The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-14
Sixth Day of Battle i'm Streets
of Mexico
Shows No Appreciable Advan-
tage to Either Side.
An ULTIMATUM FROM MADERO
Is Greeted by Rebels With
Shower of Shells.
Government Army Continues
to Receive ReinfOrcementS.

Mexico City. Feb. 14.-The sixth day
of fighting in the streets of the Mexi-
can capital brought no diminution in
the fierceness of the battle. Up to
noon no appreciabIe gain had been
made by either side.
The hundreds of thousands of ter
ror stricken noncombatants nave
grown Indifferent as to who wins, but
all in the city uttered a prayer TINS
morning that one side OF the other
might bring to a termination the ter
rible artillery duel which has wrecked
the city and caused so much loss or
life.
by both sides.
An ultimatum from Madero to the
rebels was greeted with hail of shells
and Diaz later asserted in an O1rlclaI
communication to the United States
am rnbassador that he was in control OF
the city.
Expert observers declared Diaz had
the advantage of position in some re-
pects but that the federal comman-
der had a great superiority in num-
bers and could count on practically
unlimited ammunition and supplies
Diaz is also well provided with am
munition for the present
President Madero last night re-
ceived more reinforcements. Furte ser
bodies of troops were expected today.
General Banquet was officially re-
ported to have asked permission from
the department of war to leave a
colonel in command of his force at
Toluca and come to the capital with
a portion of his men.
General Rivera is on the way from
the state of OaXaca with 900 federal
soldiers.
The federal troops were posted dur
ing the night at points considered of
strategic importance and General
Huerta declared, this morning that the
effort to rush the rebel lines which
he had promised for yesterday would
be forthcoming today.
Long before daylight a steady
stream of refugees, for the most part
belonging to the lower classes but also
comprising many of the better ele
ments, poured out of the densely
populated district in the neighborhood
of the rebel lines.
Orders had been given to the gov
ernment troops not to oppose the
evacuation Of the district by the nom
combatants. Great crowds of them
filled the streets staggering under the
weight of bundles of bedding and 9TH
er personal effects.
Sick people were carried away on
the shoulders of the relatives Aged
women tottered feebly along, causing
their frightened relatives much delay
in their panic stricken flight. Many
of these people had nowhere to go
and were destitute Most of them
found refuge in churches.
Incidents of the Day.
Mexico City, Feb. 1.-THE rebels
opened the battle today at a quarter
to six when they started firing in the
direction of the federal concentration
points. 1t had been expected that the
federals would attack first.
President Madero sent another ulti-
matum to Felix Diaz demanding his
surrender and the reply came in the
shape of a number of cannon balls
from the insurgents biggest guns.
The first salvo from the rebel lines
was followed quickly by a series of
others in rapid succession. Then the
machine guns and rifles began their
whirr and patter, the fire being con-
centrated where government troops
were gathering The federal guns did
not delay in making vigorous reply.
The firing soon went into a steady
fusillade. ALI around the arsenal the
flash of guns and the quick firers was
incessant.
Federal officers declared their men
were preparing to make a forward
movement on the rebel lines.
A constant stream of refugees, most
of them Mexican citizens, was OBJ
served carrying bundles and scurrying
toward the suburbs from the densely
populated district between the arsenal
and the national palace as soon as the
firing became intense.
In many of the churches special
services were held by the clergy for
the restoration of peace to the capital.
Thousands of refugees knelt in the
ola eO11lce ana joined IN the prayers
At the same time they trusted not
little to the heavy walls for protection
against flying projectiles.
Convent Wrecked.
A convent, five blocks beyond the
national palace, was wrecked by a
shell from a rebel gun and a number
of its inmates were killed.
Many shrapnel shells from the re-
bel artillery fell around the cable Of
flee, the American club and other
buildings in that vicinity Others
reached their mark, the national pal
ace. at the end of the line of streets
Two federal batteries of five guns
each stationed near the British lega-
ton poured a constant stream of
shells into the arsenal. Another fed
eral battery posted on San Juan de
Letran street Joined in.
The rebel gunnerS soon turned their
attention away from the National pal
ace and to the federal batteries near
the British legation from which the
government gunners We're pounding
them numerically.
The government was reported dur
ing the morning to be preparing to
raze with dynamite four solid blocks
consisting mostly of residences just
east of the rebel positions between the
arsenal and the national palace to
obtain a better sweep for the fire
from the federal artillery
The fire from the rebel batteries
kept up very rapidly throughout the
morning but at about 10 O'Clock a de-
crease was noticed in that from the
government artillery.