The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-04-22
LITTLE FIRING TO-DAY.
Continued from Page ~

The name Of the fourth man could not |
he learned. ~ |
Consul Canada at Vera Cruz reported |
to the state department last night
Marines and bluejackets landed at |
ll.30 this morning, immediately TAX
ing possessipn;pf casffe ofiee,I postefRce |
telegraph ofioe and sustnlms holise saaaiso |
railroad terminals aHd yaias .withFadll
ing stock Notsviths 8 n ding firing; from
hoasetops, We are Masters seF the situa
ton so far without ase .ofsheavy guns.
Our men are simply defending them
selves. Some resistance from naval
vessels soon silenced by guns on Prairie.
At this time reported four of our men
killed and 30 wounded. American news
paper men and several other Amari-
cans in consulate Several Americans,
including some women who refused to
go aboard refugee ships, are now ma
rOoned in hotels within firing line
Trains from Mexico City did not ar
rive. -
One battalion of marines of the sec
ond advance base regiment from the
| Prairie, and marines attached to other
ships as well as portion of the sail
ors, probably about one-half of each
| ships company, composed the force
which engaged the Mexicans at Vera
| Cruz yesterday. This was announced
at the navy department last night at
| 10 clock. There were then about i 900
| American marines and blueJae kets in
| The town. Admiral Fletcher said his
/ men had fired only when they were
| ired upon, so far.
200 Mexicans Killed.
A despatch from Galveston, Tex,
/ says: . More than 200 Mexicans were
killed at Vera Cruz today in the fight
ing that followed the landing OF United
States sailors and marines, according
20 information received at the cable
office here. >
| A despatch from Admiral Fletcher
timed at 4 p. M. Yesterday, received at
Washington at 30 p. M, announced
that desultory firing was still in prog
'ess He said he was holding that part
Of Vera Cruz in vicinity of railroad
yard. the custom house and consulate.
All rolling stock of the railroad, he
said, was safe.
Rear dmiral Fletcher has warned
Gen Mas, the Mexican comman der at
Vera Cruz, that the big guns OF the
American feet will be used unless he
stops his men from firing.
The navy department announced last
I
t the flagship Arkansas, has been ordered
from Vera Cruz to Tampico. The ships
, which arrived with him-the louisiana
r New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey
+ South Carolina and Michigan-wiil be
: divided according to his discretion.
p The navy department announced last
p night that the United States forces in
: Vera Cruz and vicinity consisted OF
q he battleships Florida, Utah, Connect
!. :ut and Minnesota; cruisers San Fran
$ cisco and Chester; gunboat Dolphin
q transports Prairie and Hancock; hosp
al ship Solace and collier Cyclops II
+ well as the chartered steamers Esperan
: | "a and Mexico. This concentration o
/ forces, totaling about 1000 sailors am
l. nearly 1000 marines, is made up o
/ Rear Admiral Mayo s ships which hat
r been ordered from Tampieo late Mon
k lay and the ships which Rear Admira
Is Fletcher has had at Vera Cruz for man
a. weeks.
he rhe American Occupation.
a The demand for the surrender 10
Vera Cruz was made by Rear dmirG
: | Fletcher through Consul w. w. Canad
: 1t q clock in the morning. The cOnsT
allied Gen. Gustayo Mas, commandan
Ia IF Vera Cruz, by telephone and present
!, I'd the demands. saving the Unite
j States forces were about to occupy an
/, hold the town. lie called upon him
nr surrender in the name of humanity an
&c assist the Americans in restoring o
hi der Gen. Mas replied that eomplianC
g with the demand was impossible an
.s ked the consul for a personal parlc
56 The consul informed Gen. Mas thu
- he had no instructions TO grant pa
ley, and ended the conversation.
He then called the jefe politieo az
he customs collector by telephone al
Informed them of the prospective Ian
NC and asked for their cooperate
the maintenance of peace. The GU
oms collector requested time in ord
o attend to certain duties and Meth
ould promise any assistance.
Marines Begin 70 Leave.
Rear dmiral Fletcher, aboard t
flagship Florida, by this time. was
communication with Admiral Badg
.onimander-in,chief of the Atlaa'
4 fleet, who was speeding toward Il
A port with five warships. Admiral Flett
81 err decided to take action and bh
Il coats and marines began leaving
side of the transport Prairie short
before II clock. They entered
whaleboats and effected landing wi
in half an hour at the customs hol
and No 4 pier, which extends aim
from the center of the shore line j
the port and terminal works. +
minute later Can't William r. Russ
the battleship Florida, who was
command of the operations asho
brought his flag in. Capt Rush $ n
had already taken up their positio
They numbered $50 bluejackets fl
the Florida, 500 marines from
Prairie and 63 marines from the Fl,
Ia. Later these were augmented by
detachment from the Utah.
The coming of the American for
was not heralded by any great exc
ment, but small crowds gathered