The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1900-09-05
PEKIN'S STORY TOLD.
Celebration Over tho Rescue of the
Besleged.


PEKGN, Aug. IA. by post. via Tien
Tsin-A medal will be struck commem-
Grating the siege Of Pekin 1t will bear
the legend Men. not walls. make u
city"
In the grounds of the British legation,
where a handful of men withstood the
millions Of the Chinese capital for sc
days, a memorable celebration is in
progress tonight in vindication Of that
principle. Missionaries, assembled about
Bell tower, are singing the Doxology.
Rockets are blazing. Soldiers and civ
ilians of all nationalities are fraternlz-
ing. The women are applauding the
sound of the cannon that are smashing
the yellow roofs of the forbidden city.
The tired Sikhs are planting their
tents on the lawn; and the American
and Russian contingents are lighting
camp fires along the stretch of turf ex-
tending beyond the Tartar wall.
Through the ruins of the foreign set
tlement an eager. cosmopolitan crewd Is
jostling-Indians, Cossacks. legation
ladies, diplomats, Americans from the
Philippines and French disciplinarians.
from Saigon, who kept dscreetly to the
rear while the fighting was in pro-
gress, but came conspcuously to the
front when looting began. Only Japa-
nese who have earned the first place,
are absent
Resident foreigners welcome the lux
ury of walking about with immunity
from bullets. The newcomers are anx-
ious to inspect the evidences of a his
toric defense. These barricades are, af-
ter all, the most wonderful sight In Pc
kin. The barriers hedging the British
legation are a market of stone and
brick walls and earthworks Sand
bags shield over space. The tops of the
walls have inches for the rifemen and
the buildings, at their porticos and
windows, have armor boxes, bags
stuffed with dirt and pillows too.
Back of the United States legation is
a work named Fort Meyers" which
the marines held, completely screening
both sides of the walls, with steps lead
ing to 1t. There is a loopholed bar
rier across the wall which faces a sim
liar Chinese work a few yards away.
Another wall bars Legation street in
front of the German legation; and con-
fronting the enemy's barricades within
those limits are yet more walls, enab-
ling the foreigners to contract the area
of defense if pressed.
The tops of the American and Brit
Ish buildings were badly torn by the
chinese shells. The rest of the foreign
settlement was almost demolished. Two
thousand eight hundred shells fell there
during the first three weeks of the
bombardment, 400 in one day. Buckets
full of bullets were gathered in the
grounds.
Four hundred and fourteen people
lived in the compound through the
greater part of the siege. Three hun
dred and four marines assisted by 50
volunteers, commanded by the English
captain, Poole, defended the place
Eleven civilians were killed and 10
wounded. Fifty-four marines and
sailors were killed and 112 wounded.
The Americans lost seven killed and
II wounded. Mr.. Gilbert Reid who was
wounded in the feet was the only Amer
lean civilian injured. Two foreign ladies
were wounded. The reception which the
survivors gave the army was worth the
hardships the troops had undergone
The entrance was not spectacular. Sir
Alfred Gaselee with his staff and a com
pany of Sikhs waded up bed of sew
age in the canal under the tartar wall
The besieged removed the barbados
and when the gates swung Inward and
the British colors appeared there arose
a great continuous cheer on both sides.
Generals, soldiers and correspondents
scrambled up the banks through the
filth, elbowing to be first. Men and wo-
men surrounded the rescuers and shook
the hands of the Sikhs, patting them OF
the back. Everybody was hustled ex-