Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-07-16
BOXERS WERE PUT TO ROUT
Brave Battle Of Small Band Of
Belgian Engineers.


hN eh"hSh"' A''''"is S''No Wv ~
lowing account OF the escape Of the
Belgian engineers from Paotingfu:
ION Sunday, 9th May, four Of us
were in the train due at Liuliro at 4
? IN. In the neighborhood Of Chochow
our train stopped. The station master
told us the Boxers had destroyed the
bridges and the track. We immedi-
ately backed the train to Kaopeitien
where we found 1900 soldiers under the
command Of a general, who refused to
encounter the Boxers, protesting that
he had no orders from his chief on the
subject. The train then started for
Paotingfu.
The following day, 2sth, we, seven
engineers and myself, left Paotingfu
on special train at a. m. with ma
terials for repairing the track. On our
arrival at Kaopeitien, bands of villag-
ers melted by Boxers rified the train
and station, leaving nothing but the
bare walls. The commander and SOL
diers supposed to be guarding the
place, stood by and saw these acts. On
leaving Kaopeitien the track presented
lamentable aspect. The sleepers were
burned, the rails torn up and thrown
on one side. We had to repair the line
for about IL kilometers, and we did not
reach Paotingfu till midnight. The
next day we all left Paotingfu, under
escort, 32 men, 6 women and one little
girl of three years.
About ~ o'clock we secured twelve
sampans, one occupied by the Mandar-
in Sun, and another by the interpreter
Using. The former left us the next day
about 4 p. m. Orders were given by
him to shut in the sampans entirely.
On Tuesday at a. m. the Boxers who
had been waiting for us to the hills
opened fire on the boats, seven of our
party being wounded by the volley
The soldiers escorting us thereupon de-
camped, and as soon as they were gone
the boatmen dropped anchor and re-
fused to go on.
We then went on shore and faced the
Boxers, and fell back on the plains
where we gave them battle, and sue.
ceeded in putting them to fight after
killing several. We then discovered
that four Of our party were missing
We reached another river but were
followed by the mob. Two of us swan
out and secured boat in which we go
the whole party over to the other bank
Before long we discovered another
mob on our track, and had to figh
some fifty Boxers. About midday W
again reached the river. The womeI
were exhausted, the men for the mos
part demoralized. We had had nothin,
to eat or drink since we left the even
ing before. To proceed on foot wa
impossible.
Though the river was deep and wild
and we were much exhausted, two o
US swan out again and detached boa
from bend In the river. We remaine
In this till 8 In the evening, the strong
est Of our party going along the banl
as an escort. Then we found ourselve
between two fires. Behind us came
small mob, while men armed with gun
awaited us on either bank, We had +
fight again, and though we had kille
several we had to retreat once more I
the plains, where we succeeded in keep
ing up such murderous fire that tn
enemy retreated. We stayed there
abouts all night, and started out agal
the next morning to try and reach Tie
Tsin. Early on Wednesday mornin
we we're three times in contact wit
the Boxers and each time we killed O
wounded many. About midday O
nearing big village, we were oblige
to wage regular battle again, til
Boxers numbering more than a thou
sand and led by mounted leader VIII
was protected by four gingals. w
thought our last hour had come an
bid farewell to each other, but tn
younger men determined to make on
more effort. A desperate charge o
our part made them abandon thei
gingals and the mob then fed followe
by our shots. Great courage wa
shown by several members of our par
ty. We then resumed our tramp I
Tien Tsin still some 200 II away. A
about 4 p. m. we had repulsed the 30,
ers several times, but they kept n
forming. Each time we killed sewers
Of the mob which had the effect {
driving them away. In the evening "
camped In a marsh after having cross
ed small river, and resumed our joul
ney about a. m. We cut the lines {
the enemy about a. m. and surprise
an advance post whose object was I
} stop our progress. But we routed tn
detachment and this was the last el
counter we had, and finally reache
Tien Tsin." .-