The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-21

soon a. possibl,
The burning timber were removed and
the Culvert found To be- yet safe. The horses
attached to the iarantass on which | was sitting
were steadier than the others, though driven
by a boy II was resolved. therefore, That
we should lead the way Our team dashed
past the Others and under the stimulus OF much
cxhOrtation and free use Of the whip We made
the charge through the narrow passage. the
other following In close succession. The
heated air was Sitting The cnderS rained
like hail. but this danger was safely passed
and We breuthed freely for a little while, only
10 learn that another similar gauntlet was be-
fore III on the other side Of the stream. But
then. the burning street though longer was
broader, and the burning houses nearest the
road were blazing In the rear, with only oc-
casional tongues Of fame darling out from
the side next to the road This danger passed,
We had no further trouble
| The banks Of the Ieya River were reached
late In the afternoon and we found a small
steamer engaged In transferring soldiers from
one side to the other. which gave w passage
TO the city. The anxiety TO get news from
us was only equallcd by ours TO learn what
was happening there. We we're the first TO
come from down the river In two days and
therefore the first who could tell what thc
WV N'hh ~
give assurance OF tho safety Of the Russian
settlements beyond
Blasovestchensk is a city Of something over
10000 inhabitants spread out with broad street.
over an extensive delta terrace, between the
Ieya and the Amoor rivers. The street through
which we drove to reach the Amoor front
was fully three miles long and lined on both
sides by pretty low log houses set well apart
from one another. But we could not help
observing that the blinds were all closed and
that the street had a desertedlook our drivers
also seemed to delight in back streets and
alleys a. We approached the hotel, and landed
US at a side door.
While our luggage was being unloaded
We vCntured into the main street 10 take a
look. We heard frequent rife reports, but
thought it was soldiers practising. And 80
it was, but they were Chinese soldiers on the
other side Of the river practising on US. for
we soon heard the ping ping Of their bullets
as they whilled by our heads. We noticed
also that everybody clse stood around the
corner 81 the cross street. These discoveries
led IA 10 join the street loafers around tn"
corner as quick "a We could We found that
IN" city had been In a state OF siege Tor hNe
days, that the Chinese had five cannon and an
unknown number Of troops on the opposite
side of the river. that the city was defended
by only ZOO hastily recruited troops. with
no cannot and a scanty supply Of small arms.
A. rr-t the people were panic stricken, but
trenches we're speedily dug alorg the whole
front, and occasional volleys were fred nv
the whole line to warn the enemy that the
city was not without defenders. At the same
time the troops were expected 10 come down
the river, All this had the desired effect and
the Chinese did rot attempt to cross the river.
N,rpn.ar tp,ir orkuuDapabi vag An moor
that their firing was Ineffective. No buildings
were set on fire and only a few persons were
killed by bursting shells. Several bullets.
however. hit the hotel while we were In IL,
though N was on the second street back from
the river, and the river Is about 1000 feet
wide. Only yesterday a shell burst a few rods
away. killed one man and wounded another.
The appalling thing Of all was the fate Of the
Chinese on the Russian side Of he river, though
we were prepared for II by what we lad seen
Of the burning villages on the way. No sooner
were hostilities begun than q war NJ eNter-
mination was declared against the Chinese.
As near AZ We could learn, between 5000 and
4.nO0 living IN the city or its immed ate vicinity
were forced TO abandon their homes and told
that unless they were out nj Russian territory
within a spt time far too short for adequate
prerara'ion-their lives would tc forfeited.
I DfU ifkdn ~ El fhl hIl lllF"lhr IbN wv WV
few boats on the river. Men. women and
children scrambled and struggled for the
clumsy craft. and as each one put out. f~earfuIly
overloaded. shieling refugees chung 10 The
~gunwales. only TO be beaten back by hose in
side. Brief was tho career Of most Of these
boats. They filed and sank. the shrieis ~
the %rowuing mingiing with the bowls Of those
who had been 10 : behind.
stu the banks we're lined with the Chinese.
There was hut one thing 10 be done, build RATS.
Materials were hastily collected and iumb,ed
together. Men fought for the boards and
logs which were 10 be- the means OF life. II
wasa mad sccns of terror and Intellectual effort.
Rat after rH't put out, as overcrowdad as the
boats had been. and diSintegrated before tho
eyes Of those on shore. To add 70 the horrors
Of the situation the Chinese from the forts on
the opposite side opened fire on the miserable
wrot0hoS, %probah'v thinEing them Russian
Invaders In disguise. low many ESCAPED OF
Of that double slaughter no one knows, thew
mus, have been terribly few. The bodies oi
the dead fairly hlackened the stream, Even
when We arrived we could count from a
siu.lN Ioint one hundred bodies in the water.
~lch war upon non, oWhatants probably j.
not q lnt"nanced bv tfo-n high in autho Il.
hut is due o. the fact tat tie CoSsacts a-e
tenn o-nrily thrown or their balance n rom the
rage and fear naturally arising from tie sitIa-
ton. Every Chinaman is regarded as an enemv.
The COO of his skin. the slant 81 his eyes and
tho ort NJ his hair are evidenc" enou; III. and 20,
as Wit our froNt'ersmen in their dealings witt
tNr Indians, the Cossacks act on the theory thIt
there IL no good Chiuam1n but a dead China
man" This Is the more st1'tin g from tHe fact
that heretofore the Russians and tle Chinese
have lived together In great peace and coz
dia'ity But now this has suddenly changed
The evil results can scarcely be ov~erestimatct.
Those two peoples. thrown SO close t1sct Ter by
tho extension Of Russian colonies along the
Amoor n by The railroad through Manchuria
TO Port Arthur. must now be in a state Of eternal
enmity 10 ono another and both are so virile
and nu-1c--Is that one cannot absorb or ex-
terminate tho other.
WOMiN DEMANDS An EQUAL CHANCE.