The Washington herald., 1914-06-07

matte days at Vera Cruz The first day's
activities had ended. He now describes
the night after the capture Of the CUSTOM
house and says:
"A Mexican naval officer from the naval
station in Ulioa came on board the
Prairie about p. m He had served I'm
the Spanish navy and was on board the
Don Juan de Austria at the battle of
Manila He requested in the name Of the
/ commandant that about 800 navy-yard
! workmen and sailors be allowed to leave
the station and join the forces under Gen.
Mas. The practical diffYculty of allowing
this was pointed out to him. and he was
told to inform the commandant that the
matter would be taken up as soon as or
der was re-established in the city
THE Florida was ordered to sweep the
tentrance of the harbor inside breakwater
| for mines with wires reported leading to
| Ulloa. and before the dragging was com
pleted the San Francisco and Chester en-
tered the harbor during the night.
No Mines in Harbor.
Investigation and aeroplane observa-
tons subsequently proved that there were
no mines In the harbor.
AT p. m the following radio WAS
sent to flag ofiicer. Arkansas tRear Ad-
miral Charles ]. Badger. who 0ter sue
ceeded. through seniority, to the COM
mand at Vera CRUZ:
.''will hold pier No. for the night
Desultory street firing continues. You
| should be prepared to land infantry bat
| talions and artillery Immediately on ar
! rival under cover OF darkness. Capt.
Huse or myself will repair on board on
your arrival to advise you of the situa-
ton. (SignedD FLETCHER
"Desultory rifle firing continued until
midnight with occasional shots through
out the night. The dead and wounded
were sent aboard the Prairie and the
medical officers of the Carlos and
Essex came aboard and offered their
services, which were accepted gratefully.
Reports were received that the enemv
was preparing to attack with artillery
during the night and the Utah and
Florida. anchored outside the breakwater,
were directed to be prepared to use tur-
ret guns and searchlights il ordered.
The Prairie kept searchlights trained on
points along shore from which snipins
occurred during the day"
Both the Utah and Florida have twelve
inch breechloader rifles in their turrets.
What would have happened to the pic
turesque skyline of the tropic port OF
Vera Cruz may be imagined. Twelve
inch guns of modern make have not Neen
used in bombardment except in the Japa-
nese attacks on Port Arthur. since Sey-
mour and Beresford battered the forti-
fications Of Alexandria to powder in
1sS, The Port Arthur assaults wers
against modern Notifications of concrete
and steel behind deep earthworks. The
use of modern shell against the stone
abode. brick and fimsy frame of Vera
Cruz would have been very different But
Admiral Fletcher's account of the first
night atSera Cruz continues:
Censor>hIp Is Established.
AT . p. m. the San Francisco entered
the harbor and anchored 800 yards north
of the Prairie. She Immediately landed
her battalion of two seamen companies.
which reported to brigade commander on
shore The Chester entered the harbor
at 1265 a. m. April =. and anchored or
Sanidad Pier. Her battalion of seamen
and marines landed Immediately. At
a. m censorship was established over
the cable station. Rear Admiral Badger
with FIVE battleships of his feet came to
anchor in the outer hsrbor. and with my
chief of staff I repaired on board the
flagship at rs a. m. After explaining
the situation TO the admiral. he decided
to land his forces. and the seaman and
marine battalions of the Arkansas. New
Hampshire. South Carolina. Michigan.
and New Jersey landed at 4 a. m. under
cover of darkness, and promptly moved
to their assigned positions, Joining the
organization on shore"
There had been excitement to suffice
the most critical on the first day of the
capture of Vera Cruz. but the second day
was the great occasion. Admiral Fletcher
continues his story under the special
headline:
THE FINAL ADVANCE
Early in the morning of the I'D ef-
forts get in MI ion ~.
authorities were renewed. BY o'clock
1t was ascertained definitely that the fir-
ing of the enemy was not under organ
lied control or acting under the direction
of competent authority. and the follow
ing instructions were isued:
Brigade Commander. L. S. Naval
Forces. Vera Cruz, Mexico
Subject: Re-advancing and taking
possession of the city of Vera Cruz.
I. All efforts to get in touch with
responsible authorities on shore have
failed and efforts have been fruitIess to
have the authorities stop firing
-. I am well informed that the regu-
lar troops have withdrawn and the peo-
pie now firing are irresponsible people
under no control or authority.
.. You will advance in your discre-
ton. and suppress the desultory firing.
takingp ossession of the city and restore
order. respecting as much as possible
the hotels and other places where for
eigners are lodged.
- You are cautioned against the pos
sible use by the enemy Of machine guns
and artillery.
"tSigned). F. F. FLETCHER
AT $50 a. m. Rush signaled:
Advance Is BrGun.
Advance begun. Please shell mill
tary positions.
(signe6. RUSH.
THE marine forces advanced through
all streets to the north of Avenida lnde-
pendencia. where they were met with
heavy rifle and machine gun fire from
houses. hotels. hospitals, church steeples.
and military barracks. They advanced
slowly. clearing houses and roofs OF snip
ers and entering every house IN every
block as they advanced.
THE seaman forces advanced to the
south along the water front. clearing and
protecting the left flank of the marines
as they advanced south The advance
Of the seamen was opposed by contin-
uous and concealed rife fire difficult to
locate. II came principally from Benito
Juarez the cuartel in the Plaza Consti-
tucion. the Naval Academy, artillery
barracks. and from the roofs and win
dows of houses in this section of the city
along the water front
The second seaman regiment. under
Capt Anderson. u. S. N. was marched
toward the water front and in front of
the new market. naval school, and the
artillery barracks. In crossing the open
ground between the naval school and
Benito Juarez lighthouse, about $50 yards
in width, they were met by heavy rife.
,