Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-08
when we were fighting England about the

when we were fighting England about the
inpressment of our seamen. There were
carbines almost. if not quite, as old as IN.
hills; such long Misunderstanding rifles as
Daniel Boone used In his fight for Ken
lucky. and hundreds of gingals. gun Of
apparently pure Chinese invention. This
weapon is eight feet long or more and
shoots ball about an inch in diameter.
MOST OF the gtngaiS are muZzle leaders, but
at Tien Tsia there were a good many new
breech leaders, with a breech-lock that
combined the principles of the Mauser rife
ana the rapid-fire guns in service In our
navy In the fighting before Tien Tsin our
men were always talking about the great
number of one-pounders that the Chinese
had but after the city was taken 1t turned
out that they were all gingalS
handling Their weapons.
When the new equipment was first pur-
chased the rifles were issued only To men
in the regular army of one or other of the
provinces. who were under foreign instruc-
ton. Some time before the fall of Ticn
Tsin, however. these fine weapons We're
served out to the Boxers IN great numbers
In the first part of the fight when TEN
Tsin was taken, these rifles played an i'm
portant part. but the event showed that
the well-drilled men were the first - run
away, for the last of the defense was made
with the old guns and black powder
Two things seemed especially 10 surprise.
the soldiers OF the allies: the Chinese stood
their ground long time and they handled
their guns remarkably well. Their artillery
practice was amazingly good. In the at
tack on Tien Tsin the idea was largely
prevalent among the American soldiers that
all they had to do to go at the Chinese.
with the old yell and the same dash that
had sent the Filipinos running so often
and it would he all over 1t was the COM
mon belief that the Chinese would fire high
and wild and no great damage would IL.
10 IN - no -i.pS
the allies hoisted over the city gates at II
O'Clock in the morning. But the Chinese
stuck to their work and shot low. with thu
result that all that day they rcpused the
attack. Ia the night, however, their cJlir-
age ooZed out and they quit
Accurate Firing
Their work with the big guns was quite
as good I'm the Judgment of many experts.
as that of the allies They gave one exhf-
bition of accuracy with the 80 rife on the
morning of July o that was astonishing
After the taking of the west arsenal that
morning Admiral Seymour of the British
navy and General Fukushma, the Japanese
commandment chief, stood talking together
on top of the brick arch over the road
that leads through the mud wall To the
city. With them We're about twenty staff
officers and newspaper men. From the pa
CODA that the Chinese used watch
tower they Were easily visible. To the
north OF the city. a mile and a half away,
the Chinese had battery of b guns in Il
fort They opened fire on the little group
on top of the arch The first shell was
line shot. but about seventy-tive Yards
short. The next was almost line shot.
but just above the arch. ~ that Seymour
turned to Fukushima and said:
They're shooting at US. We had better
get down"
He gave his hand to the little Jananes.
general and started to help him down. jus,
he did so the third shell exploded square
ly ON top of the arch. and piece OF il hit
Lieut.. Fair, the admirals flag secretary IN
the right arm. That set the crowd scram-
bling down without waiting for further Ger
emony. Just as they all got down thn
fourth shell burst on top Of the arch. Thai
was the last. The Chinese saw that ghrr
target had escaped and ceased firing.
Daring aud Reckless.
1t was PROBABLY the Boxer who intro
duced the el2men. Of attack into Chinese
tactics. Up to his time ii was said of
the Chinese it was of the Spanish, they
never attack The Boxers changed all
that. They did not hesitate TO go up TO the
very muzzles of the guns. that Is they did
not at first. As long as they held to their
idea of invuin araoility they were the BRAY
est of the brave. and astonishngly reckless
In some of the fights of the Seymour eXp,-
dition Tor the relief Of Pekin they actually
ran on to the tayonets of the foreigners.
AT Tien TSfn they attacked repeatedly ami
with determination. On the night of July
IL force estimated at at least 2,ost
charged the railroad station desperately
ard was net beaIen off until the japanese
made q brilliant counter charge.
At Pekin there was not much improve
ment i'll the work OF the Chinese. This IS
explained by the fact that the drilled an
mics were at Tien Tsin. Besides there
was such n confusion Of authority az Pc
kin that no persistent. determined effort
could he male. After the relief of the
eli We tux, NO .rs..tn
with new modern rifles and guns and great
quantities of ammunition The whole cpl
sode has demonstta ted what has been said
before. that the Chinese can be made Il
fiTSt-rate soldier. but he needs Il lot of
training or the most patient sort, and he
must have good officers