Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1914-09-14
DEEDS DONE
Pirates, Pestilence and Storm
Have Scared Vera Cruz.
Buccaneers Of tho Spanish Main Have
Plundered and Burned and Conn
: mItted Other Atrocities Re-
peatedly In Ancient Port.

H d.
New Orleans.-B1oodshed is not new
In Vera Cruz. In fact. no city on the
continent has witnessed such deyilish
cruelty, such plundering. burning and
ravishing, as has this place of the
"True Cross" Since Cortez landed,
in 1918, there has been 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 tins
and again; 1t has been 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.
DemocratPicay
Whenever any of the numerous pi-
rates who preyed on the rich shipping
Of the Spanish main wanted to "singe
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 canHoneers at the fort,
surprised the town, killed thousands,
outraged its women and stripped the
city Of It's valuables. Hundreds of
persons were driven into the cathe-
dral, rnen, 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 jult 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 I1orencillo.
He enriched himself with $7.000,000
In silver awaiting transportation to
Spain. BY way OF appreciation he
took prisoners 900 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 mas
flowed through the streets OF this Ill.
fated port, the toll OF war and violence
10 Insignificant in comparison with
the deaths that have. come from pesti-
Ience.
Until 1850 the city was surrounded
by a mighty wall. This great bulwark
may have saved the city on few oc.
casions from attack, but cutting out
the healthful sea breeze made II a
pest hole compared to which Guaya.
Gull is a health resort Yellow Jack
In all it's terrors was never absent.
Smallpox. bubonic plague and the 9th.
or offspring OF the dirt and suualor
OF the middle ages were always pres.
.ent. It was only in recent years that
modern sewer and drainage systems
were Installed, which, with other sani.
tary precautions, has changed the
place from death-dealing focus to a
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 shlps
can anchor behind the seawall.
Due to the hatred OF the Spauiarda
Vera Cruz once was ground to DOW.
der. At the close OF Mexico's war for
independence, In 1921, the Spaniards
stIll held tho fort OF San Juan de
Ulua in the harbor Learning that no
soon was TO be ordered to eyaeuate
tho commander hauled his heavy gum
to the city side OF the fortress ana
fired into the town until ali his am
munition was expended. No building
In the place was undamaged. so
great was the havoc that IL was with
difficulty that the lines OF the streats
we're ra-estaDiisnelis i1B there waa mn
warming Of such action, the inhabl.
tanta we're forced 60 Zee to the sand
dunes which surround the CITY. afte.
the hall Of solid shot had bsTun
Trails OF blood led from the cholted
gates OF the iil-starred town.
In 1888 the French bonnbardad -.