Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-09
WHERE BRAVE BOYS
E;ADE GRAVE ERROR
American Troops Now Quar-
tered in Naval School
at Vera Cruz.
STRUCTURE WAS RIDDLED
BY GUNS OF WARSHIPS
Officers and Men Regretted Necessity
of Opening Fire on
Naval Cadets.
BY WINGRoVE BATHoN,

BY WINGRovE BATHoN,
SIAN Correspondent Of The >yar with The Amer
lean Forces at Vera cruz.
UNITED STATES ARMY HEApQCAE
TIERS. VERA CRUZ. Mexico. May > fEy
mail steamer Now that the army is get
ting settled in its various quarters in anc
around Vera Cruz, vacated by the naval
battalons, one of the principal objects
OF interest to the infantry. cavalry and
artillery here is the Escuela Naval, the
Naval Academy of Mexico, corresponding
to the Annapolis institution, around which
a number of "bluejackets'' were killed
and injured and from which the Mex
ican naval students were shelled by the
three and five-inch guns of the Chester.
Prairie and San Francisco.
In half of this Naval Academy Capt.
Ulysses S Grant I'd recently White
House aid and superintendent of the
state War and Navy building, at Wash
ington. has established his Company f.
United States Engineers. In the other
half Maj. George lie r. Irwin, 4th Field
Artillery, has established his battalion of
Mountain Guns as they are called.
Effects of Gunhre.
Today Capt William X Harrison.
commanding the San Francisco. who
was assistant chief OF the bureau of
navigation in the last administration,
and long a resident of Washington,
was a visitor to the academy. with
other officers of the Chester, Prairie
and San Francisco. to observe the ef-
feet of the fire of the ships on the
building. Seven clean-cut holes near
the roof in the upper story. in what
was once a handsome library. tell the
TO the building when the Mexican
naval students, In their mistaken
heroism fired on the sailors and ma
rines of the fleet, and it became neces-
sary to shell them out of their posi-
ton.
Other parts of the building show the
work of the Chester and Prairie. All
three of these ships lay near the school
on the day of the firing, and officers
and men alike greatly regretted the
necessity of convincing the Mexican
boys of their tragic mistake in such
deadly manner
Soldiers off duty from the various army
posts have crowded into the building to
such an extent that sentries now demand
passes from visitors. They want to see
what the big guns" as they call the
three and five inch guns, did to the
building, and some of the boastful con-
mountain guns and 'bluejackets" from
the feet. as to the respective values OF
field artillery and the guns of the fleet
and what the field artillery could have
an interesting idle half hour. The
tackles" generally have the best of the
argument. They ask the mountain
gun" men:
Have you ever seen a twelve-inch gun
except in a picture?
The answer generally
Whereupon the jackie says,
What's the use O. talking to YOU?
and walks off, Disguised and superior
Coolest Place in Vera Cruz.
Capt Grants company. f of Engineers.
CHARTERED in the building. has what is
probably the coolest place in Vera Cruz
for headquarters, and the men have real
beds to sleep in, as well as real tables
from which to eat, shower baths and
many other conveniences to which they
have not been accustomed. All the rub
bish is being cleared out of the structure,
including the laths. plaster. broken
beams. etc, resulting from the lombard
ment.
The beds have been painted with creo-
sote solution, disinfectantS have been
used literally in other respects, and
order is gradually coming out of the
AS Capt. Grant remarked. he has had
quite some experience as superintendent
of a building, so that the task of
Strengthening out has not meant as
much to him as it might have meant to
other officers.
A lot of old desks which the Mexcans
used were among the furniture and other
materials condemned. to make space.
Carved with jackknives, initials of future
''admirals' as well as those of past Off
GERS and present of the Mexican navy"
consisting of half dozen iron gunboats,
these desks have aroused sentimental
interest among Vera Cruzanos. and some
of the Mexican newspapers today de-
nounce their removal and destruction as
wanton, characteriZing them as sacred
relics The. space they occupy. how
ever. is precious, and they must give
way. many of them to be stored until
some future day.
Loot for Souvenir Hunters.
The books and other records In the
library are also being stored except a
few which have found their way INTO the
hands of souvenir hunters For a few
DAYS after the bombardment. before the
troops began to guard the building.
souvenir hunters overran the place The
most priced relics We're birs Of shell from
The three and five inch guns \ num-
her of letters from the sweethearts OF
Inc boys were found and these were
treasured
In "A number of cases officers commits
SONS We're found. but these almost al
ways found their way into the hands of
american officers who according 10
custom, VIII eventually return them Ia
their rightful owners if they can be
louhd great quantity of feminine
"ppareI was found. This gave rise to
u report that there Were more feminine
Visitors To the academy than is usual