The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-07-08

sue VI IL Y III VIZ hAtiiC |
exploded with a tremendous report, and a
conclusion that caused my house to
back and forth to an incredible degree.
[ was thrown from my seat the two VIII
iows In the end OF my room were forced IN
bodily my heavy hall door was split in two
and to the back OF the hall, besides other
damages. Finding that my house was not
tumbling down over my head, | rushed to
the verandah to see the struggle. tor from
my house l had a good view of the breach.
Then followed a scene which no pen can de-
scribe. | will tell you some things and your
imagination must fill III the picture. On
the city wall, for a space OF two miles the
rebel guards were beating, with all their
might, say five hundred gongs, to alarm
their comrades, who, thinking there was no
longer any danger, had gone into the city
and retired to get some quiet sleep. The
two thousand lmperlallsts were streaming
out of their one door Of exit, and across the
extemporized bridges, and raising the war
shout as they approached the breach which
was sixty feet broad. But before a sufficient
number had crossed to venture through the
chasm their way was impeded by a wall OF
fire, for the rebels, expecting a mine would
be sprung, were prepared with quite a num-
Der Of oil jars-large wicker work baskets
lined with oil paper-flled with the often
ClNC Ill u liz SOAhA " oiS hAlOA'
These, holding about three bushels, were
soon placed in the breach and the fire ig-
nited, and in a moment the wall of fire was
higher than the city wall. They were also
prepared with p'ung-dongs, from which
many poured streams of fire into the mass
of Imperialists who by this time were close
ly packed between the wall and the city
moat, while others threw Town upon their
heads empty wine jars holding two pecks,
which had been filed with the fire paste.
These exploded like a shell under the feet
of the Imperial soldiers, making a fire
ten feet in diameter. [ could see the out
stretched hands Of men IN the sufocatlng
flames; while many more threw down the
large wall brick and stones upon the heads
of the poor fellows who could not get out
of the way. The free use Of stink-pot fire
set the whole Imperial army on fire. Their
clothes. which were made OF cotton cloth,
were on fire their powder horns, which
were stopped with tende paper, exploded
at their sides; burning was everywhere, and
men In great numbers rushed all otamc
into the city mOat to put out the fire. Du-
ring the whole of this demoniacal scene
there was the most terrible yelling, and
shouting, and beating gongs, throwing down
wall bricks and powder bags, in addition to
the offensive fire weapons, with a fuse that
| Ill oOo q ID 80 hdO 1oll VI ~ pOW
der under the feet of the Imperialists, who
were like pigs for the slaughter. When the
combustible material in the breach was con-
sumed, | saw three Imperial soldiers step
to the front in line, armed with short swords
and shields also three rebels step through
the breach, armed in like manner and con-
'front.' them. They were apparently about
six feet apart. While they were going
through the usual daring evolutions pre-
paratory to the fatal plunge, the rebels, who
had by this time mustered about two hun
dred strong, raised, a terrific war whoop aud
rushed through the breach; and SO many OF
the lmperialists had sore heads, blistcred
hands and faces, or were otherwise wounded,
they fell back en- maSse into the city moat-
it being low tide they were only about three
or four feet of water and mud and rushed
for the single door OF entrance into the
NmgpOJasS. Meanwhile the rebels were at
their heels hacking with their short swords,
and others throwing powder with lighted
fuse which ignited under the feet of the
mass pressing for the door, and inhictine
serious wounds and blindness upon many.
During the long time they were getting into
their retreat, the commingling of the cries
of the wounded and terror stricken and the
shouts OF the vlctOrs was heart rending.
When the Imperialists got safely in .ii1
they rushed to their battery and small arn
to command the breach but before they
could fire a gun the rebels threw stink pots
into the battery and over the wall into the
temple, one which have rolled into the
magazine. for it exploded with a terrific
shock. The massive temple shell. and it anc
the adjoining apartments must have beer
jambed with the wounded and exhausted
Imperial troops, for they had not been inside
more than a minute or two when the fata
incident occurred. All that were not killet
or buried beneath the ruins at once fled by
a back door to a reserve battery some tw,
, hundred yards in the rear ofthe NingpoJass
Whereupon the rebels entered the Jas
house; guarded the back door entrance an,
removed the IA guns from the NingpoJas
battery into the city, and proceeded at one
to repair the breach, for the Ningpojas
l interviewed between the battery in the rea
; of the jass house and the breach, so that it
! guns could not be brought to bear upon tn
! breach. Thus ended the most remarkabl