New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-19
DEFENCEs OF TAKU.
THREE MUD FORTS w WITH GUNS CHIEFLY
oBsOLETE-wHEREy BLOOD IS THICKER
THAN WATERoi II ORIGINATED.

Washington. June IS (speciaD.-Taku, where
the battle was fought, is situated at the mouth
Of the Pei-Ho River, and is we'll protected by
old forts of great dimensions and mounting as
a rule. obsolete guns. The object of its fortihca-
tons is to forbid the passage of ships up the
river and bar at its mouth, which can
be passed only at very high water by light
draught ships.
The defences consist Of Ihree forts, one large
one on the right shore and two smaller ones on
the left, built in the Chinese style, which is
characterized by enormous dimensions. All the
forts armed with numerous guns Of the
most diversified types and calibres. The large
fort has three bastions, equipped with large
caIibre guns for firing over the parapet. These
bastions high that they can be easily seen
from the sea, and hence the guns installed there
can be easily dismounted.
In the construction Of all the forts OF this re-
gion the soft clay Of the coast has been used
which in the dry season cracks and easily
crumbles. For this reason the garrison Of those
forts may be seen constantly at work repairing
them, as otherwise serious injury would threaten
the forts even from their guns. AT Taku
is stored the material for closing the mouth of
the Pei-Ho River consisting of logs and chains
as we'll as Of the floating mines for the same
purpose.
The inner Notifications, extending along the
Pei-Ho River from the sea to Tien-Tsin, consist
Of old forts and fortified garrisons of the Ii
Hung Chang army. These from east to
west follows: Lutaj Sing-Stcheu, Sjao-
Tschang, Ma-Tscheu. Tsju-Tscheu and Tien-
Tsin. The only one of these worthy Of notice is
Sing-Tscheu, being the only one armed with
modern guns. All these points are connected
with Tien-Tsin by the by a gravel military
road. the railroad from Tien-Tsn to Shan-Hai-
Kwan also passing near.
The forts at Taku. which the foreign fleets
have occupied, are the real protection of Picking
and Tien-Tsin. and consist of North Fort No /,
at the mouth Of the left bank; North Fort No.
2, several hundred yards up the left bank;
South Fort, at mouth on right bank; new South
Fort, south of South Fort; Maritime Arsenal.
1000 yards west of South Fort.
The Taku forts occupied Saturday by the
international forces, just forty-one years ago
We're the scene of episode which gave TO
the world that famous phrase, Blood is thicker
than water" British fleet of eleven small
gunboats, under Admiral Hope engaged in
an assault on the mud batteries just inside
the Pei-Ho River bar June 20, 1859, when the
tide went down and left them helpless in the
mud under the fire of the Chinese smoOthbores.
Captain Tatnall, the flag officer commanding
the United States China Squadron, which
anchored off the bar, nominally guarding Amer
lean interests, perceiving the plight of the Brit
iSh Admiral, lowered his barge, and, with his
flag lieutenant and twenty men, rowed up the
river to show the Englishman how to point his
guns. The flag lieutenant, Stephen Decatur
Trenchard. was badly wounded, and one
fire from the forts. Once board however.
the British guns were well served by the
Americans that the forts silenced and
Tatnall himself piloted the gunboats by a chan
mel he had discovered until they found prOtec-
ton in the fleet outside
TatnalTs action was regarded by the author
tiles at Washington as tantamount to dsobedi-
ence of orders, as he had been strongly
cautioned by his Government to preserve neu-
trality and limit his activity solely the pro-
lection of Americans. He was detached from
command and brought home, where he only
avoided a court martial through the great pOpu-
larity his brave act gave him The blood is
thicker than water" phrase was coined in Eng
lsh newspapers at that time, and was echoed
vigorously in the American press that the
Navy Department finally approved TatnaIPs
action.