The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-04-23
OCCUPATION OF VERA CRUZ
Further Details Of Fighting When
City Was Taken

White House last evening;
a dispatch received az $50
o'clock from Consul Canada az Vera
Cruz states that AZ ? ,. m. the city
vas entirely quiet and thoroughly 20
Iced by American forces. His re-
ques. that san Sebastian hospital be
placed ~ the disposal OF our chief
sanitary officer. together with native
doctors and nurses. 10 care for Mex
lean wounded was Immediately grant
ed. Reports have reached him that
all Americans who stayed AZ the Dill
gencias hotel during the lighting are
safe and now going on board the Els
peranza."
4 dispatch from Consul Canada.
which was filed at Vera Cruz early
yesterday. follows:
Firing began az daybreak. Ships
now Smelling southern part OF city.
large force landed from Admiral Bad
gers feet before daylight. Copies OF
proclamation issued by rear-admiral
requesting at once the cooperation
CT the mayor and municipal authori-
ties In restoring order have been dis
tributed. but have been unable as yet
to get in communication with these
officials. Maj Buffers force OF ma
rlnes from Tampico are now ashore,
Expect the city viii be quiet later In
the morning. Estimates OF Mexicans
killed and wounded up TO late last
night approximately $50. Battleships
here. Florida. Utah. Arkansas. Yer
mon. New Hampshire. New Jersey,
South Carolina. transport Prairie and
collier Orion. Transport Hancock
with marines reported due. Ameri-
can forces advance a. m. under
guns OF war vessels to take city"
The White House gave out the fol-
lowing statement:
"Dispa .ches received from Consul
Canada at Vera Cruz at Ito p. m. an
nounced that the American forces
are now In complete possession OF
the city. that apparently there were
no casualties among American and
foreign noncombatants. and that fir
ing had ceased except for occasional
picket shots
The chief point from which the
Mexicans fired on Tuesday was in
the central part OF the city. where
from the two houses forming the Dill
gencia ho.el. the snipers directed a
troublesome FIRE. House-to-house
fighting began again yesterday morn
ing as soon as il became light
enough to aim. The Mexican sharp
shooters appeared not to have dimin-
ished in numbers yesterday and with
daylight their Mauser bullets appear
ed 10 take a change Of direction. The
Mexican troops belonging to the reg
ular establishment had practically all
left the city and the sniping soldiers
and policemen.
Among the civilian element offer
ing opposition to the American fore
es there were many who had been re
leased from prison by Gen. Gustavo
Mas, the commander of the federal
garrison, before he evacuated the
city. Many OF these criminals ap-
pear to have inaugurated their liber
" by becoming intoxicated and then
found a convenient outlet for their
enthusiasm at obtaining their liberty
by joining the fighters on the house
tops. As hint of what might be
expected later the American force
sent across the southeastern part Of
the city few shells from their three
inch rifled cannon and soon after 7
o'clock yesterday morning this was
followed by another series of shells.
The principal reason for Rear-Admir-
al Fletchers hesitation to lombard
was that hundreds of noncombatants
including many women and children
who had been unable to get out OF
the central part of the city, we're
crowded into the Diligencia hotel
At a conference on board the bat
tleship Arkansas. Rear-Admirals Bad
ger and Fletcher decided yesterday
morning TO complete the investment
of Vera Cruz. Mexicans were firing
from the housetops and that the rifle
men were composed only of irregu-
lars and armed citizens who continu-
ed sniping from behind their shelters
Admiral Fletcher at $50 o'clock in
the morning ordered a general move
ment for the occupation OF all the
town. A column of bluejackets ad-
vanced and passed the uncompleted
market place and naval college.
When they had reached the walls of
the college terrific rife fire was
poured in all directions from the
roof and the windows. The bluejack-
cts were helpless to return the fire
| against the stone walls and scatter
ed. The Prairie. Chester and San
Francisco opened with their five and
six-inch guns and shattered the walls
| The bluejackets reformed and adj
vanced against the fire which had Gl-
minished greatly. BY 10 o'clock
there was only desultory firing from
the inshore side of the tower Bat
talions of bluejackets had made their
way along the water front to the
southern end of the town and clear
ed several streets but the snipinS
| from hCuses continued at intervals