Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1913-02-14
Terrific Cannonade
in Mexico City.
D|Az HOLDS HIS own.
Rebel General Making Gains but
President mader0 Remains
Optimistic

Mexico City, Feb. 13.-Mexico's cap
ital was torn again by shot and shell.
General Felix Diaz, 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. He enlarged his zone of &C
ton and sent forces against the ma
tional palace.
But 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 appar
emily unperturbed. He took counsel
frequently with the finance minister
Ernesto Madero. From time to time
he was in conversation with General
Huerta, the commander-in-chief, re
garding the plans of attack. His cour
age was great, his confidence remark
able.
At the arsenal General Diaz calmly
directed the operations. He charac
terized them as solely defensive. He
too, was optimistic. /
While the bombardment was fal
heavier than on Tuesday the probable
loss of life was smaller. This was due
to the lack of any effort to force the
assault by the federals.
Three Hundred Killed.
The casualties are estimated at not
less than 300 dead and 1900 wounded
in the two days fighting.
Two American women are dead, shot
to pieces by a shell. They were Mrs.
Fl. w. Holmes and Mrs. Percy Crit.
fiths. Several Americans have been
wounded. But the total number OF
native noncombatants injured was
small. Experience is. teaching the
citizens to keep out of the line of fire
when possible.
Mrs. Holmes and Mrs. Grittiths were
preparing dinner in their kitchen n
an apartment building close to the
arsenal when a shell from the fed
eral lines burst through the walls, in
stantly killing Mrs. Holmes and leav-
ing Mrs. Gritfiths in dying condition.
The reports from the Diaz head
quarters that his losses have been
negligible are received with some
doubts.
For two hours the rebel gunners
rained shot and shell at the lofty
structures of the city, from the roofs
of which federal sharpshooters and
machine gun men had attempted to
rake the insurgents in the trenches
and behind the barricades of the ar
senal..
Rebel Shells Well Timed.
The shells from the heavy guns were
well Timed, the explosions throwing
perhaps hundreds Of thousands of bull
lets to the ROOFS: effectually clearing.
for a time at least, these buildings Of
the picked men from the federal
troops. ..a.. .5a-<..
Some of the rebels shells and not q
few rifle bullets reached the national
palace, but none did serious damage.
It is believed that Diaz does not Sc
riously contemplate at present an at
tack on Madero's Headquarters.
Madero has promised to make q
combined assault on the rebel posi-.
tons, but the operations indicate that
Diaz has much in reserve.
Two threatening features were the
appearance in: the outskirts of the:
city of Zapatistas. who harassed the
government troops, and the release
from the Belem Jail Of several thou:
sand prisoners. Some of the latter
have joined the rebel ranks, but 9th.
ers are foot free, and may turn to
looting.
Diplomatic Protests Useless.
The American ambassador and the
ministers of Great Britain, Germany
and Spain made protests to both Ma:
dero and Diaz against the "barbarous
and inhuman warfare but their pro-
tests have been in vain. A brief arm
istice was arranged for visit Of the,
diplomats to the president and to the,
rebel commander, but in general the
continuity Of the operations was in
terrupted only slightly. The staccato
note of the machine guns was seldom
silent and there was at no time 9
long interval between the roars o!
the cannon.
The British legation was under the
rebel fire for time, but the Amer
lean embassy Is conside Tered TO be in
3comparativ 81 safe district. 4ssss.5
u their positions the ederais1lssa