The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-06-23
THE CITY OF TIENTSIN.
One of the Largest Municipalities of
the Chinese Empire.

The Chinese Empire
Tientsin. the centre OF so many exciting
scenes in China Just now. is one OF the
largest cities in the Empire, having fully
100000 inhabitants.
1t is the port OF Pekin. and stands on
the tortuOus and muddy Pei-Ho River.
eighty-three miles below Pekin and thir-
ty-three miles above the Taku forts at the
mouth OF the river The Province Of Pc
Chill, in which both Pekin and Tientsln
are situated, is a vast Iow-lying plain,
liable to floods Of more OF less severity
Only ten years ago it was visited by such
calamity. which counted its victims by
millions. the extent of the damage being
measured by tens of thousands Of square
miles. T1entsin literally means "Heay-
ems Ford"
The walled city proper has circuit Of
only three miles, but the suburbs stretch
out beyond the ramparts for miles in ey-
cry direction. and harbor the greater part
Of the enormous population. The big cit
les Of the south Of China have much about
them that is picturesque. but at Tientsin
there is little bright or attractive outside
the foreign quarter except the dress OF
the inhabitants. The wide-s preading Chi
Rese portion of the place is pleasing Meth
eCrding TO the German traveller, Won Wer-
ner, the city is dirty ard OJ1riferous, and
large part of the buildings are merely
hi.ts of dried mud In the heat OF the
three summer months be writes, the
town is almost uncomfortable"
Yet Tfentsin differs from the cities Of
Southern China in the greater width OF
its principal thoroughfares. While trans
portation in Shanghai and Canton is
AL lad FErr ruNF IN
the streets OF Tientsin are seen hundreds
Of the heavy carts OF North China, most
Of them drawn by mules or oxen
Nowhere within the vast expanse Of the
Chinese Empire are the inhabitants more
enterprising than IN tbs great port OF
Northern China. They own big fleets OF
jUuks and not a few steamers. Although
the English at one time controlled the
larger part Of the trade Of Tientsin. the
native merchants won back the first place
twenty years ago. and have since fairly
maintained il. In 1851 the city was con-
nected by telegraph with Shanghai. Pekir.
and the chief cities OF the empire and for
some years vast the place has also been a
railroad centre on the route between the
Taku forts and the capital
The foreign quarter is ..alled TsZ'-ehu-
lin, or the Red Bamboo Grove i is about
two miles below the city proper and en-
braces three concessions, the BRUSH.
which Is in the centre. being tbe largest
and most important while the French Is
near the city. and the American the far
thest away. This foreign quarter bears
a striking contrast 70 the Chinese section
Of the city. and Is ornamented by many
fine structures. notable among them being
a new hospital. Encirciing the whole
place place. including the foreign quarter,
IS rampant erected in 1858 by a Tartar
general as a defence against the invading
British forces. AID known, after its de-
signer, as -San-ko-lin-sin's Folly"
The United States Consulate &C Tientsin.
which IS reported 10 have been destroyed
is situated far I'D on the Meadows road,
which runs Up from the Pei-Ho directly
through the centre Of the town II is far
removed from any OF the other consuIates
and practically Isolated from all other for
eign buildings This fact might explain
the report Of its destruction before the rest
OF the foreign consulates were molested
The japanese and Russian COnsuIates are
close together on the Meadows road nearer
the river. on by themselves farther I'D
the Pei-HO stand the British and French
buildings il close proximity 10 each other
4 recent census q Tientsin showed the
foreign population 10 be about LOCO per
sons, including ITO Americans