Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-07-18
Ii LEAVES FOR PEKING.
The Aged Viceroy Is Full of
Forebodings.
CHINESE RAID RUSSIAN TERRITORY
BlngoveschenslS, Capital of the Amur
Governments, Falls Before an On
slaught of Savage Invaders-Tfen-
tsin Taken by Allied Forces,

I'm reply to the British, French, Amer
lean, German and Portuguese consuls,
who officially visited him in body this
morning, Niceroy Ii Hung Chang insist
ed that his departure for the north,
which is fixed for Tuesday, has two
fold object-namely, to save the lives of
the foreign ministers in Peking and to
arrange the best terms for peace possible
with the allied powers. He assured the
consuls that he had taken all precautions
against any uprising.
He added that he had received impor-
tant cable messages from Lord Salisbury
and the French foreign minister, NJ Del
casse, identical in tone and demanding
full protection from injury and insult of
the foreign ministers in Peking and
threatening to take life for life of the
high officials responsible if the ministers
were murdered
Iii Hung Chang informed the consuls
that he was the only viceroy or high dig
nitary in all China who dared to trans
init such messages to the empress and
that he had sent them verbatim. She
received them, and he had no doubt what
ever that they have exerted powerful
influence in saving the minister's lives.
says he has induced, by persuasion and
advice, all the viceroys except two to
join in lengthy memorial to the throne
to secure the safety of all foreigners in
Peking, suppress the Boxers, end the
present conflict and make full and thor
ough reparation for damage done and
lives lost.
ITO the American consul, who had in
quired about accurate intelligence con-
cerning the actual safety at this date of
the foreign ministers, the yiceroy answer
ed that he had had no news from Peking
within the last week. His previous ad-
vices had assured him then of their safe
ty. If they were alive, he was almost
certain that matters could be satisfac-
torily arranged with the allied powers
If they were dead-here he shrugged his
shoulders significantly and added with
lowered voice:
"1t is hard to tell what may happen
/ am going to Peking practically unarm-
ed, except for my bodyguard of 200 men,
"He added, That ought to be evidence
to the whole world that | do not favor
any fighting and of my pacific Intentions
''He was evidently exceedingly anxious
about the ministers, for, returning to the
subject, he said:
my heart is sore about them.
know them all personally and am on the
best of terms with Them
''The news of Ii Hung Changs coming
departure has caused Il fresh exodus of
wealthy natives and foreigners and has
intensified the feeling of uneasiness."
Chinese Attack Russians.
The Daily Mail publishes the following
dispatch from its special correspondent
at st. Petersburg:
",There is no doubt now that China
has declared war against Russia. Hos
tilities are beginning, the end of which
1t is impossible to see.
"Probably the truth will take long
time to filter through to Europe, but the
situation in eastern Siberia is extreme
ly grave-as critical, indeed, as it well can
be. The Boxers, or, rather the regular
Chinese troops (for these are doing the
real fighting), have seized Russian
transport boat laden with munitions near
Aigun, on the river Amur, and fired on
and killed almost the entire Russian es-
cort.
"They next made a sudden attack upon
Blagovetchensk, bombarding the town.
The garrison held out bravely, but were
overwhelmed, and nearly all perished.
The town was burned.
at was on July that the news reach
ed the general staff that this declara-
ton of war had been made by China at
the town of Aigun, on the Amur. In con-
sequence of this General Griboyski at
tempted to push his way through to
Aigun on the steamer Gelenga, but found
at point II miles from Aigun further
progress barred by Chinese, who had
thrown up Notifications, in which had
been placed 40 guns. Consequently he
had to relinquish the attempt to reach
Aigun.
"The situation in Manchuria has be-
come very critical since the lombard
ment of Bagovetchensk and the holding
up of the Russian transport with muni-
tions. On the Eastern Siberian railway
almost all she stations have been burn
ed to the ground, bridges have been de-
stroyed, and the tracks have been torn
up.
1.-THE Russian consul at Kuldsha has
telegraphed urgently for re-enforce-
ments."
AIlicH Capture Tien-tsin.
The Shanghai correspondent of The
Daily Mail cables:
"'rhe allied troops resumed the attack
upon the Chinese walled city of Tien-
tsin on Saturday morning and succeeded
in preaching the walls and capturing all
the forts. The Chinese were completely
routed, and the allies took possession Of
the native city and its defenses.
1.-The total losses of the allies in the
engagements of Thursday, Friday and
Saturday were about 800 killed or
wounded.
1.-THE guns of the allies did immense
damage to the native city on Friday,
causing many large confagratons and
finally silenced the majority of the enc
my's guns simultaneously. Then 1,500
Russians, assisted by small parties of
Germans and French, assaulted and cap
tured eight guns that were in position on
the railway embankment and the fort,
the magazine of which the French sub
sequently blew up.
"a body of American, British, Japa-
nese and Austrian troops then made
sortic and attacked the west arsenal,
which the Chinese had reoccupied Aft
er three hours of the hardest fighting vet
experieucpd the Chinese Ned. When the