The Cairo bulletin., 1914-06-01
ROAD IS HISTORIC
Highway to Mexico City Made
Famous by Scott.
Route From Vera Cruz to Capital over
Which Invading Armies Have to
observation-disclosures oaady
Pageant Of 1884.

which the American army nave "
travel in one of the worlds historic
highways Il has been the scene OF
three famous marches marcn OF
the Spanish conQuerOrS ID l3+'' inc
invasion OF Gen. Winfield Scott $
American army in 1871, and the Jaw
dry pageant OF the so-cal!ed Emperor
Macmillan and his wife, Carlotta' on
their entrance in 1854. 1t was also
the route. three years ago, on lne
flight of Gen. Portirio Diaz. after MS
downfall as president
Vera Cruz True CROSSE received It's
name from fernando Cortes, VINO
landed there with zoo men in March
1919. Cortes burned, in the harbor o.
Vera Cruz, the ships IN which he has
brought his men from cuba 10 sho"
them that they must conquer or per-
ish. The Spaniards, in their mareh
west, conquered the independent ma
ton of Tlaxcala, which vas at enmlty
with the Empire OF Monrczuma III
central Mexico, and the IlaXcalas
were made the allies OF the Invaders
At the ancient city OF Choluia, near
the present city OF Puebla, the span
iards won a terrific encounter Win
the natives Their march into the VAL
ley of Mexico, and their conquest OF
the capital city, which was then sur
rounded by a lake, form one of the
most thrilling chapters In the worlds
history.
Substantially the same route was
taken by Scott and his men Waaa.
after the invasion OF northern Mexico
had not brought the expected surrea-
der, they were sent via the gulf TO
the capital city. The principal incl
dent of this campaign was a long de-
lay at Puebla, so that although Vera
Cruz was taken in April, Scott did not
reach the City Of Mexico until Sep
TENDER.
The advance Of Macmillan and Car
lotta, from Vera Cruz to Mexico CITY,
which was made In a gaudy stage
coach, took from May IS TO June H.
1864. There was no opposition for "a
French army had gone ahead Of them.
Tinsel decorations and festivities, in
which an ominously small part of the
people joined, heralded the passage Of
the Austrian pair to the seat Of their
empire They returned over the
same road separately-Carlotta on a
fruiuess mission 10 Napoleon i'll and
the pope and Macmillan in his co@n
shot to death by d republican drins
squad at Queretaro.
Soon after the downfall OF Maxi
milan railroad building between Vera
Cruz and the capital began in earnest
and two lines now span the distance.
the Mexican railway, an independent
standard-gauge line, and the Inter
oceanic. a narrow-gauge line which is
part of the National railways sys-
tenn.
The ascent from Vera Cruz to Mex
leo City is more than seven thousand
four hundred feet. Of which the great
er part Is east Of the City OF puebla.
The coast and the district to the west
beyond Orizaba, are included in the
dreaded terra caliente (hot country
while the district from Puebla to Mex
leo City is in the terra fria, or cold
country, which is cold only by COM
parison.
Three volcanic and snow-clad noun
tain peaks rise along the way Orizaba
is the farthest east, and west Of
puebla are the other two, Popocatepel
and Ixteaccihuati (Is-ta sewattiel.
which are visible from the palace Of
Chaupultepec in Mexico City. From
the towers of the cathedral in Puebia,
all three peaks can be seen.
Jalao, Tlaxcala, the seat of the an.
cient government of that name, San
Lorenzo and Texcoco are towns or
Importance along the route. Puebla
is the third city of Mexico in popula-
ton, and is a stronghold Of church
influence. It's cathedral rivals the
famous one in the City Of Mexico,
being nearly as large and having
much more imposing interior design
Puebla has also a large army station
near the hill where in 1862 Poriirio
Diaz beat the French in the battle Of
the Cinco de Mayo (fifth Of May
which made that date a national holj