The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-02-13

ambassador, having received from
President MadeTo information that to-
days battle would be the fiercest Yet
fought, determined to make a desper'
ate effort TO save at least the Ameri-
can women and children from ex-
posture TO the fire OF the shifted artil.
lery and the ravages OF the rebel
hordes expected to arrive under the
guerilla chieftain Zapata.
| The ambassador and his stan
secured the city for automobiles and
succeeded In communicating about 20
machines All during the night the
women and children who had taken
refuge In the embassy were loaded
into the automobiles, and rushed to
the suburbs, where the ambassador
had had the forethought TO rent scores
OF houses. II was estimated that more
than 700 Americans had been safely
removed from the zone OF the expect
ed bombardment by dawn.
Huddled in the bottoms of the cars,
and guarded by American civilians,
armed with revolvers and rifles, the
refugees were whirled through the
! lines OF both rebels and federals. De-
spite the white flags that fiuttered
| from the cars they were fired on sew.
eral times, by sentries who either fail
ed to notice or failed TO understand
white flags.
With nearly all the American wo-
men safely out of immediate danger,
the ambassador turned the automo-
bves over to the representatives OF
otler countries.
/ yybtla tho Amariean annhassador
and his stan were working systemat-
ically TO favor their country women.
| In the native section OF the city all
was confusion and horror
I In the darkness women. loaded with
household goods, carrying babies and
dragging older children, stumbled over
1.-THE bodies of the slain. Couriers
dashed through the streets, and troops
were constantly shifting, but no effort
was made TO remove the dead, The
Red Cross made every EFFORT possible
to aid the wounded Hospitals were
: improyised wherever fairly we'll pro-
tected building could be found, and
the emergency forces OF surgeons and
nurses were augmented by many vol
unteers from the better class OF the
residence sections.
4
was without plan or leadership. Hun
dreds slept, or tried TO sleep In the
parks, and plazas, but the great mass
OF the refugees wandered about the
streets until daylight.
Daybreak found the fighting forces
| OF President Madero and General
i Felix Diaz facing each other at closer
range than at any time since the reyo-
! lutionary battles In the capital began
All night long Madero's men were
working, moving into position the
heavy cannon which are being used
TO demolish buildings and snuff out
human lives. These guns, which are
intended to be used at distance of
two miles. today will be trained upon
targets less than 500 feet distant. The
tloodiest fighting OF the present revo.
luton is expected today.
Since O'clock last night the city
has been quiet. Most sections were
! In total darkness, wires feeding resi-
dent and street lights having been
cut by bullets during yesterday s
fighting. A continual procession OF
Madero's soldiery, carrying ammuni-
tion and dragging machine guns into
lcloser range OF the arsenal, was kept
up all night. Madero evidently Is
placing greatest dependence upon the
concentration OF his heavy guns.
i Madero expected to make the most
strenuous attempt today TO wipe out
the Diaz forces. The president In
formed United States Ambassador
Wilson that today's battle would be
the most serious and he expected 1t
! TO be decisive. Warned by this in
formation, the ambassador today had
safely housed more than 600 Ameri.
can women and children In houses
ION the outskirts of the city. which he
had rented for the purpose OF getting
| the citizens OF the United States out
OF the fighting zone.
Troopers sleeping in the streets
were awakened by bugles In all parts
of the two armies quarters this morn.
ling and both sides began Immediate
| preparations for resuming the battle.
| Little work had been done to remove
the dead from the streets, where
bodies lay ia horrible disorder. The
two armies. after last nights firing
ceased, attempted 10 care for the
wounded, but the efforts OF the work
ers we're ineffective, most OF them
having had no sleep since the night.
Ing began.
! Many died from lack OF attention.
OF these number we're women and
children Bon-combatants.
For the death struggle today, Ma.
dero claimed to have a force OF 1000
men. General Diaz said that he had
5000 capable soldiers and would have
$500 more when the expected force
of Zapatistas reached the city. The
advantage was with Diaz, in having
the best equipment OF cannon,
machine guns and rifles, and thus far
his marksmen have proved superior
than those of the Madero army.
In the two days hghting, which
ended last night, II Is estimated that
800 have been killed and 1900 wound
ed. Less conservative estimates
placed the death list as high as 1000
and the wounded at 5000 in the two
days.
Ambassador Wilson was expected
Ito make a report to his government
u .