Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-03-30

sells near Canton were never safe unless
the utmost vigilance was observed by those
on duty, as floating torpedoes and fire RATS
were continually being launched by the
Chinese. Should one Of thes. have cxplod-
I'd 1t would have destroyed the whole fleet.
It was during this blockade that the
British ship Niger was made the victim Of
one Of the most dastardly and disgusting
plots in history. Late one very dark night,
the Chinese launched villainous junk Of
strange build that f,oated down onto tie
British vessel. An attempt was made to
tow it clear, but before this could be done
there was an explosion that ripped the up
per decks off the junk and filled the air
with the most disgusting material and
scattered it over the Niger from truck to
water line. The Niger was never used
neain. She WAS taken back to England
and dismantled.
Foreigners who unluckily fell into the
hands of the Chinese were subjected to the
most cruel and brutal kind of fortunes,
which were made to last as long as tho
victims had any life left in them. and
when that was about extinct they were
finally sliced to pieces.
One poor French bluejacket, who had
imbibed a little too much "samshoo, +"
wandered outside the lines and fell into
the hands of the enemy, and although ev-
cry attempt was made to rescue him, he
was never seen again by his countrymen.
1t was learned afterward that he had been
gradually chopped to bits by having fin
ger, toe, ear or s9Inc other portion of his
body amputated every day, this gradual
ovacIfiO, 1osfinO spyaro1 yvapls
In the summer the British feet again
appeared off the Pei-Ho river for the pur-
pose of ratifying the treaty made and sign
ed at Tien-tsin the year before, but this
time to meet with defeat, for upon the
gunboats attempting to enter the river the
heaviest kind of fire was opened upon
them and three vessels were sunk. OF q
landing party of about 1000 men who at
tempted to storm and take the large fort
on the south bank of the river, 40 men
were killed.
1t was here that the Chinese again re-
sorted to their peculiar tricks. bitches
dug in front of tho forts and filed with
| slush, were covered over with grass and
weeds so as to look like solid ground. Tho
soldiers who attempted to cross them in.
stantly sank from eight and suffocated
Besides this, there were scattered over TIT
ground bamboo spikes that were capable
of cutting through the strongest boot ant
crippiDg the soldiers. Then there was
sort of iron frame that held pointed speal
pointed in the direction of the attack. Thii
was concealed by weeds SO that the soldier
who ran against it with any force was i'm
paled and hung until death relieved hin
zxn L:
ed everywhere.
The news of this disaster spread grea
CONSERVATION among civilized nations
The European nations began to dread tina
the Chinese dragon had at last beef
reused. Great Britain and Franco lost n,
time in meeting the threatened emergency
They set about actively preparing feet
sufficiently powerful to capture the Who'll
coast of China if necessary.
| When hostilities were resumed, tho Chi
nese expected the same kind Of tactics a
had been employed the year before an,
were prepared for them. But the Englisl
and French officers knew that the fort
were practically impregnable from tn
front, and it was no part Of tho campais
to make tho attack that way.
All tho cavalry, infantry and artiller
were landed on both sides of the river
completely surprising the Chinese, VIII
had never thought Of flank movement
The first fort was captured almost withou
resistance. most of the Celcstials fleeing
tho forts farther up tho river. 1t was her
that there was heavy fighting that Taste
two days, but ended In the almost CON
plete destruction of tho forts. Heavy al
tillery was brought up and the shellin
was fearful. On the last day the Chine,
were driven out through the front Of thel
fort on to the villainous death traps the
had set for the English and French. Hel
they were compelled to take their ow
medicine, crippled on the bamboo spik.
and impaled on the spears. The Chimes
had been taught their lesson, and the a,
thorities were only too glad to sign treati'
that opened their ports to tho world.