The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-10-19

w j / IN > r VI - MTs.
Sprague and Miss Virginia
MurdOck, who escaped from Kalgan.
province Of Chilli, China, in June.
were chased across the Cobb Desert.
Thence they travelled by way Of 81
IBERIA and have just reached London
In good health. The missionaries viii
proceed Immediately 10 the United
States.
Mr.. williams. who has worked in
China for thirty-fOur years, gave AZ
interesting story Of his experiences.
II appears that the first assault on
the mission compound at Kalgan was
made during the night Of June 10,
when a yelling mob attempted TO bat
ter down the gate with stones. Real
iZing the uselessness OF remaining, tho
missionaries In the course Of the night
evacuated the compound and pressed
ed 10 the magistrates yamen. The fol
lowing afternoon they were ordered TO
leave, the magistrate declaring that
he feared not only for the missionaries
safety, but also for his own yamen IL
he continued 10 protect them. After
allowing the Americans TO draw their
money from the native bank the mag
istrate furnished them with fifty sol
dlers as an escort through the great
gate I'm the wall into Mongolia.
I'VE had no idea then Of the terrible
Journey which awaited us continued
Mr.. Williams. I'VE had no notion OF
having to escape across Siberia, and
only proposed 10 remain in some place
of safety and return after the crisis.
Wherever we attempted 10 stop, how
ever, the officials ordered Us to leave
forthwith. declaring the Boxers were
on our heels Finally, reaching n
MOngOl encampment at Harausa, we
saw that flight across the great COBB
Desert was inevitable. Having OBJ
tanned caravan we started on June
%. Just before starting seven Swed-
ish missionaries. with their families,
who had barely escaped with their
lives, Joined us. one woman had gone
through horrible experiences. She had
been dubbed almost TO death, while
some of the men were frightful to
look upon, covered with blood.
"Our caravan consisted Of twenty
camels, nineteen horses and six camel
carts for the women and children. For
eight days we travelled over nothing
but sand. The air was like that of an
oYan. and the suffering was intense
The animals had no grass and no wa
ter, and marching in the daytime was
OIL lie
Mongols were encamped, and they re-
fused TO allow us to draw water, fear
ing we would poison the wells.
After thirty-eight days Of terrible
anxiety we reached Urga, on the other
side OF the desert. We presented a
sorry spectacle. The Russian Consul
General was most kind. He gave up
10 us fourteen rooms In the consulate.
But 10 our dismay, the Consul told us
that we must leave forthwith, as there
were 2OO0 Mongol soldiers in the neigh
borhood who might be hostile. He
also warned us that tens OF thousands
of Mongols were gathering for n relig-
ious festival, and that if we valued our
safety we had better clear out without
delay.
~ fortnight later. August Is. we
reached Kiakhta and remained there
till August % In the meanwhile, Mr.
Tower (Charlemagne Tower, United
States ambassador to Russia) obtained
permission from the authorities at St.
Petersburg for our journey over the
Siberian Railway Arriving at Irk-
utsk on September .. we took n train
and reached St Petersburg on Sep
tembcr Is.
ut is impossible to speak too high
ly of the great kindness of the Rus
sian officials. Everything possible was
done for us by them, even to Offering
us money. ON the Trans Siberian Rail
way. though IL was choked with
troops and closed TO civilians the au-
thoritics provided reserve ear for
us. We passed immense numbers OF
troops, apparently conscripts, hastily
collected. They wore no uniforms and
some had no guns. All of them wore
straw hats"