Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-04-30
HUGE OIL WELLS
IN GREAT DANGER
VALUABLE PRODUCT OF TAMPlCo
REGION SOON TO POUR OVER
TANKS INTO RIVER.

Tampico, Mex, April 27-(Via Vera
J Cruz, April 29.)-The American ex
odus from Tampico, which began
| Wednesday, April %, virtually reach
ed it's end today with the departure FOL
Vera Cruz of about 60 American re
fugees on board the tank steamer Can
| field. The total number of refugees
sent from here to American ports since
the movement began Is officially given
at 2,27O.
There are a number of Americans
still in Tampico These number a
score or more They have all lived
here for many years and are highly
thought of by the Mexican population
among whom they have made many
warm friends. They are today shell
tered in the homes of Mexican friends
in little danger
No credible reports have reached
here of any damage to the oil wells.
tanks and pipe lines in the Tampico
and Panuco region, but the Corona and
other great wells in the PanucO dis
trict are overtlowing.
Many thousand barrels of oil are be-
ing lost daily because no effective way
of stopping the flow has been found.
Oil experts predict that within week
or ten days the retaining reservoirs
will overflow. AS a result a deluge of
oil will be precipitated into the river
and should this catch on fire Tampico
and the mouth of the river will be
threatened with destruction.
A Spanish naval ensign and in charge
of officers and men from the Spanish
cruiser Carlos V. arrived off the port
Sunday to take on Spanish subjects.
She left today for Vera Cruz with $50
refugees, including four Americans.
The only American warships off the
port today are the cruisers Birming-
ham and Des Moines, and nine torpedo
boat destroyers. The Hermione and
a few foreign merchant vessels are
still in the river AS result of the
exodus of foreigners and the disposal
of large part of the native popula-
ton business in Tampico is at COM
plete standstill. The only visible
signs of activity are along the custom
house wharf, where three steamers are
unloading.
While there is good reason to be-
lieve that the rebels investing Tampico
will reject any proposal to ally them
selves with the federals for the pur.
pose of resisting any possible Amert-
can aggression, there is some uncer-
tainty as to what course the federals
would pursue in such an eventually.
General Zaragozas, the federal com.
mander, has made public announce
ment of his determination to defend
Tampico to the last. On the other
hand he is reported to have said to a
friend last Friday that opposition to
American advance would be quite
hopeless, that he would only make a
feeble show of defense, sufficient to
satisfy the demands of honor and then
evacuate the city. General Zaragozas'
force is not believed to exceed one
thousand men. Considering the FEEDER.
al situation from the standpoint Of
rebel attack, all indications point to
their ability to defend Tampico in
definitely. The federals are we'll sup.
piled with artillery, of which the rebels
have none. The rebel attacks hith.
erto have never been skilfully directed
and they always have been futile. The
sanitary conditions at Tampico are
bad The water supply is scant and
to large extent polluted.