Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-11-03
STORY OF PEKING SIEGE
Experiences of the Ministers and
Missionaries.
RELIEF CANE NOT A DAY TOO SOON.

Mines That Were About to he Ex-
plOded-Poor Work of the Chinese
Gunners-Good Work of the Mis-
siOnarics-Truth About Food Sup
pIies-story About the Arms.
First and foremost among the facts
which have come to light since the
ministers in Picking were relieved
seems to be the fact that Baron Won
Ketteler's death was the salvation of
his fellows, says the Picking CORE
spondent of the New York Commercial
Advertiser, writing under the date Of
Sept. 2. The departure of the foreign
ers had been urged officially by the
Chinese Officials-Or gOvernment-and
safe escort had been promised them.
On June 20, however, the German min
lister went out to confer with the tsung-
li-yamen. was murderOusly assaulted
and killed. This lamentable occur
renee threw a lurid light on the value
Of Chinese promises of escort and pro-
lection and was the reason for the sub
sequent refusal by the foreigners Of all
similar offers. There is also the fact
that subsequently the raising of the
flag Of truce was invariably followed
by heavier firing than usual Won Ket
teler's body must have been carelessly
left by his murderers on the ground
and only given the covering of Il coffin
after some days. When the relieving
force arrived, this coffin was found,
and it was only by the clothes that
Identification was possible.
At first the defenders were busy re-
plying to their assailants' 1ire-at con-
siderable cost of ammunition and life.
They lost ten fighting men in one day,
and this rude lesson showed them that
such tactics would not pay. The total
number of fighting men of the allied
marines was 450-at that rate sutfi-
cicnt to last As days-and orders were
issued that the defenders were not to
fire unless there was reasonable chance
of hitting man. How well these or
ders were carried out may be judged
from the computation that during the
siege they killed 5000 Chinese.
1t has been matter for surprise that
with the heavy artillery at their COM
mand the Chinese We're not able to
blow the legations down. Their guns,
it seems, were placed on the city
walls and either were so badly mount
ed or so inefticiently worked that their
shots went over the legations and de-
stroyed Chinese houses beyond them.
The greatest danger was from stray
bullets or an occasional "sniper" who
knew how to aim with precision.
At one point the barricades of the
attacking Chinese - from which they
"sniped' at the Acknowledgement but
few yards away. Through loopholes
the foreigners ported the enemy. Once
it was found that Chinese officer was
shooting very well, and Mr.. Bismark,
good shot, was pitted against him.
He ran Il walking stick through the
loophole opposite that Of a Chinese and
shifted his position to another hole at
a short distance. From this point he
succeeded in disposing Of the officer.
Barricading and intrenching did not
extend quite far enough to avert an
imminent danger. A certain space was
left, and at this spot the Chinese COM
menced mining. They had succeeded
so well with their work that had the
relieving force been day later the le-
CATION and it's defenders would In all
probability have been blown to atoms.
The relief was not day too soon as
far as the mine under the British lega-
ton was concerned. Some traitor with
in the legation must have given the en-
envy the necessary information, for 1t
was driven through the only place
where the trenches running north and
south and east and west did not meet
1t came from the ruined Hanlin college
and was about 10 feet long, the cham
Der being underneath the students
quarters. There was one barrel of pow
der in the chamber and IL other barrels |
waiting to be stacked there. The fuse |
was laid. Had the mine been exploded
the Japanese minister and his family |
and staff would have been victims, for
they were quartered in the students
premises with several Of the students
themselves and the mess Of the Royal
marines, and the loss of life would
probably have been very large.
The missionaries generally were not
armed and did not take their places IN
the fighting line, but they were most
useful in many other equally valuable
ways and in their undated cheerful
ness under all circumstances. One of
the missionaries started bakery, there
being a good stock of flour, from which
he turned out excellent bread, and all
made themselves useful in one way or
another. The missionaries were quar-
tered in the legation chapel, and over
80 of them slept there. 1t may be men,
toned that Sir Robert Hart, though IN
vited to stay with Sir Claude Macdon-.
aid, elected to remain with his staff.
As to rations. they were all too short.