Evening star., 1900-10-20
INHUMAN WARE ARE
Scenes and Incidents Along the ST.
berian Frontier
ATTACK ON BLAGOVESTCHENSK
Story of the Fight Between the
Russians and Chinese.
NO QUARTER WAS SHOWN

Copyright, 1900. by c. Frederick Wright
DR.. George Frederick Wright OF oberlin. Ohio
editor of Biblotheca Sacra, theologian and
eminent authority on glacial formation. has been
for several months, travelling in Siberia and Man
churia to study geologic and glacial conditions
there. Finding himself the object of hostile dem
onstration in Manchuria from the Chinese. who
were by that time infauned a sarst all foreigners,
he set out hastily for the Russian border. only to
find himself in the midst of warfare. His account
Of the borderland war recently received from him,
is the first adequate report of events the Chi
nese- Russian boundary
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, July "a. 1900.
When two weeks ago we had fairly es-
capped from Manchuria, and were under the
full protection of Russia, in her own terri
tory, We thought our perils ended. But
this was far from being the case. To our
astonishment, and that of every one else.
we have run into the very center of the
Chinese war on the borders of far off ST.
IBERIA. The general confidence prevailing
was indicated by the fact that week ago
today, while coming up the Amoor on a
steamer from Ravarosk, we met six steam
ers with nine barges loaded with troops and
their equipment who were hurrying from
this place to Harbin, on the Sungarl river.
for the Protection of the new railway.
These had left Blagovestchensk Saturday,
the 14th.
No sooner were these troops we'll away
than the Chinese on the opposite side of
the river began hring upon Biagovest-
chcnsk, While from their Iorts at Aigun,
twenty miles below, they fired upon pass
ing steamers and sent soldiers over to de-
stioy the Russian villages along the bank
All unconscious of these events, we left our
| steamer, which was hopeiessy obstructed
by a sandbar eighty mics below, and drove
on by tarantaSseS. But after having COW
cred little more than hais the distance IN
the regular way we reached the village or
GulVend about SundoWn to find the people
alarmed, though not panic stricken, by the
news which Was just reaching them. There
was nothing for US to DO, however but
camp down in the common room of the
post house and await developments The
excitement continued to increase, especial
ly upon the arrival of refugees from me
up-rlVer villages which had been set afire
Village of Guivenn.
GulVena is settlement of religious dis
senters called Molokites [Milk Eaters), who
dflhk no spirits and eat no meat. AS We
entered the village, large droves of cattle
"hlch mad been herded during the day in
.iie luxurious green fields of this vicinity
came leisurely into the broad street and
Meie uistflputed to the various households
70 Which they belonged. Nothing could be
more peaceful and iuyilic. Tne Village CON
tdlheh about loo people, ana trim W.u-
painted log houses gave evIuence of the
tliiIl naturally accompanying such a SET
tlement. But at miunISnt everything WIS
IN confusion Hunureus of carts loadsd
win the most necessary household utensils
ana covered with excited women ana c o. n
il4S pdpes, HHed the street or stood at the
edte"dys ready to JOIN the PROCESSION A
1 ae" 6iiheu eoSSacks remained to dlrect the
IN pahs 10 PAGES OF greater security IN
tle INTERIOR Wnile the most OF them were
stationed nearer the river for general oe-
IehSe OF thelr homes. We renamed in our
quarters until morning All wi
Inc danger was pr4ucipallv fro,, . ,ioht
attack by the Chinese With tha arns,r
ahce OF daylight the fleeing inha bitanis an
came back to their houses They did not
.oWe'eF' uhpack their carriages, but kept
theih IN readiness for instant movement
upon further approach of danger u,beir
lears as well as ours were deepened by fre-
quenl reports of cannon in the direction of
me Cnlnese fort at Aigun on the opposite
elue oi the river about ten miles away The
puHs OF smoke from these guns couId he
clearly seen as they rose in the still air
some time in advance of the sound. Vague
luhiors We're af1oat that Blagovestchensk
was beselged by the Chinese. Still we
thought 1t possible to reach the citv bv a
roundabout road through the back country
~ d sIdtloh seventeen miles on our way
For large sum $500 We We're able to per
sudue tnree teamSters to carry US.
Through a Wasted Country.
""A ~ SoiSiSleu OI nVG-1aDt. Ha rfOr0
the English consul at Manila with his trav.
eling companion, Capt. Smith Darrian
commander of the English gunboat Bona
ventura; Mr.. Wettekind a member of The
great mercantile firm of Runtz & Albert
from Nladivostok; my son and myself
Capt. Hartford had seen service in the En-
shsh army IN many places, having been at
the siege OF Sevastopol, and had lived MANY
years IN the Crimea, was very fond of the
their management of campaign Cant
Darrlan was younger and more deliberate e
IN his calculations, and with me hesitat ted
about running the risk But the impetuous
ness or capt. Hartford and of our German
companion prevailed. We set out with two
tarantasses and a droiga to carry our lue-
gage. The two Englishmen were in the
rear and the rest of US in the fore We soon
found ourselves driving along at a break
neck speed over the low rolling prairie
which constitutes the country back from
the mood regions of the great river. Our
attentlon was at once attracted by columns
OF smoke from the vicinity of the river hal
way around the horizon. We could count
as many as twenty of these at a time and
afterward heard that two or three distinct
nres were blended in the distance. We oc-
caslonally met small companies of mounted
Cossacks, from whom we learned that the
| road was clear. The settlements were few
and our road did not lead through any for
several miles. At length; however, we
reached small hamlet which had been
burned the day before. 1t had been in
habited by Chinese We learned there that
plan for the wholesale destruction of the
Chinese villages was in process of execu-
tion
The horror Of the situation first dawned
upon us just before reaching this Village,
when our attention was attracted by two
unarmed Cinnamon hurrying along In the
tall grass a few hundred feet from u.s.
They were evidently endeavoring to es-,
cape. But our driver, without any cere-
mony, stopped the horses, passed his reins
into the hands of our German companion,
rose in his seat, took his rifle out, aimed
at the nearest one and fired. The China
man fell and We saw him no more.
Whether killed or wounded, or only hidirg
himself. we did not stop to ascertain, but
hurried on through charred and deserted
villages and hamlets until we reached our
post station. This was in lonely place,
beside small circular lake or pond, but
was well guarded by Cossacks, and, to our
delight, had a supply of horses, so tina
without delay, except for lunch, we were
sent on our way soon after noon, while
our former drivers hurried back to bear
their part in the protection of the villages
we had left in the morning
A City in Flames.
Some miles in front of us one Of the