Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-08-29
The War Between China and France.

LONDON August Is. "A dispatchto the
Times from Foo Choo of this afternoon
says: The French ironclads entered the
mouth of the river this afternoon at 2
O'Clock. The white fort opened fire with
Krupp cannon while the ships were three
miles away. After an hour IS engagement
the French retired. The Chinese fire was
good.
Foo Choo, the point in China where
the first attack of the French forces was
made, is the capital city of the province
of Foh-Kien. and one of the few ports in
China open to foreign trade. Foo Choo
and longitude 119 deg. 20 min. east, about
APO miles northeast of Canton and 375
miles southwest of Shanghai. It stands
on plain about two and a half miles from
the north bank of the river Min and TWEEN
ty-fve miles from it's mounth. The city
proper of Foo Choo is regularly built, but
the streets, though paved with granite,
and in many instances planted with trees,
are filthy, narrow and infested with beg
CARS. The population of the city has been
variously estimated by travellers in China
at from 6OO,O 900 to 100000 souls. The
most remarkable establishment of the
city is the arsenal, situated about three
miles down the river Min, at Pagoda
island, where the sea-going vessels usually
anchor. 1t was founded in 1867, and
has been conducted under the direc-
ton of French engineers, according to
European methods. In 1870 it employed
about l 200 workmen, besides fifty Euro
pean superintendent. Foo Choo is known
| In China as city of the first class, and is
the seat of a viceroy or governor general,
whose Jurisdiction extends over Fokien in
| Chekiang, the province adjoining Foklen
to the north. The city is also great
| literary center, and numerous gentry who
| have retired from office in other parts of
| theampire and men OF high literary at
| tainments reside there. 1t has several
| cotton, paper and hardware manufac-
| tories, several hundred factories for max
| ing porcelain, ana factories of blue cloth,
screens and combs. Nearby are product
| i've lead mines, and great tea-growing
district lies within 10 miles of the city.
The commerce of Foo Choo is principally
with Japan and the maritime provinces
of China. The chief exports are black
| teas, timber, bamboo, fruits, orange peel,
tobacco, potash. spices. grain, copper and
lead. The imports are opium, which some
| times amount to So DOC, 900 in value for
year; salt, sugar and European manufac-
| lures.
FRANCES MoDEsTY.
PARIS, August ga dispatch from
Tien Tsin says the French charge daft
flares has left there. The acting consul
still remains.
The Repubkque Franchise says: France
will soon seize and retain such territory in
China as is useful to her. Chang Pei Lun
will lead the Chinese troops against the
| French.
LONDON. August GA dispatch of TO-
day from Shanghai to Reuters Telegram
Agency says: The French loss IN the
bombardment of Foo-Chow was seven
killed and fourteen wounded. The Chi
nese loss is estimated at l 900 killed and
5000 wounded. The Chinese man-of. war
Yangwu was exploded by torpedo after
it had fired broadside at French torpe-
do boat. The boiler of the latter was ex-
ploded by means of hand grenades thrown
from the YangWu, after which the boat
was sunk by the Volta to prevent It's be-
ing captured by the Chinese. The French
expected to occupy the heights command
ing the pagoda anchorage. 1t is reported
that there are rs. 900 Chinese troops in the
vicinity of Foo-Chow.
According to reports received at Sontag,
$4,000 Chinese troops have invaded Ton
quin and have already had an engagement
with the French troops. In this battle,
| it is asserted, the French were annihila-
| ted, while several thousand of the Chinese
were killed.