The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-08-24
Great Fire Said to Be
Raging in Pekin.
Whereabouts of the Empress
Still Mystery.

London, August 81, so a. m.-Fires,
fighting and dissension are apparently
following in the wake of the ren ct of Pc
kin. The Daily Mail publishes dispatches
from the Chinese capital dated as late as
August II, declaring that great fire was
then raging in the imperial city. The
Russian commander had declined to ao-
cept the decision of the other generals
not to violate the imperial precincts and
street lighting was going on.
General Chafee, so it is asserted, main
tanned that the Chinese had been ade-
quately pun ished already and that it
would be unwise TO take the imperial
palace. This xplains the withdrawal OF
the Americans after preaching three gates
as cab led by the special correspondent OF
the Associated Press. The Russian gen
eral, however, maintained that his govern
ment had declared war against China and
that, therefore. there was no reason to
prevent him carrying hostilitles into the
sacred precincts. Judging from various,
and in many cases. contradictory dis
patches that have reached Europe. this
eventually adopted middle course, for a
Reuter- telegram asserts that sentries
were placed to prevent looting. Hence it
is presumed that the imperial buildings.
although captured, will not be destroyed.
The fires appear to be incendiary and
to be caused by the Chinese themselves
All tn dispatches point to the fact that
when the latest message received here
lett Pekin, the commanders were some
what at sea regarding their future action,
all awaiting instructions from their gov
ernments. The foreign residents appear
to have been sent to ] len Tsin, although
the st Petersburg correspondent of the
Daily Mail says the ministers win not
leave Pekin until negotiations for indem-
nifty are und er way. Neither the com.
manders nor the diplomats were in COM
munication with the Chinese govern
ment on August II. They were then
searching for Prince Tuan. Among the
puzzling reports as to the whereabouts
OF the Empress Dowager is one from St.
Petersburg that she is in the vicinity of
Pekin, but surrounded. The Emperor
seems to have disappeared completely.
1t is officially reported that the minis
ter of the Netherlands, DR.. f. M. Knobel.
was slightly wounded during the siege.
ST. Petersburg dispatches announce
good pro ress in Manchurian campaign.
Tbs town of Mergen was captured Au-
gust Is, with trifing Russian loss, while
the Chinese suffered severely, leaving ten
guns, seven hu adrel rifles and large
quantities of ammunition in the hands
of the Russians
The reports of risings in northern
Korea ara confirmed. 1t is believed that
these are not Que to i'll will toward for
eigners, but to local dissatisfaction. The
Korean government is sending troops to
the disatfected districts.
Accord ng to kilograms from Shanghai
I'm sasiness is felt there over
the fact that no dispatches have been re-
ceived from Pekin since August 30,
Other Shanghai reports locate Emperor
AWang Su as under the protection of
the allies and the Dowager as already
captured By the Japanese.
Describing the engagement west of !
IienTsin, August 8, special despatch
says:
The sixth U. S. cava Try worked with
1rill-like precision in the hand to hand O
lighting, and the Chinese only escaped
through the bungling OF General Dor \
ward. 20 !
Berlin learns that there has been fur a
her lighting west of lien Tsin. which O
treated the impression that the province
u Pc Chi Ii must be effectively occupied t.
before peace negotiations Will become q
feasible.