Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-06-28
The FIRST FIGHTING.
Heroism Of American, French and
Belgian Engineers in Struggle
Against Boxers
Steamer Empress Of India Brings
Details Of the Beginning Of
Chinese Trouble.
Horrible Fate Befalls Party Of Cape
Nome Sailors, Who Wee
shipwrecked.

lSA1lWiASOhSNs
Victoria, Is. c., June 2s.-Advices re-
ceiNed by the Empress of India arriv-
ing yeste rd5y give graphic details of
the escape from Pekin and Tien Tsin of
OF all the fugitiNes to reach
the coast none had a harder fight for
their lives than the American, French
and Belgian engineers, who We're sur
by the Boxers 1t Peng Tan. the
terminus OF the railway that MAS to
run to Hankow.
When the Boxers, attacked the sta
ton and the machine shops the ensi-
neers balricadeti themselves in the. ma
chine shops and held the Chinese off
for some time. They had several woni-
EN- with them. wives of some Of them.
These women loaded the mems rifle
belts and otherwise assisted 20 repel
the Boxers. Soon, tho. the Foreigners
found their position in the shops ul-
.tenatle. as some of the Chinese had
the building.
Then they ran for it, lighting their
NAV thru the Boxers. When they had
got thru the Boxers lines the Chinese
gave no more attention 10 them, but
instead began 10 pillase and destroy
the station and machine shops. THO of
The Belgians then hurried To Pek:n,
Where they reported the danger of the
party and called for volunteers to help
them,
a number of Cossacks We're dis
patched 70 the rescue.
They set out on June Q and encoun-
tered a large crowd oil Boxers forty
miles from Tien Tsin and We're Obliged
10 return, being unable 70 fight their
way thru the Boxers. The Cossacks.
who numbered thirtSthree, had two
officers wounded
In the meantime the engineers We're
between TWO forces of Boxers. There
we're thirty of them. They had tai y
up a position on a small hill and theie
they made trenches. in which they
fought Tor an hour. holding off The Box
ers to their front. They We're all un-
tconscious of the party to their rear
land after their hard fighting arranged
that eight should be left in the trench
es to hold back the Boxers while the
4ther twent y-two, including the Women
4 and children. Went on towards Fsektn. e
They had no carts and the men ear
ried the weaker ones when they became
exhausted, The marchaof the fugitiNes
( IL P4itin was an awful one. When some
few miles from where they had beer
4 irirftqciled they found another party q
4 Baxers. not so strong as the party be
II, Ei
\ front, and the men formed a hollow
square with the women and children il
the center, and dragging along, fight
i ing ard repelling5 the onsiaushts Of III,
A Boxers they made their way u Pekii
83afte, two days replete With terror,
TIE Boxers Of this party We're with,
j out fire arms being armed only Wit
poles shod With iron and knives am
spears. 'rrsy We're kept at distanc,
Il BY the rifles ard ,evolvers Of the rail
q vyas, men. WHO killed a number OF them
4 The eight heroes who We're left be
Il lird 10 guard their retreat We're slatl
by the Raxers. There We're thre
Frencffnen aud one Italian anon!
them the others being Relgians an,
Swiss The fugitiNes on their arrival d
sT'ekin were in a. terribly destitute con
sdt,ieu.
American marines lead The way .
the relief party To Pskin. Despite IN
viearoyis edict that no foreigner
should be allowed 10 pass the Tax
forts forty United States marine
landed ard made their way up tn
river By lighter.
q Reading the Chinese papers or
Mould come 10 tha conclusion tha
!. China ferszf vas making an effort t
z suppress the Boxers rising Referrin
1 70 the battle Of Juno between trooI
Z under Gen. Men and the Boxers or
Z rager says that several hundred Rp,
: efs were filled and five buildings wei
Z buried DOWN during the conflict ar
2 the local railway station was destroye
3 This Was at Lola. the third static
Z from Tier Tsin. Another paper sa,
Z the BoNers lost 800 men in this engag
2 ment. Gen. Mich, who commanded II
q ilnperial troops, took prominent pa
5 in the Chinese Japanese war.