Lower coast gazette., 1914-05-02

and have, at the same tini0'
natives of this town q new loea VI
the courtesy of American troops.
While the battle that resulted IN tne
taking of Vera Cruz was not a seV'io
one as battles Of the past have oeeu
counted It was Of a character 10 .es.
the courage of men who were caiieu
unon to face the steel-jacketed bullets
of foemen hidden behind walls and on
bousetops, and before It was over ~
American sailors had paid for the VIC,
tory with their lives and announcer o.
were seriously wounded.
While the Mexicans suffered more
severely. the number of their casaai'
ties has not been ascertained, but tne
hest estimates obtained by Capt. WIZ
liam R. Rush of the battleship flor'oa
indicate that in the engagements y,
tuesday and Wednesday their dead
amounted to about $50. No person
knows how many Mexicans feil
wounded, as q large part of them were
taken away and hidden by fr'enos'
Dead Lay In Streets
In the streets about the plaza Inurs'
day lay fifteen OF twenty oooles' a
majority Of them attired IN cit,zens
clothing. Some Of the men evidently
had heen dead since the engagement
~ tuesday, and the tropical heat
made their immediate disposal lm'
neratiye. One of the first orders gwen
after the town had been captured was
to bury the Mexican dead IN a trencn
at the sea end of the streets ieaoile
from the plaza. ,Au
When the city vas taken the oroei
was given to advance carefully ano
search every building for men bearing
arms. Scores Of prisoners were
most of them protesting volubly, many
historically, that they were not guilt!
Of any unfriendliness wna'SoeVe
toward the Americans.
Expected to Be Executed.
Accustomed as the Mexicans are U
their W ~contending forces snootln
Immediately all prisoners taken, tn
cantured men could not but DelieV
that they would receive no less ORA
tic treatment at the hands OF III
Americans.
The gums found In houses wei
thrown by the marines and blue,ac
eta from the upper balconies OF u
houses to the pavement below.
The most spirited action OF Wedne
day was the taking of the naval AGA
envy. Aside from that fight there WI
no definite organized opposition G
countered by the Americans.
Americans Under Hot Fire.
A hot fire was poured into the
.ssses yancing Americans from the naval c
,epe. which for a time held them Dat
- hut a few well-directed shots from t
~ cruisers Chester, San Francisco q
Prairie tore gaping holes In the sue
Nh walls and silenced the rife fire OF !
i es. Mexicans inside. The blue1ack
then we're enabled to proceed with
ID task they had in hand.
A SQUAD Of soldiers, despite
Smelling it had received Tuesday G
tinued to give considerable trouble
the Americans from the Benito Jua
tower. After they had been silen'
d and removed from the tower IT '
discovered that the soldiers had
tinued fighting for lack OF ability
9 q do anything else. The shells ron
'ner warships Tuesday had torn away
stairway in the tower and the !
had been compelled to remain In ]
mexeans Evacuate Hotel.
II was not until late Tuesday
|lc the last Of General Mas men on
Of the hotel received written or
from outside the city to evacuate I
position. The order was obeyed
ONE norton Of the 100 men who were
i cupying the roof and vantage pc
In the interior, but a small portio
the band determined to dlsopey
orders Of their superiors and f1gf
III. The last. These men, however, SUI
oa.e dered Wednesday morning. A
laly tenant who was in command OF
nis. Mexicans was led out q prisoner,
,sns although he had fought despera
ine No trembled and turned pale In
.o.o belief that he would be SUNNI
novo executed.
NV. None Of the American women
: - mistreated by the Mextcans a
their occupation Of the building
'ould few Of the women assisted the
once. cans In caring for their wounde
= = Old Tower Held.
) dc. In the lighting in the center 9
v,ssd inner harbor, San Juan de Ulu
!" !. ancient stone fortress, few the
or,v can nag throughout the attack.
~ q commandment and 60 armed me
sficial 800 ~ '.o ~. D
Idings isnle u,n. ~. naval acaden
auu the dungeons remained 500 pris
" the echoes Of the guns on the
4
,cause
etable nrMrpai MAJ VIII, M
g but uL"I"H- '