The Savannah morning news., 1900-10-15
TIEN TSIN TEEMED
CITY WAS oVFsRCROwDED ny
FORCES or THE POWERS.
SCRAMBLE FOR STOREHOUSES.
AMERICANS Din NOT GET THE BEST
OF THE DEAL.

This Necessitated That the Ameri-
cans He scRttered-Amcrican Cor
poraI KILLED and Another soldier
Wounded by French sentry.
Correspondence OF the Associated Press)
Tien Tsin. China. Sept r7-with the
general belief that this city Is TO be the
military center and base for the winter.
all the Powers are now engaged IN a gen
eral scramble for buildings Anything
tina; has a roof Is now valuable and every
building in the foreign concessions which
the bombardment left capable OF repairs
is being put IN shape for either barracks
or storerooms.
This condition Of affairs has made the
situation here rather delicate and in sew
interehanges over the possession of prem
ises. The Americans have not got the best
OF the deal. The foreign city OF Tien Ts.n
Is composed OF the various concessions OF
the Powers and what l. known locally as
the extra CONCESSIONS lying 20 the
southwest between the Victoria Gardens
and tho mud wall south. The American
concession was surrendered several years
ago. and In the present situation the
Americans are keenly feeling its loss. The
English and German concessions are
probably greatest in area. the British.
however, having more and larger buildings
than any other
Scattered the Americans.
There is to-day not an unoccupled build
Ing IN Tien Tsin and he Powers are
drawing the concession lines very closely.
As was cabled the Associated Press early
In September, the Americans We're com
pelled 90 give up 10 the Germans a large
tract OF land and several very large ware
houses hhed with commissary supplies
The property was I'm the extra Geru,an
concession and only occupied unier suf-
ferance. II was understood when the Ger
man commader cosented 90 It's occupancy
that It would he given up on demand. hut
the demand has caused the American
army officials no little embarrassment ana
Inconvenience AZ a result the American
forces are now scattered. The Fifteenth
Infantry Col. Moale commanding. anB a
present senior American officer IN Ten
Tsin is located In the buildings and COM
pound Of the American Methodist
mission. quarter q mile
further down the Taku road is the camp
OF the Third Artillery. In the compound
of the property of Mr.. Drew. an Ameri-
can. The marine battalion Is quartered In
the buildings in tho British concession.
the officers occupying several houses on
Victoria Terrace. The commissary and
quartermaster depots are on the Bund. in
the old Tien Tsin Hotel.
Two Cases Of Friction.
The presence Of such a large number
OF troops IN close eontiguity. the conflict
INK customs and national prejudces. make
Tien Tsin very delicate ana interesting
place just at present The whole atmos-
phere Is charged with the tenseness OF
local conditions and the incest diplomacy
Is constantly being called into play TO
smooth over little eruptions and the fric-
tlon natural 10 such circumstances
Two events OF this week. which were
pregnant with possibilities. have been
pleasantly adjusted and have left no APP
parent trace OF feeling. one was the kill
ing OF Corpi. Hughes OF Battery D.. Third
Artillery and the wounding OF a private
OF the same battery by a French sentry.
The whole AFFAIR was unfortunate. but an
investigation disclosed that the sentry was
not to blame. II appears that the Ameri-
cans we're out after dark and had been
drinking. They had been halted by sen
try on the French pontoon bridge. aud
disreEartilng his challenge. they tried 20
rush him. One OF the men fred his re-
volver. dlscharginE four chambers. when
the sentry fired, killing Hughes He was
attacked by the second American. whom
he bayonetted. inhicting a slight wound.
The other instance was slight TIT be-
tween the British and Russians. The for
mer had posted a guard over a pile OF
wood and hoisted a British flag. a Rus
stan guard. according 10 report. made an
attempt 20 seize the wood also h9lstiug
n dag and threatening 10 cut down the
British colo.s Gen. Campbell happened
10 be on the scene az the time, unaccom-
panied Seeing the gravity Of the situa-
ton. he asked an American oificer 10 AS
sist him explaining that he feared the
two guards who were Indians OF the
BENGAL Lancers. might preclpitate trouble
The American consented 90 remain while
the General sought the Russian com
mander Admiral Alexieff Immediately re-
called the Russians. when the matter was
explained 20 him. and apologized for their
action. II Is reported oil the men were
punished.