
can ships in the river had embar-
! iHNHth tue i'Nfit tI nNlli'flt' N'A'
declared to hc groundless as the dis
patches to the department showed
the Mexican boats To he above ana
below The city whore they could fire
upon the rebel positions without en-
dangerIns amy OF the American ves-
sells.
Admiral Fletcher was in communi-
cntion with the navy department to-
night concerning the disposition of
the refugees, II Is probable that most
of lhem win be taken to Galveston,
though many, il is believed will now
return to Tumpieo.
No other dispatches Of Importance
on the MeNieln situation were given
out at the state or war departments.
Charge O'Shaughnessy eabled with
reference to reports of the alleged
nieht of the family of General llu-
cra that he had seen Mrs Huerta
cut walking iu Mexico city YESTERDAY