Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-06-26

that American marines formed part of
the storming force of 5000. An Assoc
ciated Press dispatch frem Chefoo says:
THE forts on both sides Of Taku are now
occupied. The Chinese opened fire unex-
pectedly. The casualties to the mixed
force were as follows: Killed, British 1,
German 3, Russian 1, French 1; wound
ed, British 4, German Z, Russian 40,
French /. Chinese torpedo boats were
seized"
Discovering that the Chinese were plac-
ing torpedoes in the river and heavily gar
risoning the forts, and making other war
like preparations, the foreign command
ers assembled on the Russian flagship
and addressed an ultimatum to the COM
manders of the Taku forts, calling upon
them to withdraw their troops before 2
o'clock on Sunday morning. The troops
were said to have been brought from
Shan Hai-Kwan, and probably were
those lately supposed to be marching
west to put themselves under the COM
mand of Gen. Tung.
China Fires First Shot.
The only reply of the commanders of
the forts was to open fire suddenly at 1
o'clock on Sunday morning. The British,
Russian, German, French and Japanese
warships Immediately replied.
After a seven hours engagement be-
tween the warships and the forts during
which a Russian gunboat was blown up
by shell exploding in its magazine, the
German vessel Hits and the British sloop
Algerine were each struck thirteen or
fourteen times, two British merchant yes
sells sunk, and two Chinese forts blown
up the European troops stormed the re-
naming forts with bayonets, and took
them all, killing, so some reports say, sew
eral hundred Chinese. OF the European
losses sixteen were killed and forty-fve
wounded by the explosion on the Russian
warship. On the Hits three were killed
and seven wounded On the Algerine one
man was killed and four wounded. The
forts on both sides of the river are now
occupied, and the Chinese torpedo boats
captured.
The return of Admiral Seymour's force
to Tien-Tsin-due largely to lack of food
lis regarded as humiliating check, and
one likely to encourage the Boxers to fur
ther harass the Europeans in Pekin. The
allied forces found the line cut in front
of them, and were faced by 10000 inn
perial troops, who are now regarded as
Boxers pure and simple. Then the line
was cut behind them, and the force could
not get from Tien-Tsin the supplies need
ed, The retreat is not to be marveled at,
being assuredly necessary, but in the eyes
of the army and navy officials it amounts
to serious disaster.
Attack Ordered from Pckiu.
The Shanghai correspondent of the
London Daily Mail says: The forts be-
gan firing in observance of orders from
Pekin, conveyed in a personal edict of the
empress dowager, by advice of Kang VI
president of the ministry of war;. Sew
eral warships were struck by shells from
the twelve-inch guns of the forts. The
heavy Russian losses were due to the
blowing up of the magazine at Mand-
shur. -Four hundred Chinese are report
ed to have been killed. The Chinese.
when retreating. fell into the hands of
the Russian land force"
The London Daily News has the fol-
lowing from Chefoo: Two of the forts
were blown up. The thirty-two warships
at Taku aggregated 200 900 tons and car
ried more than 800 guns.
The failure of Admiral Seymour's col
umn and its retreat to Tentsin increase,
it is presumed, the peril Of the legations
in Pekin, which is still isolated. although
Shanghai forwards Chinese rumors that
the legations were attacked by mobs.
which were moved down by machine
guns. and also that the members OF the
legation were massacred.
The situation at Niu Chwang is report
ed critical The British consul at Kin
Kwang has ordered all foreigners to leave
Eu Ling and Nan King Chang.
The powers are taking prompt action.
Four thousand German troops have been
ordered to China: 10000 French troops
are waiting 10 embark at Saigon. capital
Of French Cochin China. and from 5. 1000
TO 5000 more Russians have been ordered
from Port Arthur to Taku This re-en-
fercement. says the st. Petersburg CORE
spondent of the London Daily Telegraph.
is announced ia the st. Petersburg Ca
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