Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-07-04

| shan - Imperial Arsenal OF North
China AT PeI-Yang Dangerous
| Mountain Passes.
The following description of the coun-
try from the mouth OF the Pei-Ho river
to Picking was written for the New York
Journal by Sheridan 2. Reed, formerly
| United States consul at Tien-tsin, Chi
ma:
| The Chinese forts at Taku at a dis
tance resemble nothing so much as a
row of mud pies. They are constructed
literally of mud bricks mixed with
| straw and are a pure khaki or mud
color. The walls are very thick and
strong, and they would resist worthily
a tremendous pounding from the big
gunboats. which would have to lie off
at least six miles away owing to the
shallow water on the bar that forms
| natural barrier.
The Pei-Ho, the river which leads to
| Tien-tsin by a most meandering and
serpentine course, empties into the sea
| between these forts, and its mouth is
| but 100 yards wide. OF late years the
| light draft vessels can navigate it.
The forts at Taku are five in number
and are equipped with modern quick
firing guns. -Four Of these forts are to
the south of the Pei-Ho, and one is
placed directly at the mouth of this
river on the north bank. In case of
commandment the smaller foreign gun
boats that are already inside the river
these forts. The country is absolutely
fiat. One can see steamers in the river
miles away apparently wading through
the fields, and it is often difficult to de
eide whether q steamer is going up riY-
er or down.
After entering the mouth of the river
one passes, almost directly opposite
the foot on the north bank, little clus-
ter of foreign residences, the majority
of which are built, like the forts, of
mud, known as Pilot Town. Here live
the half dozen licensed pilots, mostly
Americans, and the superintendent of
the shipbuilding and repair works of
the Taku Tug and Lighter company.
This company is owned and managed
by foreigners, with head offices at
Tien-tsin. Its plant, which is worth
81 100000, consists of Il large number
of modern tugs and steel lighters. used
In Tightening cargo from steamers
which cannot cross the bar and con-
veying the same, under tow, to Tien-
tsin. This company renders very val
liable assistance in times of expected
trouble to the gunbOatS that wish to
send marines, ammunition and ma
chine guns to Tien-tsin.
\ tugboat can reach Tien-tsin from
the mouth of the river in six hours, and
one of these steel lighters can trans
port with safety GOO men. 1t was on
one of these tugs that during the China
Japan war the Chinese charge d'affaireS
and other legation people were convey
ed down the river to place of safety.
The foreign residents of Tien-tsin
could be conveyed in like manner at
the present time to one of the large
warships i'll the outer anchorage were
danger sufficiently threatening.
Proceeding up the river from Pilot
Town, one passes on the south n strag-
Cling mud Chinese village, known as
Taku. Just above this, on the same
side of the river, is the imperial mari
time customs station, which is n branch
of the customs at Tien-tsin. We next
come to the village of Tang-ku on
the north side of the river, where are
situated the railway station, the rail-
way wharfs and the large godowns,
or warehouses, belonging to the several
steamer companies whose vessels ply
between Tien-tSin and Shanghai by
way of Chefu. Here are also the coal
wharfs belonging to the Chinese Engi-
neering and Mining company, where
gunboatS and merchant steamers coal
their vessels.
The mines of this company are at
Tong Shan, on the railway which pro-
ceeds along the shores of the gulf to
Shan-hai- Kuan. TonS-Shan is about
so miles from Tang-Ku, and the output
of bituminous coal is about 5000 tons
daily. These mines supply coal
throughout the north of China, and n
fleet of vessels belonging TO this COM
pany carries coal to Japan, Shanghai
and Hongkong. Tong-Shan is the resi-
dence of Claude W. Kinder, engineer
in chief of the Imperial railways, to
whose energy and skill in spite of
many obstacles the present size of the
road is due.
Proceeding west by rail from Tang
hu, one stops nrst at the village OF
Hsiu-ho, a distance of four miles. The
next stop is at Chung LANG Cheng,
half way between Tang-Ku and Tien-
tsin. 131. miles from either. Hence the
railway from Tien-tsin to Tang-ku is
% miles, although the distance by the
| Pei-Ho river is co miles. 1t is at
Chung Liang-ChenG that report says
the Chinese troops are massing, no
doubt for the purpose of cutting the
railway should foreign troops desire
further TO use it; also to prevent if
possible the capture by foreign troops
of the Pei-Yang arsenal, few miles
distant.
This is the imperial arsenal OF north
China. Here guns and ammunition