American Colony In The Battle Zone.

New York Times 100 years ago today, February 13, 1913:
Warring Mexicans Chose Wide Avenues of Modern Part of Capital for Artillery Duel.
FINE BUILDINGS UNDER FIRE
Hotels, Apartments, and Clubs in Which Foreigners Congregate Are Subject to Bombardment.
    The fighting in the City of Mexico has taken place in the most important parts of the ancient capital. The objective of the revolution when it started on Sunday morning was the plaza, which has been the centre of the political life of the people for generations. Many coups d'etat had come to success or defeat there. When a leader has arisen who had to win popular support right away he has chosen generally the Zocalo, as it is popularly called, as the scene of the stroke, Felix Diaz and the hapless Gen. Reyes were merely following tradition when they led their forces the first thing into the plaza and made an attack on the National Palace, which faces it.
    The Zocalo, also called the Plaza de la Constitucion from an earlier revolution, and the Plaza Mayor — for there are many other plazas in the city — has many years since ceased to be the centre of the business and social life of the people. With the coming of European influences and the Emperor Maximilian there was a strong effort to improve and beautify the city. The Emperor did more than any one else in his short reign to lay out what has since become the most modern and wholesome part of the capital. To the north, east and south of the Zocalo the city remains much as it was. Street cars run through these sections on their way to outlying suburbs, but the houses remain miserable. In the northeast quarter is the notorious Colonia de la Bolsa, the crime spot of the city.

Centre of the Fighting.
    In these quarters artillery fighting would be nearly impossible, so narrow are the streets. So, after the first unsuccessful onset at the National Palace, the scene shifted to the west and newer part, where the streets are open and wide for the most part, and where the artillery and machine guns can get a full sweep. Felix Diaz moved his main force about half a mile to the west and seized the arsenal in Balderas Street. Madero drew up his artillery north of this wide avenue, according to the dispatches, near the office of The Mexican Herald and the American Consulate, and started the attack. On Tuesday the fighting was waged for the most part around this point. The Young Men's Christian Association is just a block to the west, and this was seized by Diaz as a defense against Madero's attack.
    This spot is one of the most open in the city. To the northeast of it is the large park of the Alameda, while directly in front Juarez Avenue is almost a city block in width. On the north side of the street are modern buildings, and one or two hotels. On the south and to the west of the arsenal are low and older buildings one and two stories in height. This centre of conflict is between the main business section of the city and the most important residence sections. To the east of it Juarez Avenue runs the length of the Alameda and there narrows considerably into San Francisco Avenue, the Broadway of the capital. At the end of the park and within easy range of the guns is the new National Theatre, which cost about $8,000,000 and was opened at the time of the centennial in 1910. At the beginning of San Francisco Street, and also within range of the guns, is the fashionable Jockey Club, and a continuous line of the best shops and office buildings in the city. They continue up to the Zocalo on both sides of the street end on the streets parallel and crossing. Here is the very heart of a city of 400,000 gathered in a square about half a mile in length. The side of this section which is nearest to the scene of the fighting is not more than five medium-sized blocks distant.

American Colony in Danger Zone.
    To the south and west of this centre is the American colony, chiefly in the Colonia Roma and the Colonia Juarez, an irregular section bounded on the north and south by two important avenues which run out to the Castle of Chapultepec, the residence of the President, and the park which surrounds it. It is a section of wide, well-paved streets filled with houses built for the most part in the Spanish style, with heavy gates and interior patios. The architecture, which has been followed by foreigners from the models of the first settlers in Mexico, is the best for such an emergency as this, and can be more safely barricaded than any other style. There are, however, in the section not a few houses of the apartment kind, which offer no defense against an attack, and naturally the strongest of them would offer little defense where artillery is being used.
    The British Legation, reported to have been under fire, is in De Lerma Street, about half a mile west of the arsenal and the scene of the siege. It lies just off the Paseo de la Reforma and not far from the railroad station. Diaz, shooting from the arsenal, might have hit it. F. W. Strong is the British Minister in charge.
    The American Embassy is also in the range of fire, lying southwest of the arsenal, in the American quarter, in Vera Cruz Street. Federal troops, manoeuvring in Bucareli Street to flank Diaz in the arsenal and the Y.M.C.A. Building, might draw the fire of the revolutionists to the embassy.
    The embassy and the legation are not far apart, but lie on opposite sides of the paseo. The American Embassy has, in addition to Ambassador Wilson, these representatives: Montgomery Schuyler First Secretary; N. O'Shaughnessy, Second Secretary, and H. F. Tennant, Third Secretary.
    Other Federal movements have been reported at San Juan de Letran Street and Independencia Avenue, under Gen. Angeles. Here machine guns were set up, it is reported. This is a crossing of two narrow and much-used streets, and the corner is some five blocks to the east of the scene of the principal fighting at the citadel. It is a block south of San Francisco Street, and an important business section. Half a block away is the American Club, where many Americans had congregated during the fighting. Opening fire here on the position of Diaz would mean firing across the low buildings which are used by the small shops and several important residences. While most of the Americans of the city have settled in a special quarter, there are many houses scattered through this section which would be in danger from the shots.

Flank Movement on Wide Street.
    A flank movement on the opposite side of the position of Gen. Diaz was reported down Bucareli Street, a very important thoroughfare which cuts through the American quarter of the city. This force was under Gen. Huerta and would be able to manoeuvre in a wide, well-paved street, running diagonally through the city and cutting obliquely many narrower streets, finally coming out on the wide and finest boulevard in the city, the Paseo de la Reforma. At this point is the St. Francis Hotel, which is much frequented by visitors to the city, and a short distance to the west is the railway station of the National lines of Mexico and the main gateway to the north and the United States.
    The Mutual Life Building, which was set on fire by a shell, lies a little out of the natural line of fire thus far reported. The shells of Diaz, firing toward the business part of the city, and the troops of Gen. Angeles reported to be working there, would have had to fire considerably out of their right course to strike the building. Facing the Alameda and near the Post Office, the Mutual Life Building is a modern five-story structure of concrete and one of the most substantial in the city. It is near the National Theatre, the Jockey Club and the important business along the Cinco de Mayo, which parallels San Francisco Street. The office of the National Railways of Mexico is in this street nearby, as well as the telegraph and cable offices and two or three of the largest book stores in the city.
    The Post Office, which may have suffered, is considered the finest-building in the whole Republic of Mexico, except the National Theatre. It cost nearly $3,000,000 and was completed in 1907. The College of Mines is next to it. Within the range of the guns are many of the old churches of the city, all of them of remarkable history. Many were built by the Spaniards who first conquered the country.
    Belem Prison, which was thrown open yesterday afternoon, is one of the oldest and worst buildings in all this hemisphere. For 300 years it has done hard service as an asylum and prison and has never suffered any improvement for the welfare of the unfortunates that find their way there for one reason or another. It usually has from 5,000 to 6,000 prisoners in it. In the course of a year 100,000 prisoners pass through it. Those condemned to serve long terms are taken to the Federal Penitentiary.