The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-10

| with lCng-handled swords or haibcrds,
| whose cimeter-like blades were yard
long and the handles twice as long; then
| some rifemcn. with the neyer-failing red
! pompons stuck in the muzZcs OF their
| antiquated pieces, and lastly came the
| general. mounted. and with mounted es-
Cort. or uncomfortably slowed away i'm a
cart. trying TO make up his mind wheth-
| or 80 was better TO lose his life by a
japanese bullet. or his head by an edict
OF the Chinese Emperor
at was hard 10 believe the scene was
| a reality. and not an extravaganza for
| there, In the bright light OF tic nineteenth
| century, was passing I'm review an army
| OF the fifteenth, century. with its blaring
trumpets. queer-shaped flags, useless in
! sigma. brilliant banners, strange cos
tunes, obsolete weapons, all sparkling
with the barbaric flashes OF naked steel.
One could not but feel sorry for them.
marching as they were, to certain de-
feat without proper generals, without
| proper arms, without patriotism.
"On the morning Of the 18th of No
vember we made our first attempt TO
enter the dock, in charge Of A pilot II
was failure. The ship dashed at the
entrance, missed her aim. and ran her
nose high up over the bund OF New
ChwsnK. As her prov rose the hearts
OF tho hundreds Of spectators fell. They
reared she would not succeed In fact
so large vessel, had never before at
tempted Il. II. r. NJ. s. Firebrand is
an obsolete, condemned wooden craft OF
40 tons; the Petrol q handsome we'll
manned and equipped. modern steel gun
boat OF 80 tons. Did I'VE fail to get in,
all the foreign women would leave for
Shanghai or Japan: besides. all the mis-
slonaries who had focked here from the
interior for protection would pack up and
leave. The Weather Chinese merchants
were no less interested. The great fear
IS that the defeated and routed Chinese
mob will burn, kill and loot.
CHARGING INTO THE DOCK.
For twenty-four hours we lay stuck in
the bank, without. however. sustaining
any damage or fearing any. At high tide
on the dawn of the 18th we backed off
the bank. but not in time to make Il trial
50 rapidly Gees the tide fall. The morn
ing Of the 10th was our last possible
chance. Capt Emory dispensed with the
pilot and ran the ship himself. With
81 am at highest limit and safety valves
blow ing clouds of steam into the cool
morning air, VIC charged slowly at the en-
trance. We missed IT but quick as
thought the engines were reversed at full
speed. and we slid gracefully back into
the river Stcaming around In a circle
We charged again. Again failure. once
more we turned They called from the
shore: The tide has fallen six inches.
"Tbcre was still an inch TO spare. More
than a thousand spectators were looking
anXiOusly on, and when al the third
charge the saucy nose of the Yankee
gUnboat entered the mouth Of the dock
their pent-up excitement broke forth I'm
cheer after cheer. Chinese merchants.
coolies, ahmas, foreign men and women.
consulS. pilots, missionaries men from the
Fire brand. and men from the Petrol seiz-
ed the shore lines 10 help pull her in or
encouraged those who did man the lines.
eve stuck on the sill, but. now or never,
so with full head OF steam the engines
making more turns than they did when
she won her trial trip bonus, We slid
slowly in till the union jack on our bow
fioated over the high road to Mukden and
The people of New ChWang were happy,
AS the tide fell piles were driven in
Behind us to close the entrance. 1t took
three days to make the gate tight. When
this was pronounced a success u was
sealed in true pagan fashion by eXplod-
ing numerous packs Of trecrackers on
the gate TO proptiate the river demon for
having put the Petrol beyond his reach.
BUILDING a FORT.
"The coolies were now put 20 work
building outhouses. bath rooms for the
crew. a blacksmith shop, and the Ike
''The mud of excavation was used to
build a well-desgned fort, with walls
twelve feet high. with ramparts. embra-
s,Ires and three gates. The fort prac-
tically commanded the foreign settlement
"On our starboard hand. he Lublic
square Of New Chwang; in front, the
British consulate and the French Catholic
mission; on our port hand. the Fircorand
and beyond her the American consulate
behind us the frozen river. The ship is
housed in with mating and rooted over
within the walls is drill ground. on
the walls arc mounted Calling guns; be-
sides this. temporary fighting tops nave
been built on the masts In which are
rapd-hre HotchksS on lmproNscd
mounts Arrangements were successfully
carried out to allow the continuous use
Of the ships boilers for electric lighting,
heating. and distiling. a matter OF con
siderable Generalization, As the FIRE
brand is without these comforts. Ihe
latter IS a sanitary necessity, Tor the
water used in New Chwang is taken from
open ponds within the city walls ana the
city is without the vestige Of drainage.
"'The inhabitants have no conception or
either public or private cleanliness. Inc
boiled water is perhaps less dangerous
hut is much more offensive thAn before II
is boiled. The Chinese or MancHus never
drink unbOiled water
by Thanksgiving Day we were settled |
and now we feel prepared 10 meet a |
whole Chinese army. as they are pleased |
to call these armed mobs. signals are
arranged by which the foreign population |
will repair at once to Fort Petrol In
formers are stationed in different parts !
of the settlement 10 bring news OF any |
disturbance.
THANKSGIVING night the thermometer !
fell TO six degrees below zero, and 1t has !
never been as high as the freezing point |
since four inches of snow fel several |
weeks ago. -,
"A glance at the map Of Asia VIII show
the Importance of this place In strate-
gle sence. Manchuria is the great hutter |
state of China, being separated from ~ |
by the Wan ii Chang or the nrrut " an
III is separated from MonSoha OE
wooden palisade In the north IS l'ussld.
In the south Corea. The Chlhese' VI |
rathcr Nanchu, name of New CHWahs |
yingtze. means military station, ana the
Government OF Manchuria Is almost en-
tirelv military. being ruled ny generals
at the numerous posts ana gdTl et :"
tered through the provinces y, ,,i
king. kirin, and Tsitsihar' OF "hlOi 80
den is the grand capital as wen az Uii -"
place of the Teignine family Oh " r.Ia
about il are the tombs OF loThlr e, ~ y,
perors OF the present dynasty inue
is doubly significant why inc 1apa
arc determined on its capture nc +na,
cbus have long been noted TOT tIel' va |
like mature Indeed every mar -, |
must serve a term under one OF elsh'
frth