New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-19
AMERICANS IN sToRMING PARTY
RUSSIAN LOSS THE HEAVIEST IN CAPT7rRT
OF TAKU FORTS.

RUSSIAN LOSS THE HEAVIEST IN CAPTURE
OF TAKU FORTS.
London. June 19-Chna declared war against
the world when the Taku forts opened fire
upon the international fleet. The accounts Of
what took place are still unsatisfactory, the
best semi-official information being the dis
patch received at Berlon from Che-Foo
The Shanghai correspondent of THE Times. ,"
under yesterdays date gives the following de-
scription. said to be taken from official sources
of the action at Taku:
On the afternoon of June 16 in view of the
large bodies Of Chinese troops assembling at
the forts, and of the facts that torpedoes had
been laid in the river and that all communca-
tions were interrupted, the naval commanders
held council and decided to send ulti-
matum, calling for the disbandment Of the
troops and announcing that If this demand
not complied with before > a. m. the fol-
lowing day, the united squadron would destroy
the forts.
Shortly after midnight the forts opened fire
The British. French, German. Russian and Jap
anese warships replied. Two of the forts
blown up and the rest were carried by assault.
The unofficial narratives coming by way of
Shanghai, vary widely and bear internal evil
dence of supplementing the main facts with
guesswork. One dispatch says that the York
town participated in the bombardment An
other asserts that American marines formed
part Of the storming force Of two thousand.
An Associated Press dispatch from Che-Foo.
dated yesterday afternoon, says:
The forts on both sides of the Taku are now
occupied. The Chinese opened fire unexpected
Iy. The casualties to the mixed forces were as
follows: KIled-Britsh, /; German, 3; Rus
sian. 49, French /.
The Chinese torpedo boats were seized.
The Shanghai correspondent of The Daily
Mail" telegraphing yesterday, says:
The forts began firing in obedience to orders
from Pekng conveyed in a personal edict of the
Dowager Empress. by advice of kang vi, presi-
dent OF the Ministry of War. Several warships
We're struck by shells from the l2-inch guns
Of the forts.
The heavy Russian losses were due to the
blowing up Of the magazine on the Mandshur
Four hundred Chinese are reported TO have
been killed The Chinese, when retreatng fell
into the hands of the Russian land force.
THE Daily News" has the following from
Chee-Foo:
Two Of the forts were blown up. The thirty
two warships at Taku aggregated two hundred
thousand tons and carried more than three
hundred guns.
The failure of Admiral Seymours column and
its retreat to Tien-Tsin increase, it is presumed
the peril of the legations in Peking. which are
stn isolated, although Shanghai forwards Chi
nese rumors that the legations were attacked
by mobs, who were moved down by machine
guns. and also that the members of the lega-
tions were massacred.
The Powers taking prompt action. Four
thousand German troops have been ordered to
China: ten thousand French troops are waiting
10 embark at Saigon capital of French Cochin
China, and from three thousand to five thou
sand more Russians have been ordered from
Port Arthur TO Taku.