The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-04-22

4 rines were on trci" nav 20 take up
stations in the "a &c Indcpcndencia, in
| which the cable Office is located, Gen
| eral Mas cha lenscd the invasion with
/ the first shots. lis men Tired from a
! distance of three blocks.
! Immediately the marines knelt and re-
| turned the fire. dealing a blow that
| seemed TO stun. the defenders. The
| Mexicans turned aud IAN. before the
| marines, leaving tiC lead and wound
| ed where they lei.
The quies.l.it SPIRIT Of gaycty dis
! played ali Ia. Uugu inC morning in the
| hotels and a uns the docks. gave way
| TO feeling of dread. he streets were
! cleared OF civilians ana the American
CO onists made Ior the consulate, while
others sped TO the piers, TO so ABOARD
the steamers EsperanZa and Mexico,
which have been chartered by the Uni
ted States Government.
A federal outpvst on the west end
of McntesincS street again started
! the hoStilitics. and at l::cV the hrlnS
became general. Al / O'Clock the guns
of the Prairie went into action, and
they cleared away the MeXicans am
pushed at various points. The boom
of the guns by this tine had thor
oughly aroused the little city drows-
ing in the mid day sun. :,
The detachment of sailors and
marines from the Utah were directly
in the line of a fusillade from sharp
shooters in old Bonita Juarez tower.
which once served as lighthouse.
Lieutenant Commander Buchanan or
dered that IL be destroyed. Five shots
from a field gun brought it down,
with its quota Of nau.c- stricken Next
cans.
Garrison in Retreat
Captain Rush meantime had been
Il ha
center of the town, and before the
steady fire of American bullets the
federal garrison was retreatinS.
Then the onrusiing troops were
confronted with danger from another
quarter. Civilians from cornices and
roofs were taking pot shots at them
and these had to be squelched. An
shells of the Prairie soon cleared the
patriotic citizens in ambuscade., anu
the marines were allowed to continue
their occupation of Vera Cruz.
At 1:3e $40 additional marines were
landed from the Utah. making the
total American force LOO men. There
were still l 900 fighting men in re-
serve on board the vessels.
The fresh ighttrs "'re sent to me
after the first SkiImish.
Ordered TO Eouzctops.
The Florida's uIen Hrie then or
dered to take up pUsf:i.-.s on top OF
The Terminal Hotel, aiH,. other build
ings. to keep tAe nc. ron cleared OF
the federal marksrne,.. Ii was then
that the first American losses were
suffered.
Private Daniel a. HaEgerty. OF the
Eighth Company of Marines. had just
stepped to the roof VI he hotel, when
bullet from a hidden federal in the
cathedral tower crashed into his BRAIN
The other three American killed were
hit while in the streets. i
Rush feared to order the Smelling OF
the cathedral tower across the plaza
from the hotel. in which many Amer |
leans were sheltered.
Instead. he placed machine guns at
the intersections of five streets converg- |
ing at the central plaza. and but a |
lew turns Of the handles of the ma |
chimes and the thoroughfares were
cleared Of Mexieans, That ended prac-
ucally all the street fighting.
But snipng from roofs and windows
and towers continued. The machine |
guns were sighted on these points of
vantage. and In less than an hour every /
militant Mexican soldier and civilian had |
been silenced.
Patrol Water Front.
Several times later in the afternoon
the federals sought to execute move
ments against the invaders. but Rush !
checked these sorties by mounting
machine gun in each of four launches
and these patrolled the waterfront I'M
der cover of the larger guns on the |
Prairie and soon cleaned out the quays. |
During a hiatus in the fighting Cap
tain Rush, at AGO o clock, sent a native |
messenger under a flag of truce to Cen |
eral Mas. or whoever was in COM |
mand. TO ask If he was ready to sur
render. Rush was loath to order the |
warships in the harbor to lombard the |
city. He also conveyed the information |
that 1900 more marines and bluejackets |
would re-enforce him within a few |
hours.
Mas did not reply. The federals used |
no cannon in the engagement, and it |
Is thought they have taken their artil- |
lery to the outskirts.
This morning Captain Rush reported /
10 Admiral Fletcher that the American |
behaved as well under fire |
as the. marines who have seen service !
in Nicaragua and in other Central |
American disturbances.