Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-06-17
BLOODY DEEDS DONE
Pirates, PeStlience and Storm
Have Scared Vera Cruz
Buccaneers of the Spanish Main HaVe
PIundered and Burned and Com
mitted Other Atrocities Re-
peatediy Ia Ancient Port.


cruelty, such plundering, burning and
ravishing, as has this place OF the
True Cross" Since Cortez landed.
In 1913, there has been q succession
OF strife and pestilence which can be
paralleled In few cities in the world
Bepistoled buccaneers, in all their aw-
ful glory, have raided the port time
and again; It has been a point OF
vantage which has called forth the
lustiest fighting IN the many civil wars
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
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Whenever any OF the numerous pr
rates who preyed on the rich shipping
of the Spanish main wanted to SINCE
the beard OF the king of Spain" they
would attack Vera Cruz. Lorencillo,
famous pirate of the early days,
with 800 OF his cutthroats, slipped by
the sleeping cannoneers at the fort,
surprised the town, killed thousands,
outraged it's women and stripped the
city Of it's valuables. Hundreds of
persons were driven into the cathe-
dral, men, women and children, black
and white, and held prisoners. When
the doors were opened four days later
most 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
was 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 $7,000,000
In silver awaiting transportation to
Spain. By way of appreciation he
took prisoners 300 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 Ill
fated port, the toll of war and violence
is 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 few oc-
casions from attack, but cutting out
the healthful sea breeze made it
pest hole compared to which Guaya-
quill is health resort. Yellow jack
in all it's terrors was never absent.
Smallpox, bubonic plague and the 9TH
er offspring of the dirt and squalor
of the middle ages were always pres
ent. 1t was only in recent years that
modern sewer and drainage systems
were installed, which, with other sani-
tary precautions, has changed the
place from a death-dealing focus to
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
almost as severe blows as did the
pirates and the diseases. Modern en-
cheering now protects the city and
gives limited area in which the ships
can anchor behind the seawall
Due to the hatred of the Spaniards.
Vera Cruz once was ground to pow
der At the close of MexicO's war for
independence, in 1921. the Spaniards
still held the fort Of San Juan de
Uiua in the harbOr. Learning that he
soon was to be ordered to evacuate,
the commander hauled his heavy guns
20 the city side of the fortress and
fred into the town until all his am
munition was expended. No building
II the place was unchanged. So
great was the havoc that it was with
difficulty that the lines of the streets
We're established AS there was no
warning Vi SUCH dCIlOu, Tie In0aD d.
tants were forced to flee to the sand
dunes which surround the city, after
the hail of solid shot had begun.
Trails of blood led from the choked
gates of the ill-starred town.
In 1888 the French bombarded the
place.
In 1S47 General Scott favored the
Veracrusanos with a terrible bonn
5ardment
in 1859 Benito JuareZ was besieged
In Vera Cruz by the troops of Max
imilian
In 1861 the French fleet again took
the place.
During the revolutionary period,
which was almost continuous previous
70 the opening Of the regime of Por-
f1rio Diaz, this port and it's revenue
always were detectives. During the
Madero revolution for the first time,