The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-07-27
At The MERCY OF
BORDAS' NAVY
Desperate Encounter With a Foe
Armed to the Teeth.
DIGNITY AND TWO INCH GUNS

Cook on Clyde Liner Started an Inter
national Episode by SaIuting the Do
minican FIeet-A Furious Battle In
Which Grazing Bull Was the Only
Live Thing Hit.
When the Clyde liner Algonquin
docked at her pier in Brooklyn. n. Y,
officers and crew were full to the
bursting point with anecdotes of the
siege which General BOrdas, who calls
himself president, has been laying to
the town for months and of the opera
bouffe war that he has occasioned. The
Algonquin CHANGED to ram her bow
mingan revolution and her officers had
a hard time keeping her from being
riddled by the one and two inch guns
of the native navy"
General Bordas' navy, as described
by the American officers, consists of
three dilapidated old pleasure yachts
the cast off decrepits of American mill
=
Fourth of July cannon.
No sooner had the Algonquin arrived
at Puerto Plata than the entire be-
sieging navy came putting out to meet
her and bid her begone. 1t was very
formal visit, and as the little yachts
scraped up alongside of the big Ameri-
can vessel all of the officers and all of
the crew, all in their Santo DOMINICAN
glory of epaulets and gilt lingerie, were
on deck stiflly saluting.
An Unexpected Salute.
But the Clyde liners cook had no
sense of the romantic. His kitchen
portfolio opened directly over the rows
of brilliant uniforms. With every day
precision the unknowing man of pots
and kettles lifted his garbage can and
let fly its contents over the representa-
tiveS Of official Santo Domingo. The
deluge of Stops could not be lodged
and the disastrous result sent General
Bordas' navy home in a huff.
That night the general made an at
tack upon the besieged city. His little
guns cannon balls, not much larger
than marbles, ratified upon the roofs OF
Puerto Plata. But the American gun
boat MachiaS, down there to protect
our interests, had only to send one
warning shell into General Bordas
camp to preserve silence for another
two or three days. The general had
promised, it seems, to use no artillery
/ in his siege Of the city. 1t is not that
! he will do damage to the enemy. but
that his gunners are such poor shots
as inevitably to destroy the property Of
disinterested foreigners.
/ According to George NJ. Coulter
chief engineer of the Algonquin, tbs
Santo DOMINICAN nayy's recruits ar,
promised the reward of 80 cents da,
and all the booty that they can plum
der. He said that they use, American
rifles reminiscent of the old civil wa
/ Springfelds, but that none Of them cal
find use for the high sights ON til,
rifles. They break these sights off tn,
barrels and invariably, when they d
shoot. shoot with the butt of the gul
| resting against their hip instead O
their shoulder.
Casualties of Desperate Battle.
For if they really took AIM" ey
planned Mr.. Coulter, they might b
unfortunate enough to actually hi
some one, and that would be agains
the rules. l stood and watched bat
tie one day. 1t was a furious battle
} noise and smoke and a terrific rattle O
: musketry. Both sides continued bla;
ing away at each other with grim coul
age. When it ended the only casualty
the only thing that was touched at a
was a poor old bull grazing in feel
a hundred yards away from the furtl
t est skirmisher. The most terrible ba
tie so far lasted for a whole da,
There wasn't even stop for luncl
Casualties innocent bystanders
Puerto Plata has been under siee
! for several months now. The inhab
: tants are starving, and their stree
and houses are a sight to beholi
! There is nothing to eat but aCrid Sout
American beans. Eggs are being sol
@ for s. and So apiece. Every house ha
+ somewhere near the cellar, a bull
T proof room lined with boiler plate 4
e soon as shooting begins the whole far
lily makes a leap for this room, while
is locked up tightly in the hope
keeping out the stray shots of thos
! whose aim is faulty.