South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-05-14
ARTILLERY BATTERS BIG
HOLE IN FORTIFICATIONS
Desperate Hand to Hand Fight
in City Streets Cut Down
Hundreds - Gallant General
of FederaIS Missing.
BY THOMAS y. COATES.
staff Correspondent.


VERA CRUZ. May 14.-Tampicos
fall has FASTENED the doom of Presi-
dent Huerta. The constitutionalists
are now in complete possession of the
north and the scene of civil war is
transferred To the south, with the
rebels boasting that they will drive
Huerta from power within a month.
With the capture of Tampico tho
constitutionalists have gained a sea-
port that will be Of vast advantage.
Through .@mplco they expect to gain
the munitions of war that were cut
off by the renewal OF the American
embargo on the border.
The federal defenders led by Gen
eral ZaragOza suffered heavy losses in
the bloody conflict at the oil town. At
least 5000 federals were killed or
taken prisoners. according TO the re-
ports that have been received here
When the rebels opened their attack
General Zaragoza had 5000 men.
Only 1000 are said TO have made their
escape on the Mexican Central train
that nad been made up in preparation
for the evacuation of the city and the
flight To San Luis POtosi.
Rebel Loss Heavy.
The cOnstitutionalist loss was also
heavy. n is estimated that from 1 500
10 1000 rebels fell in the grand as
sault on the town after their artillery
had battered a great hole In the fOrti
hcauOns Of the city. There IS little
prospect that the federal troops who
He'd from the town will be able to
make good their escape. The railroad
10 San Luis PotOsi has been cut at
Cardenas, 63 miles from San Luis Po-
tOsi and at that point the 1000 fed
a1- mill TrFr 60 ful fr he fTrnc a fr.
escape a large force of rebels under
General Eulalie Gutierrez. It is be-
lieved that the federalS Will be IN
able TO make their way through the
jungle and morass in that section.
General MorelOs ZaragOza, whose
gallant defence of TampicO command
ed the admiration OF even the rebels
could not be found after the battle
and IL was not know whether he had
been killed or not. 1t had frequently
been the boast of this soldier that he
would fight until his last cartridge
had been expended. and the theory
was held by many that he had fallen
among his followers.
Bodies Quickly Buried.
The probability that his body would
be found was made uncertain by the
quick disposition OF many Of the fed
eral corpses- Some were smeared
with crude petroleum and burned.
others were dumped into trenches
filed with quick lime. while still 9TH
ers were cast into the Panuco river
} and borne 70 sea upon the bloody. oil
covered waters of this stream
The desperate hand TO hand fight
which smashed the final defences of
the federals, ended an attack which
had been begun last Friday night and
went on intermittenty until the city
fell
At times the firing was all the ar
tillery and small arms on both sides
engaged. Then IL would die away un-
I'll the stiffness was broken only by
scattered rifle shots between the out
posts The rebels kept advancing
inch BY inch moving forward their ar
tinery and throwing up fresh breast
works as they did SO. They were able
TO seize the peninsula between Tam
pico proper and the Gulf Of Mexico
on the west and planted batteries from
which they shelled the three federal
gunbOats lying in the Panuco river.
All the territory on both sides Of the
lagoon north OF the city was held by
the rebels and their outpoSts extended
almost completely along the western
side.
The three Mexican gunboats were at
anchor with the Bravo nearest the
gulf. Then came the Zaragoza- while
the Vera Cruz was anchored west OF
the city where the ramos river uoNS
into the Panuco.
Rebels Alternate Fire.
Day after day the shore batteries or
the ConstftutiOnalists alternated their
fire directing IL first against the gun
boats then against the city.
One shell set fire 70 a tank owned
by the Eagle oil company and this
blazed for two DAYS and two nights.
Under its fitful glare the battle went
on az night and under its pail ot
greasy black smoke the lighting con-
tinUed through the day.
Tae federals occupied strategic po-
sition In cemetery about mile west
Of the Plaza de Armas They had
built barricades OF bags of sand and
tombstones but the cemetery was
new one and there were not many
grave stones for such utilization.
SO fierce was the federal fire from
this position that General Gonzales
decided % take IL by storm. Under
cover of darkness he ordered rebel
detachment to drive the federals from
their position in the cemetery.
Charge BreastNorks
With their hands fun OF grenades
! the rebels charged upon the breast
works hut were met with a fire that
sent ,heu reelng backwards Again
they charged and got "a partial foot
hold within the federal lines. After
q bloody hand to hand light the con-
efftutiOnalists were driven Oft leaving
manv dead and dying behind.