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Show LE880N8 OF SPANISH I WAR MADE EVIDENT Appearance Of Americans At Vera Cruz a 8urprle To the Natives Vera Cruz, May 4 .Tho first fruits of tho lessons of tho Spanish war have been made evident by tho military mili-tary occupation of Vera Cruz by American Am-erican forces. This tropical town still rings with praise of tho conduct of the bluejackets In tho street fighting fight-ing of April 21. Tho appearance, the cqu'pmcnt, tho whole military effect of tho landing forces was n surprise. No nultvo believed be-lieved tho United States, had troops like that. Tho gallant deeds of the bluejackets In tho fighting probably never will all bo recorded. Heroism, wns too common to bo noted thoso days. On tho roof of tho Terminal hotel, near tho water front, Ensign Edwnrd O. McDonncl of tho battleship battle-ship Florida, was stationed with n machine gun puttering Its lenden ball through tho streets whllo tho Jacktcs en mo up from tho landing under flro. One by ono tho snipers picked oft McDonnell's men nnd thoy went down until moro than threo fourths of his crew and forco wns gone. Ho would havo been Justified In abandoning his I position ns untennblo, nfter losing half his forco but ho stuck to tho gun himself with tho tiblo men remaining. re-maining. That's what n boy only Just out of naval academy did, said Cnptaln Harry McL. P. Hue, Rear Admiral Fletcher's chief of staff, In relating tho story. Tho Jackles nro only boys; tho average is 21. I am told that somo of tho Mexicans said, It this is tho way thoso boys shoot, what will happen hap-pen when tho men como down. Tho walls about tho fighting zone attest to tho steady aim of tho American Am-erican marksmen. Federal bullets the electric light globes twenty feet up, shot out second story windows, chipped tho quaint old cornices, but looking on tho wnlls breast high, bend high, stomach high, ono finds the- smooth, round , perforations from 'the stcef Jacketed bullots of tho- Am' erlcan rifles. Threo bluejackots at tho end of n street wero conducting n long range duel with threo sniper at tho other end. , t Threo shots banged out a few seconds sec-onds apart. Bullsoye, announced tho first Jnckio. llullsejo, snld tho second, sec-ond, nnd Bullsoye, chorused tho third Threo snipers went hurling off balconies bal-conies and through tho nlr to tho street below. |