Evening star., 1926-10-06
VERA CRUzEASy
| PREY FOR STORMS
X ~0~
Ancient Mexican City in Low.
Lying Section, Where Wind
y
:. RACES Freely.

Interesting facts. concerning Vera
Cruz. Mexico. struck by West In.
dian hurricane hard on the heels 81
that which devastated Miami are dis
closed by the National Geographic
Society.
The immediate coast country near
Vera Cruz. like that at Miami. is low.
offering no physical resistance to the
sweep OF the wind" il says. And as
at Miami. there is little to prevent
the water being driven inland with
the rush Of air
Vera Cruz is MeXico's front door.
and has been such ever since Cortez
landed there in 1919 10 march on to
the West and conquer Mexico for
Spain. But the city does not consti
tute very attractive portal in so far
as its immediate surroundings are con-
cerned. To both sides and even be
hind il are sand dunes; ii seems set
down in a very desolate country.
Rich Farm Land Near.
This Is true only superficially. for
few miles hack begins one Of Mex.
iCos richest agricultural sections.
Rice fields and banana and cocosnut
groves occupy the lowlands beyond
the sand dunes.
into foothills. then into true noun
tains. the crops and natural veReta.
tion run the gamut from tropical 10
Arctic. One needs to advance inla nd
barely 80 miles in order TO see sue
csssively the plants Of the hot plains,
then pine apples, oranges, vanilla
beans. cacao, sugar cane. coffee, corn
and small grain. The tangled mass Of
vine-tied tropical trees gives way at
the same time to oaks and con!fers.
and soon one passes the timberline
itself
"Northward Of Vera CRUZ there
are no breaks in the coast for con
siderable distance, and at about 40
miles in this direction the inland hills
draw very close to the sea- South
ward after few miles. are breaks
leading 10 lagoons lying behind the
sandy coastal ridge, which receive the
flow Of rivers from the hills. Here
are situated some very large sugar
mills-one the largest in Mexico
that may have suffered from the
storm.
Nest of Homes One. Dried.
Like its site. Vera Cruz IL A low
lying town. A few government build
ines and churches rise for several
stories. but most Of the houses are
one.storfed structures of adobe or
stucco. many Of them with tinted
walls.
"A generation ago Vera Cruz had
an unaavory reputation as a pest hole
every year there were hundreds of
deaths from yellow fever. When
boats landed, travellers rushed out OF
town as rapidly as possible. seeking
to reach the high. healthful country
inland. Thanks to efficient modern
engineering and sanitation. however.
the city ts today safe place Of resi-
dence for people OF the temperate zone
There Is filtered water supply
brought from considerable disten nee
inland. an up-to.date sewer system
and many Of the streets have bxen
paved.
Buxxards Once Thick.
I'm the old days Of unimproved
streets and open sewers. the only
scsvenkers were buzzards Hundreds
of these ugly birds were constantly
busy hopping about in search OF NOR
sells Of food. There ia a garbage col
lection system now but the involun.
tAry scAvengef' brigade has not been
entirely disbanded; the birds are still
to be seen perched on the roofs OF the
market building and at other promis-
ing loca tons ready to claim any NOR
sells Of food that may be tossed aside.
The grim old fortress. San Juan
de Ulua, which dominates the harbor
OF Vera Cruz, epitomizes the past OF
the port. and the past. too. Of Mexico
1t is great, rambling medieval
stronghold built on r. rocky island
about mile from shore. This mas
sive pile, at once fort and prison. has
brooded over Vera Cruz for four cen
turtles. for It was begun approximately
4 hundred years before the Mayfiower
landed at Plymouth.
The 1S-foOt.thick walls Of San Juan
have hidden cruel and CHASTITY incl
dents from the days when Spa nish
treasure ships assembled there down
TO recent times. Political prisoners
were confined there. the little parade
ground has heen the site for many
a firing squad. and personaEes whose
existence proved an emharra ssment
for some ono or other in power have
disa ppeared Observation-Disclosures bly,