Evening star., 1900-06-30
MARIN IN CHINA
This is Not the First Time They
Have Been Called On.
GOOD WORK OF The old M0NOCACY
Protecting American Interests in
the Winter of '94-5.
SIMILAR CONDITIONS NOW

Written for The Evening Star.
The present International expedition to
PelEn Is not the first one that has been Or
ganized to guard the interests of foreign
resident at Chinas capital. and for
many years 1T has been the practice of the
United States especially to keep gun
boat within a reasonable sphere of tnfiu-
ence of Pekin. The old Monocacy has stood
guard over our interests out there for
thirty-f1ve years. and while she would not
be rated as formidable craft in modern
naval classification. still, in the eyes of the
conservative Chinaman she has represented
a great deal of potential force
Built in Baltimore in 63, and as double
ended paddle-wheel steamer especially de-
signed for river service. she was at once
detailed to the orient when she could be
spared to look out for our commercial wei
fare. which had suffered through stress of
our domestic difficulties. In '65 she reached
the ASiatic station, and from that day to
this, in concert with her sister ship, the
Ashuelot. lost in 'S3. proved tower of
strength in more than one emergency. Ac-
tual conflict won her renown and the open
mouths of her ancient ordnance have had
perSuas1VenesS enough to win the grace or
many a '.jacketed'' mandarin not too kindly
f1owery kingdom.
Might Have Been Different.
Could the old craft have been at her erst-
while anchorage we should not have had
to bear the recent anxious days over the
safety of our representatives at the court
Of Pekin. In years gone by-in fact. as
recently '95Et was possible for the
Monocacy to lie at Tien Ts;n, only eighty
odd miles from Pekin then the head waters
of steam navigation. For months at a
time the old ship lay off Tien Tsn. and by
the aid of each spring freshet made her
way back to the sea over the changing
channels ard through the soft mud of the
Pei Ho, only to feel her way back later
in the year when the waters had cnce more
nearest port of approach. and there our
vessels must be content to halt on the high
way to the capital
An Antiquated Vessel,
The old Monocacy boasts a time-honored
battery Of four Misunderstanding. smooth
bore S-inch guns and couple of 6O-pounder
breech-loadng rifles, to which the desecra-
ting spirit of modernity has added nearly a
dozen rapid-fire guns of very light caliber
She draws only nine feet of water, has to
her credit speed of eleven knots and car
ries a complement of 15S persons.
With the ''foWery flag" as the Chinese
have been pleased to term our ensign
floating at her peak. this quaint craft of
other days has exerted a very wholesome
moral influence through all her years of
usefulness: and that she did not participate
in the attack on the Taku forts can be ex-
planned only by her temporary absence or
the assured efficiency of the foreign fleet Of
more modern vessels.
Did Excellent Work.
In II, however. she was rot so content to
remain in the rear. and at the fateful at
tack on the defenses of Boisee on the Salee
river of Corea, she led the procession which
drove the Corean commanding general from
his batteries. and with the same old guns
she carries today tumbed their walls about
their defenders ears. and made the broad
breaches through which our sturdy forces
fought a hand-to-hand fight to victory
The story of that two days conflict is n
bright one in the annals of our navy: and
the manner in which the Monocacy and
Palos with their convoy of nineteen cut
ters. steamed up that trcacherous river
against a dangerous current and the fire
Of those powerful batteries is something
of which We may well be proud. The part
the Monocacy played in her baptism of fire
ord blood was more than enough to win
the respectful awe of every mandarin af-
terward. and even the long-hcaded Prince
Ii has seen the diplomatic force of her
silent eloquence.
Sending Troops to Pekin.
The last occasion when it became neces-
sary to send an International force toward
Pekin was in the latter part of 1894. during
the height Of the war between China and
Japan. The success of the Japanese let
loose upon the country great hordes of flee
ing Chinese soldiery, camp followers and
other dangerous bodies and the fear that
the foreign legations and missionaries in
Pekin might suffer in consequence led to
the detail of an eXpeditionary force to Tien
TSin.
The q. s. s. Baltimore. then at Nagasaki.
left on the I'd of December and reached
Chefoo in the evening of the 4th. and just
after the arrival of q British steamer bound
for Tien Tsin. By quick management pas
sage was secured for three officers and
forty-two marines, although the accommo-
dations for the latter were poor in the ex-
treme, and at 10 o'clock of the same night
our troops were on their way up the river.
BY evening Of the following day-the 9Th
OF December-the detail arrived off Taku
Bar. The report of Capt. G. F. Elliott.
U. s. NJ c.. commanding gives a brief
account of the difficulties of the trip.
A Dimcult Trip.
There were several steamers before us
unloading in lighters. and our steamer was
obliged to await her turn. We had left
Chefoo hurriedly. SO that there was a lack
OF rations for the men If detained. Every
thing had been eaten up on board at break
fast the morning of the 9Th except flour in
barrels and there were no means of cook
ing this for so large number.
There was every indication of a blow
coming up: in that case it would be three
or four days before we could communi-
cate with the shore. the swift currents of
the Pei Ho making very dangerous chop
against anything of a stiff wind. Added to
this was the danger Of the river freezing
up-a condition which usually occurs by the
10th of December. Taking this into consid-
Grafton l determined to take the men to
Tien Tsin by rail, thirty-two miles distant
Il was well aware I had no right TO
land an armed force without permission in
a foreign country. but it was impossible for
me to get this permit within the necessary
time. so i embarked the men and baggage
on a tug at 1 o. clock pm. After crossing
the bar and steaming about ten miles, we
entered the Pei Ho river. the mouth of
which is fortified by large concrete and
mud forts on both sides. (The forts which
have just been taken by the allied fleets)
Put ON a Bold Front.
las soon as we were in sight of the forts