The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-31
THRILLING STORY
OF PEKTN'S RELIEF

Copyright 1900. by the Associated Press)
Pe1in. Aug. Il. by post via Tien Tsin.
"A medal will be struck commemorate
ing the siege Of Pekin- It will bear
the legend, Men, Not Walls, Make
City
In the grounds of the British Iega-
ton, where a handful of men with
stood the millions of the Chinese cap
ital for fifty-siX days, a. memorable
celebration is in progress tonight in
vindication of that principle Mission
aries. assembled about Bell Tower. are
singing the DoxolOgy. Rockets are
blazing Soldiers and civilians of all
natiOnalitieS are fraterniZing. The
women are aDDlauding the sound Of
the cannon that are smashing the vel
low 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
Slap at the French.
Through the ruins Of the foreign set
Element an eager cosmopolitan crowd
is observation-disclosures COSsacks. legation
ladies' diplomats. Americans from the
Philippines. and French disciplinarians
from Saigon. who kept disCreetly TO
resS, but came cOnSpicuOusly to the
front when lOoting began Only the
japanese. who have earned the first
place were absent.
Resident foreigners welcome the lux
ury of walking about and immunity
from bullets. The newcomers are anx-
iOus to inspect the evidences Of an his
tOric defense. These barbados are,
after all. the most wonderful sight in
TD11rT 4 DIE
ism legation are a marvel of stone and
brick walls and eaTthwOTkS. Sandbags
shield every foot Of space The tops
of the walls have inches for the rifle
men and the buildings at their pOr-
ticOs and windows have armOr boxes.
bags stuffed with dirt and pillows, too.
Stronghold of Marines.
Back of the United States legation IS
d work named Fort Myers which
the marines held. completely screening
! both sides of the walls, with steps
leading to il. There is a lOODhOle in
the barrier across the wall which faces
similar Chinese work a few yards
away. Another wall bars legation
street in front OF the German legations.
and confronting the enemy's barbados
within those limits are yet more walls,
enabling the foreigners to contract the
area of defense if pressed The tops
of the American and British buildings
I were badly torn by the Chinese shells
/ The rest of the foreign shells fell dur
( ing the first three weeks Of the bonn
bardment. AGO a day Bucketsful Of
bullets were gathered in the grounds
| Four hundred and fourteen persons
/ lived in the compound through the
| greater part of the siege. Three hun
| dred and four marines. assisted by six
! ty-five volunteers. commanded by the
/ English Captain Poole. defended the
/ place Eleven civilians were killed and
nineteen wounded. Fifty-fOUr marines
and sailors were killed and 10 wound
/ ed Gilbert E Reid. who was wounded
/ in the foot. was the only American civ
/ ilian injured Two foreign women were
wounded.
Entrance of Relief Force.
The reception which the survivors
/ gave the army was worth the hard
| ships the troops had undergone The
/ entrance was not spectacular. General
/ Alfred Gaselee with his staff and a
| company of Sikhs. waded up a bed OF
! sewage in the canal under the Tartar
wall The besieged removed the bar
| ricades, and when the gates swung in
ward and the British cOlOrs appeared,