The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-25
Were Stationed AIT kaIgan mt the Time
of the Boxer Outbreak, and Fled
North Into Siberia
CHASED ACROSS COBB DESERT
SPENT EIGHT DAYS ON THE SANDS
UNDER A BURNING sun.
Kindly Treated by Russians, Who
tion by the Siberian Railway.

LONDON, Sept. 2.-The American mis-
sionaries, ]. H. Roberts. Mark Williams,
William Sprague, Mrs. Sprague and Miss
Virginia Murdoch, who escaped from Kalgan,
province of Chih-Li, China, in June were
chased across the Cobb desert. Thence
they travelled by way of Siberia and have
just reached London in good health. The
missionaries will proceed Immediately to
the United States.
Mr.. Williams, who has worked in China
tive of the Associated Press an interesting
story of his experiences. 1t appears that
the first assault on the mission compound
at Kalgan was made during the night of
June 10, when yelling mob attempted to
batter down the gate with stones. Seeing
the uselessness of remaining, the mission
aries, in the course of the night, evacuated
the compound and proceeded to the magis-
trates yamen. The following afternoon
they were ordered to leave. the magistrate
declaring that he feared not only for the
missionaries, but also for his own yamen
If he continued to protect them. After
allowing the Americans to draw their
money from their native bank the magis-
trate furnished them with fifty soldiers as
an escort through the great gate in the
wall into Mongolia.
I'VE had no idea of the terrible journey
which awaited u.s." continued Mr. Will
liams. 1--WE had no notion of having to
escape across Siberia, and only purposed
to remain in some place of safety and re-
turn after the crisis. Wherever we at
tempted to stop, however, the officials
ordered us to leave forthwith. declaring
the Boxers were on our heels. Finally.
reaching Mongol encampment, at
Harausa, we saw the flight across the great
Cobb desert was inevitable. Having Sc
cured a caravan we started on June g.
Just before starting seven Swedish mis-
sionaries, with their families, who had
just escaped with their lives, Joined u.s.
One woman had horrible experiences. She
had been almost dubbed to death, while
some of the males Were frightful spec
tacles, being covered with blood
Our caravan consisted or 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 oven, and the suf-
fering was intense. The animals had no
grass and marching in the daytime was
golians were encamped in the vicinity and
they refused to allow us to draw water,
fearing We would poison the wells.
After thirty-eight days of terrible
side of the desert. We presented sorry
spectacle The Russian consul general was
most kind. He gave UP to us fourteen
rooms In the consulate But, to our dismay,
the consul told We must leave forthwith
there were loo Monaghan soldiers in
the neighborhood who might be hostile.
He also warned us that tens of thousands
of Mongolians were gathering for relig-
ious festival and that if we valued our
safety we had better clear out without
delay.
"A fortnight later. Aug Is, we reached
Kia-Khta and remained there till Aug 81.
In the meanwhile Mr.. Tower (Mr. Charlie
mango Tower United States ambassador
to Russia). obtained permission from the
authorities at st. Petersburg for our jour-
ney over the Siberian Railway. Arriving
at Irkutsk, Sept. 2, we took a train and
reached ST. Petersburg Sept, 1S 1t is i'm
possible to speak too highly of the kind
ness of the Russian officials. Everything
possible was done for by them, even
to offering us money. On the Transsiber-
ian Railway. though it was choked with
troops, and closed to civilians, the author
tiles provided a reserved car for US. We
passed immense numbers of troops, appar-
emily conscripts, hastily collected. They
wore no uniforms and some had no guns.
All of them wore straw hats.
Eat the United States legation at ST.
Petersburg we expressed the opinion that
Russia was preparing to seize Manchuria;
but we were informed that the American
legation had been assured that Russia
had no such intention"