The National tribune., 1900-08-23

Joined in the fun. They chased them
parading around for the benefit of the
| Boxers.
SO p. m.-There is good deal Of she'll
Ing going on. We can hear the tremen-
dous boom, then the who-o-o-of of the
shells as they pass. The direction was at
first from the depot to the northeast. Now
1t is from the northwest. We do not know
who are doing the firing, whether it is
Tung fu- -hsaing, who has really arrived
with his troops and is shelling the settle
ment preparatory for a descent upon it,
or whether the Russians are repelling an
attack on the station by the Boxers. There
seems to be no especial noise or confusion,
simply this boom, boom of the shelling.
Maybe we are taking the fort on the other
side of the river. All is dark. Every now
and then a volley Of small arms is distin-
guishable.
"News has come. The Chinese are try
ing to burn US out. The Russians are fight
ing up by the river near the city. The
guns are on the city wall. The firing Is
getting nearer. $50 p. m.-All is quiet
now, though this afternoon the shelline
got so bad that we took mamma and the
girls down to the house of Mrs. Drew,
wife of the Commissioner of Customs. The
fort across the river has been taken and
the guns destroyed. The loss in killed was
one British marine, two British bluejack-
cts and one German bluejacket. The loss
in wounded is unknown. Among the Chi
nese the loss is heavy. An arsenal to the
south Of here has been fired and the half
million cartridges with which it was stored
exploded the greater part of the after
noon.
Several buildings have been hit during
the afternoon by S-inch shells. This is the
first time have been under fire, and can
say truly that have not been in the least
particle afraid. Poor mother has been very
much unstrung, as her strength has been
giving out. l am writing this from our
house, though we are prepared to leave.
To the north of us is one great semicircu-
lar line of flame; the fire was set by the
Americans. As one of them said: We can
beat the Boxers setting fire to buildings
Tonight the Americans are going to take
the western arsenal and destroy it by fire.
Friday, June 22.-I have been so busy
that have not had time to write for four
days. All our family has been living at
Mrs. Drew's. as our house is now outside
though the nights are quiet. Tuesday we
spent in barricading the settlement with
camers wool. We have also prepared
bGmb-proofs in case the shelling gets more
dangerous. Only one shell has struck the
house so far. Our mission house and the
chapel have been struck frequently. l be-
lieve our losses are rather heavy, though
considering the number Of shots fired by
the Chinese very few have been killed OF
wounded.
"An improvised hospital has been estab-
lished and is far from full. Indeed, our
dead have exceeded our wounded. Bullets
are thick on the ground all around. We
can hear them whistling all around US and
striking the trees constantly. We are get
fsr,ry hat 10 aNt
them any more. We have been besieged
now for five days, and there is no news Of
though we have sent two
to Taku. Papa has been struck
twice, but by spent bullets. l quite envy
him.
80 p. m.-There is news that the reliev- |
ing force is in sight from Gordon Hall. II
is rumored that they are fighting their way
in. This accounts for the distant firing all |
quiet day. They say they |
have all moved out to oppose the advance
Of the army from Pekin. In the region of |
the station and on the plain, little heaps |
and breastworks of Chinese dead are dis |
cernible. We have word of a quarrel be- !
tween the Boxers and sodiery. The latter |
charge the former with having got them |
into the scrape and then letting the brave
soldiers do all the fighting If the brave
Boxers are so invulnerable, say the sol
iiers, why don't they lead an attack? Just
so.
Saturday, June 23.-Our hearts were
gladdened this noon by the sight of the
reinforcements. First, 500
British sailors from n. NJ. s. Terrible
came in hot, dusty and very much worn
put. Two or three companies of the Hong
Kong Welsh Fusiliers followed them Then
came one or two companies of the United
States Marine Corps with old Glory fly
ing at their head. My! but we did cheer
hem. They, too, were very tired. A Brit
sh regiment of Chinese subjects from Wei
hai-wei arrived to-day also. We moved
back to our home this afternoon to find
.hree shell holes in the wall. 1t is much
luieter here and we feel much better,
.hOugh food is very scarce"