, 1900-06-19


tain the Heaviest Loss.
London, June 10, $3.50 a. m.-Chin;
declared war against the world wheI
the Taku forts opened fire upon the in
ternational fleet. The accounts of wha
took place are still unsatisfactory, thu
best semi-official. information being tn
dispatch received at Berlin from thu
German consul at Che Foo, who tele
graphs hat a japanese boat from Taxi
has brought the following:
The Chinese laid torpedoes in the
Taku river and collected troops from
Shan He Kwan. The foreign com
manders assembled on the Russian
flagship and addressed an ultimatuu
to the commanders of the Taku forts
summoning them to withdraw their
t. oops before 2 O'Clock, June II. At !
a. m, June II, the guns Of the forts
opsned fire, to which the Russian, Brit
ish, French and Japanese warships re-
piled, The bombardment lasted seven
hours. Two British ships, in the river
between the forts, are reported to have
Teen sunk"
The unofficial narratives coming by
way of Shanghai vary and bear evil
dence Of supplementing the main facts
with guess work. One dispatch says
that the Yorktown participated in the
bombardment. Another asserts that
American marines formed part Of the
fstorming force of 1000. An Associated
Press dispatch from Che Foo, dated
yesterday afternoon, says:
The forts on both sides of Taku are
now occupied. The Chinese opened
fire Unexpectedly. The casualties to
the mixed force were as follows:
"Killed-British, /: German, 3; Rus
sian, /, and French, l.
"Wounded-British, 4; German, 7;
Russian, As, and French, l.
Chinese torpedo boats were seiz-
ed"
The Shanghai correspondent Of the
Mail, telegraphing yesterday, says:
THE forts began firing I'M observance
of order from Picking, conveyed on the
personal edict of the empress dowager,
by advice of Kang vi president of the
ministry of war;. Several warships
were struck by shells from the Finch
guns of the forts.
"The heavy Russian losses were due
to the blowing up of the magazines Of
Mandshur.
-Four hundred Chinese are reported
killed. The Chinese, when retreating,
the fleet replied in kind and ~silenced
the Chinese guns, and the international
forces subsequently landed and seized
the forts.
The news of this engagement is stat
ed t have been brought to Che Foo by
q japanese warship, but the date Of
the occurrence is lot given. Accord
ing to a dispatch the Chinese lombard
ment followed an ultimatum sent by
tle IOIiLlilu'lo VI IL hNNt-
London, June 1S.-A dispatch from
Che Foo under today's date says: "The
forces of the combined fleets occupied
the Taku north forts yesterday after
exploding a magazine. The British
gunboat Algerine was damaged and two
of her officers and four men were
wounded.
Japan and Russia are reported to be
landing a large force of troops"
All is quiet here.
The admiralty office has received the
following official dispatch from Che
Foo under today's date:
The japanese man-of-war Teyashi
has just arrived from Taku. She re-
ports that the commander-in-chief and
troops are back at T~ien-Tsin."
The dispatch of the Associated Press
from Admiral Kempff, dated Washing
ton, containing the admiral's report Of
the engagement at Taku, was the first
news Lord Salisbury received Of the
capture of the Taku forts. The British
government was aware hat an engage
merit was proceeding but it was igno-
rant of the result, and the greatest sat
isfaction is evinced.
The officials of the foreign office say
no word has e received from the
British minister at Picking, Sir Claude
NJ. Macdonald, since June 10, and the
government is ignorant as to whether
the legations at the Chinese capital
have been captured OF not. The admi-
rails on the spot are relied on to over
come all difficulties, Admiral Sey-
mour, the British commander, not be-
ing hampered by orders, and any re-
quests which he may make will be
promptly met.
London, June 1S.-Shanghai is to the
front again with the statement that