The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-08-07
Transport With Missionaries and
Sick Soldiers Is at San
Francisco.
MANY REFUGEES IN JAPAN.
Story of the Bombardment of Taku
and the Subsequent Fighting by
an American Mcrchant-Three
Deaths Occurred at Sea.

Hah fIaHtisco, aug. with her decks
crowded with bluejackets, marines, ex.
soldiers Of the Ninth Infantry and refugees
the United States transport Logan. from
Taku. via Japan. was allowed to dock to-
| day, after passing quarantine.
There were men. women and children on
! the vessel direct from Tien-Tsin, who had
| escaped from the mobs of Boxers and the
/ Imperial Chinese troops Nearly al, Of the
| passengers in the cabin had felt the de-
| pressing effects Of siege and had been IN
| the Chinese city when It was threatened
| by the Celestial fighters and the refugees
| were more than glad to get back to civii-
zation.
Among them were Doctor Diffendorfer
ana MI &. Mcintosh. who were In the mill
at lien-Tsin. where the Chinese were held
at bay before the first relief came through.
Master Early Ragsdale and Miss Efle
Ragsdale. children of the United States
Consul at Tien-Tsin, were also on board.
A large number OF refugees left the trans
port at Yokohama. to return to various
parts of Europe and America by regular
steamer.
Among the passengers were the follow
ing:
j. NJ. Mussen. Shanghai: Mrs Drew, Mrs
Tenny and four children. Mrs Pike and
four children. Mrs. Lowry and three chill
dren. Mr.. and Mrs. Haynor and three chill
dren, Miss Jones, Mr. Pike Doctor Diffen-
dorfer. Mr.. Mcintosh Taku; the Reverend
II. w. Houlding. wife and son; Mrs Frank
F. Davis. Mrs. Montelle. Miss Tilie Fair.
Tien-Tsin: Doctor n. S. Hopkins, wife and
three children Mrs. II. f. King and three
| children, Mr. and Mrs. II. Smith. Che Foo
the Misses Drew. MIR. l.. Drew. o. c. Cliff
ford. wife and child Edward Wilson, yo-
kohama, and about 100 invalded soldiers.
Three Deaths at Sea.
There were three deaths on the Logan
during the voyage, two occurring before
Taku was reached
On June 30 Private James II. McNerny of
Company d, Ninth Regiment, died. and on
July James d. st. Croix passed away.
Private David Nutes of Company G. one OF
the men who started homeward owing to
illness. died at sea July 90.
To the Logan attaches the distinction of
being the first vessel to land American
troops in China. She conveyed the gallant
Ninth Infantry from Manila to Taku.
The Logan made the run from Manila in
| thirty-nine days. from Nagasaki in eight
| cen and one-half days and from Yokohama
| in fifteen and one-half days. From Manila
! to Taku she conveyed the Ninth Infantry
| and detachments of the Signal and Hospi-
| tai corps. and among the passengers
| brought here by her were siXty-one sick
| men Of the Ninth. At Taku she took
aboard 40 Christian refugees from Tien-
| Tsin. All except forty-eight Of these left
| the Logan at Nagasaki.
Battle of Tien-Tsin.
Doctor r. E. Diffendorfer of Philadelphia
the builder and manager of the first wool
en- mill established in the Chinese Empire
and personal friend Of Poo Tong. broth
er to the Chinese Emperor that was, tell:
the following story of the attack on Tien
Tsin:
1T was on the morning Of July II that the
| first clash between the foreigners and th'
Empires soldiers occurred. On the after
noon of the same day the bombardment o.
| the Taku forts began.
Captain Bailey of the British ship Or
lardo was commander of the allied forces
| at Tien-Tsin on July IT, as Captain McCalla
was absent with Seymour at the time. A
about IL o'clock in the forenoon he saw
smoke rising from the railroad track abou
four miles distant from the city. and. sus
pecting that the Boxers lad fired nnothel
bridge. Captain Bailey ordered thirty of hi:
bluejackets commanded by a midshipman
whose name have forgotten, to proceed Il
the spot and investigate.
I'VE had a 3-inch gun and the men were
fully armed. When our fiat car had tray
eled about three miles we found a bridge
in which the timbers had been burned ava,
from the iron girders. and. considering II
unsafe to cross our commander ordered hi:
| men to return to the city. We had gon'
about 300 yards on the back trip when hi
| saw lot of Chinese solders-about $50
crossing the track at point a mile uheaC
| of us.
"They were walking very rapidly, and as
we approached them all doubts as to their
being imperial troops disappeared. They
| did not wear the red turban and sash that
distinguished the Boxers, and as soon as
we got within about 500 yards of them they
| scattered and got behind the grave mounds
| with which the surface of the country was
| thlckly studded. Regarding this action as
| suspicious. our midshipman gave the or.
der to fire a volley. and they quickly and
| vigorously returned the salute.
| That First Skirmfsh.
| "Our field piece was minus a sight ant
| most OF its shots passed over the enemy, Sc
| that. after ten minutes Of hot firing. we
| resumed our retreat, the Chinese firing a
| us as long as we were within range. There
| were no casualties on our side.
| 1.-THE significant feature of that incident
| was its bearing on the subsequent pro
| ceedings. If 1t had not been for the actor
! of our party that morning the bombardmen
! Of Tien-Tsin might not have commenced
| that afternoon; in other words, I am in
! clined to believe that our attack on the
Chinese troops precipitated the lombard
| ment Of the city. And for that reason the
| skirmish may attain some Importance
| when final settlements are being made
| Doctor Diffendorfer believes that the
trouble in China will be at an end within
| a couple of years at the farthest.
! "It VIII be a repetition of the Taepins
rebellion he said. when the allies have
| captured Pekin the Boxers will be broker
| into bands of marauders.'
Two WOmen's Experience.
Among the returning refugees on IN
| transport Logan to-day We're the wife AM
| children of Professor c. d. Tenney. presi
| dent of the Imperial University Of China.
| Mrs. Tenney and family were in the for
| eign city of Tien-Tsin during the siege o
the latter part of June The foreisners wer
| warned to seek safety at Gordon Hal
| which has heavy walls and ramparts. 1t
| the Town Hall.
| I'VE took shelter there said Mrs. Ten
ney. land. although the building was struc
| eight times by shells, not foreigner ther
| was injured. The foreign city of Tien-Tsi
| Is Il wreck. The houses are all shattere
| and torn by shells. My husband and l ha
| been in China eighteen years. and Professo
| Tenney has now accompanied the allie
| army on its march to Pekin, acting as In
| terpreter."
Mrs. f. D. Drew. wife of the Commis
| sioner of Chinese Customs at Tien-Tsir
was also among the refugees. She has mad
her home in China for over twenty years.
1T was fortunate thing for u.s." sh
said. that the Chinese did not know hoy
| weak We were when they attacked US. o
how strong they were. We were in a critica
! position until the Russians came, and ther
| was not one among us who did not realtz
! this The Russians saved our lives.