The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-02-13
MEXICAN CAPITAL SUBJECTED
TO TERRIFIC BOMBARDMENT
NON-COMBATANTS ARE HURT
Da Brings Heavier Guns Into Action and City Swept From End
End by Shrapnel and Solid Sho-Two American Women
Killed Kitchens Their Homes-- Rebels and Federas
Ignore Protests of Foreign Diplomats.

Mexico City, Feb. 12.-Anticipating
an early resumption of hostilities to-
morrow more than coo Americans fled
tonight from their homes to tempor-
ary abodes in the outskirts Of the
city, where the danger from the fire
will be minimized.
Ambassador Wilson, on information
from the national palace, knew that
the government planned crushing
blow and determined to save the
Americans if possible, rented numer-
Gus houses, to which, under flags Of
truce, agents Of the embassy hurried
in automobiles as many women and
children as would agree to be trans
ported.
The capital was quiet tonight, but
the fugitive foreigners, filled with
horror by the frightful bomhardment
of the last two days, needed little
urging.
While the bombardment was far
heavier today than on Tuesday,
probably the loss of life was smaller.
This was due to the lack of any ef-
fort to force the assault by the fed
| erals.
Casualties.
The casualties are estimated at not
less than 800 dead and 1,500 wounded
in the two days fighting Two
American women are dead. shot to
nieces by shell They We're Mrs.
III. w. Holmes and Mrs. Percy Grif-
fiths. Several Americans have been
Wounded. But the total number OF
| native non -combatants injured today
undoubtedly was small. Experience
is fast teaching the citizens to keep
out OF the line of fire.
The reports from the Diaz head
quarters that his losses have been
negligible are received with some
doubt.
About 10 o'clock tonight there was
sharp action for a few minutes by
a federal battery against the rebel po-
sition, but at II o'clock the city was
tranquil with all the street lights out,
Mexico's capital was torn asunder
again today by shot and she'll 1t
! was not until O'Clock that the fire
ceased in all quarters.
| General Felix Daz, in command OF
the rebel forces, fortified and en-
trenched in and around the arsenal,
held his ground against the federals.
| He did more than this He subjected
| the city to a more terrible lombard
ment than that of yesterday, enlarged
| his zone Of action and sonts force
| against the national palace.
But tonight Madero was optimistic.
| Throughout the bombardment and the
| almost continuous rattle of machine
guns and rifles, the president went
about his work in the palace aplnr
| emily unperturbed. He took counsel
freely with the finance minister,
Ernesto Madero. From time to time
he was in conversation with General
Huerta, the commander-in-c chief. re-
garding the plans of attack. His
courage was great, his confidence re-
markable.
AT the arsenal General Diaz calmly
directed the operations. He char
acterized them as solely defensive.
He, too, was optimistic.
Many Killed and Injured.
The number of dead and wounded
cannot even be estimated, but Is large.
For two hours this morning the rebel
gunners rained shot and shell at the
lofty structures of the city. from the
roofs of which federal shartshooters
and machine gun men had ATTEMPTED
to rake the insurgents in the trenches
and behind the barricades of the ar
Senal.
The shells from the heavy guns We're
we'll timed the explosions throwing
thousands of bullets over the roofs,
| effectually clearing these buildings for
|