The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1914-06-19
Pirates, Pestilence and Storm
Have Scared Vera Cruz.
Buccaneers Of the Spanish Main Have
P~tundered and Burned and Com
mitted Other Atrocities Re-
peatedly in Ancient Port.

New Orleans.-Bloodshed is not new
In Vera Cruz. In fact, no city on the
continent has witnessed such devilish
cruelty. such plundering, burning and
ravishfng. as has this place of the
True Cross" Since Cortez landed.
In 1918, there has been a succession
of strife and pestilence which can be
paralleled in few cities In the world.
Bepistoled buccaneers, in all their aw.
full glory, have raided the port time
and again; it has been a point OF
vantage which has called forth the
that have swept Mexico and 1t has
always been selected as the landing
point for foreign foes, writes Paul
Norton in the New Orleans Times
Democrat-Picayune
Whenever any OF the pi-
OF the Spanish main wanted to "singe
he beard of the king of Spain" they
would attack Vera Cruz. Lorencillo,
a famous pirate Of the early days,
with 500 OF his cutthroats, slipped by
the sleeping cannoneers at the fort,
surprised the town. killed thousands.
outraged its women and stripped the
city of its valuables. Hundreds OF
persons were driven into the cathe-
dral. men. women and children, black
nj white, and held prisoners. When
the doors were opened four days later
o of the inmates were dead from
suffocation.
As the gateway through which all
the commerce with Spain was con-
Quoted. there always were great stores
of valuable property on hand. This
vas true particularly just before the
sailing Of the galleons, which usually
Travelled in fleets owing to the men.
ace OF pirates. BY learning OF the
schedule OF the galleons the bucca.
neers generally dropped in when the
supply OF treasure was great. Nicolas
de Agriamonte. another highwayman
OF the deep. pillaged the town some
years after the visit Of Lorencillo.
He enriched himself with 1000, 900
in silver awaiting transportation to
Spain. By way of appreciation he
took prisoners 800 OF the citizens Of
the town and marooned them on the !
Sacrifice islands, patches OF sand not
far from the coast. where they died OF
starvation. The anniversary Of this
calamity is observed by memorial
services to this day.
While the blood Of thousands has
flowed through the streets OF this i'll
fated port. the toll of wal and violence
fs Insignificant In comparison with
the deaths that have come from pesti.
lence.
Until 1850 the city was surrounded
by = mighty wall. This great bulwark
may have saved the city on a few oc.
casions from attack. but cutting out
the healthful sea breeze made it a
pest hole compared to which Guaya.
gull II . health resort. Yellow Jack
in all It's e was never absent.
bubonic plague and the 9th.
er offspring Of the dirt and squalor
Of the middle ages we're always pres.
eat. It was only in recent a that
modern " and drainage systems
we're installed, which, with other SAM
tary precautions, has changed the
place from q death-dealing focus to Z
health resort.
The harbor at Vera Cruz has little
natural protection. Before the build
Ing Of the present breakwaters the
northers which characterize the Mos
quito coast dealt the struggling city
q severe blows az did the
pirates and the diseases. Modern en-
gineering now protects the city and
gives : limited area In which the ships
can anchor behind the seawall.
Due to the hatred Of tho spaniards,
Vera Cruz once VA ground to pow
der. At the close OF Mexico's war for
Independence. IN 1921, the Spaniards
still held the fort Of San Juan %