Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-02-12
CITY Of MEXICO
A BAT TIE GROUND
Heavy Artillery Planted in
Streets of Capital City
Last Night.
DEAD NUMBER 1000,
Most of The Casualties Among Fed
eraIs-Rebels Sad to Have Lost
But Few Men.

Mexico City via. Galveston, Tex
Fed. 12.-After sleepless night
filled with apprehension of further
cannonading, the city at dawn was
expecting another further encounter
between the Maderists and the Diaz
forces (which may settle the revolu-
ton summarily.
During the night the fedsrals
brought up considerable additional
artillery. Heavier guns were placed
! behind barricades and entertainments
in the streets and trained on the ci-
tadel, while additional machine guns
were stationed where they could play
on the stronghold of the rebels.
While this was going on Diaz was
not idle The entertainments of the
rebels were pushed considerably in
the direction of the national palace,
and Diaz, too, brought into position
additional artillery.
Estimates of the dead in yester-
days fighting varied from 200 to
1000. Americans thought the
larger estimates none teo high. The
brunt of the casualties was borne
by the federals. The rebels lost few
men, Diaz being authority for the
statement that only twenty of his
men were killed.
The wounded Americans were said
not to be fatally injured, and all
Americans who desired it, were Civ
en- shelter in the embassy.
Madero was in possession of the
national palace, and declared that
posts were camped forthenight on their
arms in the streets near the palace,
for a distance of several blocks.
General Diaz occupied the plaza
and two huge buildings in the west
ern part of the city known as the
citadel and also had men in posses
sion of the Young Mems Christian
Association. DiaZ said he had plenty
of men and more on their way to
the city Madero was authority for
the statement that the rebels num-
bercd only 1900.
There was report that Madero
had cut off the water supply of the
citadel out Diaz denied thtf, and
said that, anyway he could get plenty
of water besides that from the city
water system.
Conditions in the city today were
chaotic. Some dead still lay in the
streets and the wounded were
housed in many private residences,
where the Red Cross attendedto them
as well as their equipement will permit
Debris and shattered building ma
teria Uttered all the streets within
the zone of the fire, and cornices and
chimneys of many buildings were
shot away.
Food was at premium, and it was
said that the city faced famine.
There was no milk and bread to be
had and other foodstuffs were hard
to obtain. Hotel fare was meagre
and many private houses were feed
ing utter strangers.
Diaz the night before the battle
emptied the house around the cita-
del and made an attempt to clear
the streets, but so far as known, Ma
dero did nothing Of the sort and gave
no kind of warning to the citizens.
The only warning of any kind
given to non -comoatants came from
Ambassador Wilson, and his advice
went largely unheeded. American
and other foreign residents, appar-
emily not realizing that It was real
war and not opera bouffe, insisted on
'crowding house tops and windows to
get look at the proceedings. Several
of them carried away bullets in their
bodies as souvenirs.
Lloyd Osborne, All American wri-
te., was shot in the hip while watch
ing the fighting from the top Of a
building. Dr.. R. H. McCresson, of
Lincoln, Neb., lost a finger while
venturing along street during the
cannonading and Mark Johnson, col
ored, OF Madison, Wis, was shot in
the shoulder. :, ..e. -.