The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-06-07
AS Described by Chief Yoeman of L. S. San Francisco
By F. Piebsch

| casualties were comparatively light
| when comp pared with those of the Mex
| leans The Frisco was fortunate to es-
! cape without the loss of a single life
After the city had fallen the fort sur
! rendered without any show of resist
ance. All of the prisoners in the fort
/ ress. with the exception of known dan
! gerous criminals and those who were
serving life sentences pronounced by
recognized courts, were liberated
Refugees Transported.
| The Ward Line Steamship Co. s,
| steamers, Esperanza, Mexico Monte
rey Guantanamo, and Antilla. which
| had been plying weekly between New
/ Y Ork, Havana and Vera Cruz. were
| chartered by the government, and
| have been used for the purpose Of
| transporting refugees to the states.
/ The San Francisco and Chester were
| highly commented, by the admiral. for
| their excellent work in Smelling the
, city. Admiral Fletcher Iauded the
work of the bluejackets to the skies,
stating that the praise worthy conduct
| of our men in esta htishing and main
| tanning good order and restoring con-
| fidence among the inhabitants of the
| city, after the fighting, reflects the
greatest credit upon the discipline and
resource fuInes& of the men Of the navy
and marine corps. In the nine days
work during which the city of Vera
| Cruz was occupied by the navy. law
lessness and disorder were suppressed.
1900 firearms taken possession of, and
a line of Gefenses esta blished around
| the city, against an army threatening
| to recapture it. Business was resum-
ed. and normal conditions restored. The
officers and men Of the naval forces
the highest credit and commentator
, for having done this warl1 and done
it well. The highest honor is due to
those who gave their lives in the ser
vice of their country. The aTmored
cruiser Montana left here on Sunday
May 3rd, for New York bearing the
mortal remains of the seventeen sea-
men and marines who gave their lives
in the defense of their flag. Flags were
at half mast from the time the Mon
tana got underway with her burden,
until she was a mere spech on the hor-
lion, her smoke blending into the haze
of the afternoon sky. Thousands of
DIueJaCketS and marines were drawn
up on the decks as the Montana
steamed slowly by, carrying their com
rades to their last resting place. From
bow to stern the great ships were lined
with silent men in white. who stood
with heads uncovered, in honor of
those who died in the performance Of
their duty. and in defense of the hon
or of their country. AS the Montana
passed the first vessel of the fleet the
band broke forth with the strains Of
Chopin's funeral march, with which
we are accustomed to bid farewell to
our dead As the last strains Of the
impressive dirge died away on one OF
the ships, it was taken up on the next
and SO to the end Of the long grey line
Of ships. May their souls rest in
peace.
Things Now Quiet.
Things are rather quiet at present
and personally / don't think that there
will be much more trouble. Aside from
the serious aspect of things during the
forces, things at times took on a bit
of the IudiCrous, for it did seem ra
Their drOll to see a bluejaCket as a
mOtOrman and another acting in the
capacity Of conductor, collecting and
ringing up fares on the electric cars in
the city; also to see them driving big
electric trucks, and even acting a s cab
bies, in order to keep things moving
The boys were all reluctant in turning
the city over to the army, for they ra-
tner enjoyed the experience, and look
ed upon it as welcome diversion
which helped to break the monotony of
the snip life: in fact a great many of
! them looked upon It more in the light
of &, lark, than so serious a thing az
strife.
Admiral Radger has established a
fast mail service between Vera Cruz
and Galveston, Texas, employing our
fastest torpedo boat destroyers for this
purpose; they making a bout three trips
a week. As some of them are capable
of being propelled through the water
at the rate of 33 knots, or approx
mately 38 miles per hour, this gives
Uncle Sans bluejaCkets the best mail
service in the world. completely over
shadowing the speed of the trans At
lanttc liners Anyone in Pensacola
having friends in the navy. now serv-
ing on vessels in Mexican waters, can
greatly expedite the delivery Of let
tiers. etc, If addressed to them with the
name Of their ship, and with the fol-
lowing addition: L. S. Naval Forces in
Mexican Waters, via Galveston. Tex
as
Well I think It behooves me to cur
tail this epistle, for fear lest you will
commence to think that I am endeav-
Oring to write a book. It really is on
" a short resume of our doings. /
could cite numerous other incidents
that might prove Of interest to Pen
saco1a people having friends in the
navy.