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Show AMERICANS IN DIRECT LINE FierceFighting Is Raging in City of Mexico-Foreigners in Desperate Situation OF HEAVY ARTILLERY FIRE HEAVY CANNON ARE BEING USED AGAINST NATIONAL PALACE Several Thousand Desperate Criminals Releaser! From Belem Jail by Rebels Mutual Life Insurance In-surance Company's Building Set on Fire British Legation in Line of Cannonading Porter's Hotel and American Club in Path of Fighting Zapatista Leader Arrives to Help Diaz. MEXICO CITY, Feb. 12. The rebate under Felix Diaz Htarted to advance toward the national palace at 8:45 o'clock this morning. The rebelg seemingly are employing heavier cannon than they did yesterday. They directed their artillery fire toward the national palace and on the higher buildings build-ings in the center of the business district, on many of which federal machine guns are mounted and federal riflemen are posted. Shortly he fur a 9 o'clock s shell ton a hole through the iron abutter protecting the cable office and fell inside. The Porter's hotel and the American club, in both of which scores of American vigiton and residents are gathered, are in the direct line of fire. Another hoary shell (track a building in front of the cable office st about 10 o'clock, ripping away a corner of the atrnctnre. The British legstion is under Are from the rebel position, and a battery of federal artillery has been placed close by ss s protection. pro-tection. Belem jail, the famous old prison, has been thrown open by the rebels and from 3000 to 5000 desperate prisoners have been let loose. The Mutual Life Insurance building wss set on fire st 8 o'clock by a shell from s rebel field gun. It is a four-story structure, struc-ture, on the corner of Cinco Mayo and Bsn Juan ds Letrsn streets. The fire at the Mutual Life Insurance building hsa been extinguished, ex-tinguished, but much damage ha been caused the structure by shells. American Embassador and German Minister Demand End of Fight MEXICO Crrr. rwb. IS. Tha United Stat srabaaaador. Hanrr Isn. Wilson, and th German mlnUtsr went to tha national palare this afumoon to demand from President Madaro that th battle ceeae Immediately. Plana for a oonfarsoo hatwsan th leader of the rbl and representative of th government wer taken Into a dl-cuswlon dl-cuswlon at tha national palace abortly sfter noon. Hop of s conference soon dlmlnlabsd. There was a rssaatton of filing, but this sppaarad to b due to a ntiaae la th federal positions and was regarded br th rbf aa a trick to draw them out. Th bulk of th government troop are stationed In th northwtrn part of th cUr. mexioo city. rob. it laanai and other foreign n living la thia ctty found thsslrss in a desperata situs Hon today. The foreign isslflsellsl and commercial districts lay In tha direct Una of arUUery fire from both ass rebel sad federal pna-ltWwaa, Maay people who bad taken re fug in the more Important buildings found thra-selves thra-selves penned m. while baavy ahalla whistled about them, frTlnt through walls and roofs. The cable office was severely dam-afed dam-afed by shrsanel and it was feared that communication with the outside world might be temporarily cat off. All surrounding streets ware occupied by troops and through-put the morning the whirr of the machine guns was continuous, con-tinuous, while isfantrymea kept up a constant rifle fire. Neither aide gained any perceptible (Continued on mining page.) The artillery firs of ths rebels from their position at tbo arsenal extended in several directions on account of the) encircling tactics adopted by the government gov-ernment troops. Diss turned hia .runs ia the direction of the BTititb lefratton shortly after noon to replv to the firs of a federal battery stationed tbare. The rebels it rentf hened their position posi-tion by placing more man and field flmnfl on the V M C. A. "build ibs, commanding; com-manding; the arsenal, sffainst which tha government troops continued to direst a terrible firs from their artillery and small arms. Kit four hour continuously during the forenoon the federal troops shelled the positions of the rebels without great effect. The rebel returned tha fire much more vigorously than y ester-dav. ester-dav. Their heavier guns hurled shrapnel shrap-nel and solid shot Into the heart of tha baaineas district. Alfonso Miranda, one of the Zapatista Zapa-tista leaders, entered the capital last night with 300 of his followers, who are haraa'tiing the federal troops at various points. The cable office has again been struck by many Hprapnell shell. Tt wan reported soon after noon that another rebel leader had entered the city and was working his way toward th? rebel position, presumably to join Felix Diaz. For many hours after the opening of today n battle the artillery fire of the .federal troops did not appear to do trregt damage to the rebel positions. Dia- oon hrought his heavy guns vigorously vig-orously to bear. He ma1 e every effort to dislodge the federal riflemen and machine gunners from the higher buildings. At the same time h directed a constant fire on the new National theatre, sbout which a cnnsideralile portion of the federal artillery ar-tillery waa stationed. In this lattor effort he was fairly successful. Al i 10:30 o'clock there was a virtual cesaatinn of firing, bnt this was due prcHiimablv to the troops changing position aa neither side had at that time won a decided advantage. Shells Reach Palace. The federal troops at one moment made a valiant but ineffective effort! to obtain poaseattion of Belem jail in the neighborhood of the arsenal. The i followers of Felix Diai repulsed their vigorous attack and then released a portion of the pnaonerv some of whom they incorporated in their ranks, arming arm-ing them with rifles from the arsenal stores. The group nf Zanatiatas commanded b Alfonso Miranda, who entered the citr in the night, worked in conjunction with Pisr. but instead of attempting to join him adopted guerrilla tactics and caused great trouble to the federals. fed-erals. A most spectacular displav of artillery artil-lery fighting occurred iu the center of the city. The federal cannnn were in action- in Khu .Yuan dn Let ran street and just off Juarez avenue in location. midw; between the arsenal an the national palace. Some of the rebel shells reached tha grounds ol the palace. HEAVY CANNON USED I' ontinned from page I.) advantage up to noon, when plana lor a conference between the leaders of the rebel and representative- of the government were taken up for diaeua aion at the national palace, following a viait to Madero bv thu American cm baesador and the Oetman minister From the Madero point of view, two of tho most aerious of the day "a devd opmenta were the releasing bv rebels of several thousand criminal from the city prlaoo and the arrival II the rity of Alfonso Wiraaaa. nan of Zapata a lieuteaanta. with a band of follower, who are said to have plotted the wholesale whole-sale looting of the capital. Meanwhile the scarcity of provi- ons ia already causing suffering among (lie poorer clasaes Ordinary food obtainable ob-tainable onlv in snml! quantities aod at prieee from five to ten time thu usual rate. A niiniler of lohl.ene-. prompted bv the withdrawal 01 police protection, were roported. and laivi and men took grc.-it risk ih (noting Ihe roianof bouaes which bad been -hattered lit the artillery ar-tillery t'oromt-r, ba been utterly p:tralved in.c Null. lac Ihe Ironl ill all aiorea I are hoarded up. nit Ini! Tha atreata the apiicaraiicc ol loi'L' i.-iii.on A few reaidrnte 1" were itBttbla lo do o imiuadialel v aflei the entrance '.t' Keln Dia- into tlc it. hurrladl.T ato.kad then hniiie- willi provialeBl at the Ii ifli prie .revi.ilnii lm tha pool ei people were unable In the price, demanded and a i f. r.iit'. Thoae ho i uaually atipplt the eit markal, (ear now to outer ..ih u.-h imoalilie a mill, and i enetah" . nti" li ii 1 1. practi call, unoldn 'nal.le t auv i-rice nroalia of w. r the i..et . lata I eailv thla morning followed tin aalr'. larrapiaa up from the n. nl train I BT Kiain 'lie eol'ii which ih. li..r.... I .(.illed while f In |