UNITED STATES BOMBARDMENT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13394, 30 May 1914, Page 10

UNITED STATES BOMBARDMENT.

excitement in mexican capital.

WASHINGTON, April 22. IJe&vy -firing commenced at daybreak a* Vera Cruz, the eight-inch guns of the Utah, shelling the southern section of the city^ according to a de&patch which has been 'received from Consul Canada. The. despatch in full was posted on the bulletin- board of the State department, where it was greeted with wild cheers by the thousands gathered there. The despatch .follows in part: — Reinforcements numbering 2000 marines, equipped with machine guns ,and heavily 'armed,: came ashore at- -6 "o'clock this 'morning. The forces now- ashore number;: 3000 men, and the landing this morning was made voider cover of the one-pounders ■in * the bows of eighteen small tending boats. General Maas' absence from the city made it impossible for the American officers to ask for the co-operation of the Mexican forces in restoring 'order. The Mexican' general left the city late last night in a closed carriage, his wife a-nd children^ following in an automobile. His destination is unknown, but' it is rumored that he has gone to the trestle twenty mUeis: tfest of here on the Mexican Railway to ta^e command of the local garrison, and reinforcements from Mexico City.' It is believed the great steel bridge •'will be destroyed on the approach of the American forces. BOMBARDMENT AT DAWN.

The heavy guns of the Utah went into action at dawn, when fierce firing by sharpshooters from the roofs of the city" made it^ evident that the landing of additional : marines ■ would 'be opposed . In a few- minutes the deadly markmanship of the' American gunners- reduced that section of the city to debris, and scores of bodies can be seen •'. from the battleships' turrets lying among the ruin*.-

Ai* soon as the shelling commenced, dozens of whaleboats loaded to the gunwifleia,* with", marines; and munitions of •war^began .putting off •'from the sides of Admiral ■. Badger's newly-arrit ed fleet. Thfes©. Tair . quickly to the central pier, on- which the Custom " house, . over whicli theivgtara" and Stripes ar&< floating, is eituafced;' and the men hurried ashore and into formation. Shots came furious and fastrfrom the neighboring roofs j and the: ofte-pounders 1 took upjfthe>challehge with,-.fatal results to-the sharpshooters. Alajor Butler's force tof;mainriesy numbering 1000 V marched-, quickly to the centre.of the city. There they encoun-t ter^^eridu* opposition, from the locals volunteers and the few remaining regalair- troops. A -determined effort to re-iake the round-house resulted in the nepulseof the attacking and the Mejdcfrris again withdrew towards the W.CJSti-' ''''• • ■.;■■' . •'■

;TNSENDfe TQ tAKE CITY. •The; taking y of the entire city, is'.uow tst^ purpose of Admiral Fletcher. At first ''only __ the- Custom house and telegraph office* were his objective points, But in view of the determined resistance by- the' Mexican forces and the casualties suffered last evening , by the invading Jpfcrty, it f ha« been decided to silence all 6hore batteries and capture the whole city;

pan _Juan Ullua, the . heavily -guarded fortress^ on the island in the inner harbor, ' lies the broadside . batteries of the 'Vermont, and not a single shot has conio froin her batteries. A Mexican gunboat lies 'in the, direct line of fire between .the battleship and the island} and -at the firstr move will be sunk. The walls ,of the forfcresn and the decks of the kttk.gunboat.are lined wth onlookers^ iielplesai. before; the gteat shim Jving in the.haibpr.- :'■ Shppkee|>era -and business men have aimoT^ly lnqTured at the American Com sujate w.hat nwasures should be taken by the Mexican -citizens to. stop the figliU They have been mformed that just as aoon as resistance is brought to an end oifdervwill.be restored and conditions ic« turned to normal

At 10 o^clock the last :d lenders of the plaza had abandoned it, and the big restaurants -surrounding the parks were m ruins. On the east side of the plaza stands the great municipal palace, but it has-been abandoned, and all the prisoners had been released -by the local authorities when the Americans arrived. A number of bodios have been removed iron*. the roof and placed alongside the others lying in the . patio -below.

»EFDGEES;IN CATHEDRAL: . .A he-.cathedralj pecupying the southern wotttageoiivthe pla«a y is filled with Women and children, wh4 have fled from tho terrific bombardment now going on in -the lo'.ver edges of the city. Theturret has- been shot off the cathedral tower,, and^ one of the huge iron belM, pL«?«ed 'there 300 years ago, lies overturned: in the middle of ( the car tracks. Ahe natives hurriedly cross themselves a* they pass .the door; and see this evidence- of sacrilege on the. part of the xankee^invader^ < aharpshooters on the domes of the- churches have been driven away, and. haver retreated to the top of the penitentiary,- whence the one-pounders are-nriwv«l*elHnff them. out. They are firrng straight dpVn into ; the streets on the mawneff>; ■wHo, i ,bfl'ffled by the 5 peculiar;'architecture, which has. the yards inside instead of outside the houses, are at a., loss how to silence their enemies. Ifrora the harbor,- howevwyjfchese marksmen *an rbe^seen, and they are the target of fierce firing from the whalebdats anflL-tranaport Prairie. - •