Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-06-10
WILD CONFUSION DURING
EVACUATION BY CARRANzA
(Associated Press Correspondence.)

ASSOCIATED Press C0rrespondence)
MEXICO CITY. May 1s:-Wild
confusion attended the evacuation of
the Mexican capital by President
Carranza and his following. Revolu-
tionists were approaching and those
who were going had to go quickly.
Rolling stock had been gathered at
the Mexicano railway terminal in
preparation for their departure.
When the word was passed down
through the various government de-
partments that the exodus was about
to begin, thousands of government
employees, leading civilians who had
been strong supporters of the Car
rama regime, partisan journalists
and others headed for the trains on
foot and every kind of vehicle OBJ
tainable.
Throughout the night before the
trains left, constant stream Of
coaches and automobiles deposited
government officials, politicians and
other government hangers-on at the
railway station amid babel of cries
and entreaties to porters and ex-
pressmen.
Next morning they came in in
creased number.
Loaded down with bulging bum
dies. suitcases, bags, hampered py
dogs, crying children and confused
servants, the procession might have
been taken for a gigantic picnic
party had 1t not been for the strain
ed, frightened expression on the fugi-
tives' faces.
The National Railways were the
first to store their impediments on
the trains assigned to them. Then
came government officials shepherd
ing porters with great stacks of rec
ords, and office furniture. In the ex-
citement, the officials had failed to
show discrimination, for many of the
cargoes consisted of hatracks, GUS
pidors and even window curtain rods.
All this heterogeneous mass was
dumped into passenger coaches and
gondolas and between pieces of artil-
lery and airplane equipment On nat
cars.
While some of the porters COM
piled with their duty, others were to
be seen streaking not toward the
Buenavista station, but toward the
poorer sections of the city, carrying
what evidently will find ready sale
in the capital curio and second hand
shops.
At only one track was there a
semblance of order-the siding
where the treasure cars had been
spotted. Here Luis Cabrera was in
command and, after the trains had
left, not even copper centavo was
found by treasure seekers. Inere
were 500 cars of all classes and "a
locomotives in the station ready to
leave by midnight. Estimates as to
the soldiers and civilian refugees
vary, but the generally accepted fig
ure is placed at about 5000, VIII
lage on wheels.
For hours the fugitives waited, but
the trains did not start and flying
rumors kept the occupants of the
cars peering anxiously into the night
for the vanguard of the revolution
airy forces. Agents of the liberal con-
stitutionalists had tampered with the
train crews and 1t was necessary to
send patrols to round them up.
Next morning locomotive bells be-
gan to clang. whistles shrieked and
a great wave of weeping farewells
arose. Bursting with soldiers and
women camp followers, officials and
civilians, baggage and munitions air.
planes, artillery. boxes of coin, piles
of gold and silver bars, government
records. cuspidorsN and hatracks. the
trains moved slowly into the suburbs.
The CarranZa government had start
ed to move the capital.