The National tribune., 1900-06-21

railroad between Tien Tsin and Pekin.
| The wires were soon cut. TEcnceforth
| from that icinity through Shanghai the
| most alarming rulnOrs regarding the safe
! ty of the foreign residents at Peldn pre-
vailed.
The Navy Department was informed
| that the Yorktown sailed ON June II from
| Shanghai for Chefoo, Boxer disturbances
having been reported there by our Con-
| sui Chefoo is on the northern coast of
the Shantung peninsula.
| Reports were received that DR.. Edna
q. Terry, in charge of the Tsung hua sta
ton of the NJ. E. Woman's Foreign Mis-
| Sionary Society, and the Japan Secretary
of Legation, Sugiyama Akra, at Pekin,
| were murdered There was apparent con-
| firmation in official dispatches received in
| WashingtOn's diplomatic circles that the
| riOting at Pekin had reached an acute
state, and that assaults had been directed
against a number of the members of the
different Legations.
The first definite news of conflict be-
tween the Boxers and the International
column came on June IL, when, from q
correspondent who had accompanied the
party, it was learned that while the work
| ing parties, accompanied by a patrol Of
16 British marines, were repairing the line
| on June II eight miles beyond Lola, they
encountered small parties of Boxers de-
stroying the line. The Boxers moved
| away and apparently dispersed into the
country, leaving the rails moved and the
| ties burning. The marines, when two
miles in advance of the first train, near
Lang Fang. suddenly perceived the Box
ers streaming from a village on their left
| They were estimated at 1000, and they
| tried to get between the marines and the
train. A running fight was kept up for
| over a mile, between 20 and 30 Boxers
| falling. Rcinforcements punished the
liz, md hn
Europeans. following up their success,
| cleared out two villages. The total loss
of the Boxers was estimated at 40 killed
| and wounded.
The international column is obliged to
20 very slowly, the Boxers having serious
| ly damaged the line. The expedition, ac-
cordiDg to the revised reports, numbers
2,O44. divided into British, 915; German,
30; Russian, 80; French, 12S; Americans,
| 104; Japanese, 81; Italians, 40, and Aus
trans, %.
Admiral Seymour communicated with
| his Government, describing the difficult
| ties in the matter of advance and stating
| that additional forces were necessary. Up
| to this time the United States Govern
ment had not changed its position respect
| ing the inexpediency of landing American
| soldiers in China, and that action should
| be confined to protection of our inter-
ests. The other powers, however, were
| very dctiNt, preparations DeinS Udue 10
land a considerable force proceeding
among the English, German and japanese,
Russians and Italians. Some 1000 Rus
slams are landing at Taku, the Govern
ment having decided to raise the force to
| 5000, and two japanese warships are
about to go there and 1000 men placed
under orders for embarkation; there are
five japanese ships there now. Germany
proposes to have 200 men there, 1000
more British will go from Hong Kong,
and Italy has ordered 1000 TO hold them
selves in readiness.
Consul Martin, at Chin Kiang, 30 miles
southeast of Pekin, became alarmed at
the proximity Of Boxer forces in his To-
cality and cabled for a warship. Chin
kiang is one of the most important treaty
ports of China. The gunboat Castine is
at Shanghai, 125 miles from there.
| A special dispatch from Hong Kong
received in London on June II stirred the
great nations Of Europe and the United
States with amaZcment at the reported
audacity of the Chinese agitators. and
caused an immediate consultation of the