Rocky Ford enterprise., 1914-05-01
GRAPHIC STORY
OF VERA Cruz
Capture of Mexican City After
Two Days Fight Presents
Vivid Picture.
vALoR OF OUR BLUEJAcKETs
Warships sheIled Buildings In Which
Mexican "snIpers" Had Taken Ref
use-Natives Surprised at cour-
tesy of American Troops.


Twelve Americans were killed and
thirty wounded before the city of
Vera Cruz came into the undisputed
possession of the American invading
forces after two-day fight. Although
the Mexicans suffered more severely,
the number of their casualties has not
been ascertained. The best estimates
obtained by Capt William r. Rush
of the battleship Florida indicated
that in the engagements of Tuesday
and Wednesday their dead numbered
about one hundred and fifty. No per-
son knows how many Mexicans fell
wounded, as many of them were taken
away and hidden by friends.
In the streets about the plaza
Wednesday afternoon lay fifteen or
twenty bodies. a majority of them at
tired in citizens clothing. Some Of
the men evidently had been dead since
the engagement Tuesday and the
tropical heat made their immediate
disposal imperative. One of the first
orders given after the town had been
captured was to bury the Mexican
dead in a trench at the sea end of
one of the streets leading from the
plaza.
Scores Are Taken Prisoners.
When the city was taken the order
was given to advance carefully and
search every building for men bearing
arms. Scores of prisoners were taken,
the majority of them protesting vol
ubly-many hysterically-that they
were not guilty of any unfriendliness
toward the Americans. Accustomed
as the Mexicans are to seeing their
own contending forces shoot imme-
diately all prisoners taken, the cap
tured men could not but believe that
they would receive no less drastic
treatment at the hands of the Ameri-
cans. The guns found in houses were
thrown by the marines and blue
Jackets from the upper balconies to
the pavement below.
The most spirited action was the
taking of the naval academy. Aside
from that fight, no definite, organized
opposition was encountered by the
Americans. A hot fire was poured
from the naval college. but a few
Chester. San Francisco and Prairie
tore gaping holes in the stone walls
and silenced the rifle fire of the Mexi-
cans inside The bluejackets then
were enabled to proceed with the task
they had in hand.
Escape From Fight Cut of.
Despite the shelling it had received
Tuesday. squad of soldiers continued
to give considerable trouble to the
Americans from the battered Benito
Juarez tower. After they had been
silenced and removed from the tower
1t was discovered that the soldiers
had continued fighting for lack of
ability to do anything else. The shells
from the warships Tuesday had torn
away the stairway in the tower and
the men had been compelled to remain
in 1t.
Appeal From Aged Mexican.
Coincident with the orders for the
general advance of the Americans an
aged. white-haired Mexican, carrying
the white flag of truce, came down a
street from the center of the city.
He carried letter to the chief of po-
lice. the only authority he hoped to
reach. and desired Consul Granada to
read It. 1t was an urgent appeal to
the chief of police to call off the
snipers and prevent the bombardment
he believed would follow If they con-
tinued their execution.
Even before the messenger had
climbed the stairs into the consul's
office Capt. Rush was informed of the
contents of the note he bore and i'm
mediately sounded cease firing" and
halt" But it was too late. The
action had been begun all along the
cline and it was not considered wise
to attempt further measures to stop
1t. The commanders ordered their
men forward at double quick, which
they carried out with vigor that
afterward gave them the city.
Evidences of War.
Blood-bespattered sidewalks, broken
windows and bullet-scarred walls gave
the plaza a grewsome aspect. Within
the Diligencia hotel there were forty
Americans. most of them women, who
had been there since the commence
ment of hostilities. When the square
was taken they were Immediately no.
titled that they might go on the Span
ish cruiser Carlos V. outside the
breakwater in order to give the Prairie
room to fire her guns. The Spanish
commander refused. saying that he
dared not maneuver his boat in SO
small a space at night. He also de-
clared that he needed to take on
supply of fresh water. Admiral
Fletcher insisted yesterday that his
order be carried out, and the Carlos
v. moved outside just before the at
track on the center of the city began.
AT 1908 Wednesday morning the
Americans were In undisputed pos
session of all the city except the
snuthuoat ouartar tr xybf,l, a. h,r