The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-05
FALL OF PEKEN.
Account Written by President Of the
Imperial University


New York, Oct 5.-The New York
Times has received a communication
from the Rev Dr. William Alexander
Parsons Martin. the aged president Of
the new Imperial university of China.
recItIng the story Of the siege and fall
OF Pezin as he saw It. Dr. Martin first
went to China as Z Presbyterian mis-
SIonary TO Mn Pc half 2 century ago
and is widely kncwn as the author of
many books dealing with China His
communication in part is as follows.
The rescue was the work of Christen-
dom. aided BY japan, which deserves to
hood The British troops were the first
TO enter, coming in by the water gate
under portion Of the wall held by our
legation guard. The first visible sign
Of our great danger was the burning of
churches. missions and legations in ex-
posed places The enemy even set fire
to Chinese shops filed with foreign
goods part from hatred to foreign pro-
ducts but chiefly in the hope that the
flames, driven by a strong wind might
reach the foreign quarter A tower of
the great front gate was consumed on
that occasion. On the day after our
flight they set fire to two imperial build
lngs adjoining the British legation, be-
IevIng that the flames would overlap
the wall and 50 they would have done
had not our people repealed them by
tearing down outlying structures and by
pouring on floods Of water. How fright
ruI to hear the fire alarm when If
door. So imminent was our peril tina.
even women and children passed buck
cts from hand 70 hand
One of the imperial buildings thus de-
stroyed was a grand coach stand for the
palace And this was the Houlen
Academic focus OF learning and
summit Of the whole literary system; its
priceless library largely N manuscripts
was reduced TO ashes or trodden under
foot Nothing shows the bitterness Of
tne determine ton to destroy as like the
sacrifice OF such q monument
At short intervals every night and
often through the day. we were subject
to fusillade from many thousand RI
fies, the soldiers taking no aim. but fir
ing upward IN expectation Of some shots
railing on US Needless to saw few took
effect. The same IS true of the bonn
bardments in which hundreds of shells
burst in nld-air. stu, IN sortfes and in
CONNECTS at critical points, our losses
were very heavy
Not only were Cur men at their post
or danger night and day, but the wo-
men were equally dIligent and equally
brave They made sand bags in great
numbers, over 10000 using curtains of
silk and satin. as well as other costly
materials The sandbags were used to
strengthen our defenses, many Of them
serving for parapets on house tops
where guards were stationed.
The cheerfulness Of our ladies did
much to encourage the men All knew
that the enemy would give no quarter
would suffer A fate worse than death
Young women requested their friends in
that event to shoot them and a mother
Of SIX resolved to shoot her children and
then kill herself Stern necessity admits
no argument During an attack one
woman broke down and went into hys-
terics and one more went mad These
were solitary instances of weakness In
general the cdImuess and even hilarity
prevailed.
Our provisions were running low when
our troops approached Horses and
mules had been eaten and dog meat
was threatened Each night the attack
grew in ferocity- We feared the enemy
would escalade our walls. burst in some
weak point. or spring a mine and blow
US in the air On Monday the 18th Of
TO the machine guns of our deliverers.
No music could be 50 charming Women
fell on each others Anecis and wept for
joy Yet our friends had to wait for
daylight to force tire gates This they
did early in the forenoon, almost with
cut opposition TT Chinese had been
cowed by frequent defeats and now
thought Of nothing but flight The EN-
press d0Wagar and court fed the same
day, intending to set up a new capital at
some Inaccessible spots in the far west.
On Sunday was held a thanks giving
service, conducted by an English chap
lain in the open air, assisted by Dr.
Arthur Smith.
Through these trying days was kind
~ cared for by the United States min
lister and his excellent wife To them
next after God. my thanks are due I
also take occasion to thank Mr. Squires,
the secretary OF legation. and his worthy
wife for their hospitality Mr.. SquieTs
was prominent as chief Of staff, division
plans and leading charges To him was
chiefly due the holding Of the city wall
without which not one Of the legations
would have been tenable-
The Manchu dynasty IS incapable Of
restoration and no other claimants be-
ing in the field, It is probable that a
partition will be arranged between the
great powers.
(Signedl ". A. P. MARTIN.
The new Imperial University Of which
I have the honor to be president, is oc-
cupied at present by Russian troops. It
is likely to share the fate Of the Man
cTu dynasty