Luis Porrata Doria
Encyclopedia
Luis Porrata Doria was Mayor
of Ponce, Puerto Rico
in 1899. He is best remembered for his forced resignation as mayor following his municipal government’s poor response to the catastrophic Category 5
San Ciriaco hurricane
that occurred during his administration.
had invaded the island and installed a military central government based in San Juan
. General Nelson A. Miles
had been installed by the President of the United States
as the first American
military governor of the Island, and Porrata Doria had been elected mayor by the people of Ponce as was the electoral practice for many decades under the old Spanish
system.
San Ciriaco, however, proved to be the test of the mayorship of Porrata Doria. As a result of the impact of the hurricane, a number of demonstrations took place around the island to denounce the poor response of various municipal governments to the disaster. “The most serious demonstration of tension took place in Ponce, where damage and mortality had been extensive, especially for the poor. A large crowd of several hundred indigent residents gathered to denounce Mayor Porrata Doria for not giving the population adequate warning or taking appropriate measures. A detachment
of the U.S. Fifth Cavalry broke up the demonstrations, but the mayor was eventually forced to resign.”
At this point the military governor, General Miles, appointed as interim mayor of Ponce the U.S. military commanding officer for Ponce, Major Albert L. Myer. In 1900, Major Myer was replaced by a popularly-elected civil mayor, Pedro Juan Rosaly
.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
in 1899. He is best remembered for his forced resignation as mayor following his municipal government’s poor response to the catastrophic Category 5
Category 5
Category 5 may refer to:*Category 5 , an album from rock band, FireHouse*Category 5 cable, used for carrying data*Category 5 computer virus, as classified by Symantec Corporation*Category 5 Records, a record label...
San Ciriaco hurricane
1899 Hurricane San Ciriaco
1899 San Ciriaco hurricane, also known as the 1899 Puerto Rico Hurricane, was the longest-lived Atlantic hurricane and the eleventh deadliest tropical cyclone in the basin. It was an intense and long-lived Atlantic Cape Verde-type hurricane which crossed Puerto Rico over the two day period August 8...
that occurred during his administration.
Circumstances leading to Porrata Doria’s resignation
A devastating hurricane, called San Ciriaco, had hit the southern coast of Puerto Rico on August 8, 1899. A year earlier the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had invaded the island and installed a military central government based in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. General Nelson A. Miles
Nelson A. Miles
Nelson Appleton Miles was a United States soldier who served in the American Civil War, Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War.-Early life:Miles was born in Westminster, Massachusetts, on his family's farm...
had been installed by the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
as the first American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military governor of the Island, and Porrata Doria had been elected mayor by the people of Ponce as was the electoral practice for many decades under the old Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
system.
San Ciriaco, however, proved to be the test of the mayorship of Porrata Doria. As a result of the impact of the hurricane, a number of demonstrations took place around the island to denounce the poor response of various municipal governments to the disaster. “The most serious demonstration of tension took place in Ponce, where damage and mortality had been extensive, especially for the poor. A large crowd of several hundred indigent residents gathered to denounce Mayor Porrata Doria for not giving the population adequate warning or taking appropriate measures. A detachment
Detachment (military)
A detachment is a military unit. It can either be detached from a larger unit for a specific function or be a permanent unit smaller than a battalion. The term is often used to refer to a unit that is assigned to a different base from the parent unit...
of the U.S. Fifth Cavalry broke up the demonstrations, but the mayor was eventually forced to resign.”
At this point the military governor, General Miles, appointed as interim mayor of Ponce the U.S. military commanding officer for Ponce, Major Albert L. Myer. In 1900, Major Myer was replaced by a popularly-elected civil mayor, Pedro Juan Rosaly
Pedro Juan Rosaly
-Hacendado and homeonwer:Pedro Juan Rosaly is best remembered for having a magnificent residence built at the corner of Villa and Mendez Vigo streets by renowned architect Manuel V...
.
See also
- Ponce, Puerto RicoPonce, Puerto RicoPonce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
- List of famous Puerto Ricans