The National tribune., 1900-11-01
ECHOES OF THE SIEGE.
A Song Sung by the Beleaguered
Foreigners in Peking to the Air
of "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp"
? LIVING OVER A POWDER MINE.
Gallant Defense of the Catholic Mission
in the Midst of Exploding Mines and
in the Face of Starvation.

Odudut DSiSuSS vi thS SotuohS "htSohoi'
in the Midst of Exploding Mines and
in the Face of Starvation.
Special correspondence to TIE NATIONAL TRIBUNE,
Peking China, Sept. ., 1900.
Here is a song written and sung by one
of the besieged missionaries, in which ali
the besieged would join in the chorus:
PEKING SIEGE.
In the city of Peking, with its ancient
walls of brick,
And its streets for mud and filth afar
renowned
We have been besieged for weeks by a
beastly Chinese trick,
And the buildings all around us burned
to the ground.
CHORUS.
Tramp, tramp, tramp, the troops are
marching,
Cheer up, comrades, they will Gomez
And beneath our various flags we shall
breathe free air again,
OF the land of our own beloved home
Here are diplomats galore, representing
foreign powers,
And they cause Tsung Ii Yamen anxious
care;
They will neither march straight home
nor reside mid fruit and flowers
At the Yamen, though they've been in
yited there.
From all nations have we come on q
peaceful mission bent,
Be it preaching, customs, railroad or
what not;
China wanted not our help, so she stu
pidly has sent
For the Boxers to eXterminate the lot.
An extraordinary thing is mentioned
by one of the besieged here. He states
( that in a London newspaper of the 10th
of June he saw the statement that Baron
Won Ketteler had been murdered, whereas
the deed was not committed until two
days later. 1t will be remembered that
his death was rumored in Shanghai some
days before the Goth.
THE GARRISON KILLED 5000 CHINESE.
At first the defenders occupied them
selves busily in replying to their assail-
ants fire at considerable cost of ammuni-
tion and life. They lost 10 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 suf-
fcient to last 45 days-and orders were
issued that the defenders were not to fire
unless there was considerable chance of
hitting a man. How well these orders
.ifal out I,nS I'D x1o
computation that during the siege they
killed 1900 Chinese.
PoTTING sHARPsHooTER.
AT one point of the barricades of the
attacking Chinese, from which they
'sniped' at the defenders, they were but q
Few yards from the latter. Through loop
holes the foreigners potted the enemy.
Once it was found that a Chinese officer
vas shooting very well, and Mr.. Bismarck,
good shot, was pitted against him. He
ran a walking-stick through the loophole
opposite that Of a Chinese and shifted his
position to another at short distance
From this point he succeeded in dispos-
ing forever of the officer.
TRAITOR WITHIN THE LINES.
Barricading and intrenching did not ex-
tend quite far enough to avert an awful
and imminent danger. A certain space
was left and at this space the Chinese
commenced mining.
Some traitor within the legation must
have given the enemy the necessary in
formation, for it was driven through the
only place where the trenches running
north and south and east and west did
not quite meet. 1t came from the ruined
Hanlin College, and about 40 feet long,
the chamber being underneath the stu
dents quarters. When discovered there
was one barrel of powder in the chamber
and u other barrels waiting to be stacked
there, and the fuse was laid. Had it
been exploded the japanese Minister his
family and staff would have been vie.
Tins, as they were quartered in the stu
dents premises, with several of the Stu
dents themselves. and the mass of the
Royal Marines. The loss of life would
probably have been very large.
CHINESE ARTILLERY FIRE.
1t has been matter for surprise that
with the heavy artillery at their COM
blow the legations down. Their guns
1t seems, were mounted on city
walls, and either were so badly
mounted, or so inefficiently worked, that
their shots went over the legations and
destroyed Chinese houses beyond. The
greatest danger was from stray bullets
or an occasional "sniper" who knew how
to use his weapon with precision.
GALLANT SIR ROBERT HART.
Throughout the siege and during the
arduous work of barricading and intrench