The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-11-16
Capt. J. T. Myers
Passenger On
DoriC.
HE TELLS ABOUT
HIS EXPERIENCES
One of the First Ordered to Re-
lief of Foreigners in the
City.

When the cry for help went up from
the Americans and Europeans in Pc
king at the outbreak of the Boxer out
RACES Captain j. r. Myers Of the Unit
ed States Marine Corps, who passed
through here from the Orient on his
way to San Francisco on the Doric
yesterday, was one OF the first to be
ordered to the relief OF the threatened
people hemmed in and around abou
by thousands OF angry fanatics in tn,
Imperial city
Captain Myers favored an Advertiser
reporter with an interview at the Ha-
waiian Hotel yesterday, speaking OF
the exciting and interesting events
which transpIred in the land of almond
eyes and pig-tails with the enthusiasm
of one who has gone through great
deal and knows whereof he talks.
1T was just after the Boxers had
burned a couple of railway stations be-
tween Peklng and Taku," said the cap
tain, "and when Minister Conger was
working the wires for help, help that
might come too late We're II long de-
layed, that l was ordered by Com
mander McCalla on the 30th of May.
to take fifty marines and hasten with
all possible dispatch to Peking.
1--WE first attempted to go by rail,
but were not permitted to do so by the
Chinese railway officials; they refused
to sell us tickets. The only ether way
was by the canal and we had to take
it, Securing lighters we were towed
up the canal. The travelling was nee
essarily very slow, but we had to put
up with it. We We're not the only
troops which went along. There were
English. Germans, Russians and Jap
anese with us and when, at last, we
reached Picking, there We're some 400
or 500 in the party"
When Captain Myers reached Picking
the various troops We're divided among
the different legations, the men being
assigned to tine legations OF their re-
spective countries.
After our arrival at Peking," con
tinued Captain Myers, I'VE noticed
with alarm how, day by day, the dem
onstations of hate against the foreign
ers increased on the part of the Chi
nese on June II all communication
with the outside world was cut of and
we We're left to defend ourselves as
best we could against whatever misfOr-
tune fate might decree, Baron Won
Ketteler was assaSsinatod on the Goth
of June; on the same night the women
anu tnlltltH were llbNtu llllb Tue lhIlN-
ish legation, and only Just in time, for
on the day following the Chinese com
menCed a furious attack on all the le-
cations at once.
The legations We're all built in a
line along the great wall which is forty
feet in height and thirty feet in width.
The wall in question was taken by
neither side at first, Each side was
anXiousy watching The movements OF
the other. The Chinese even went so
far as to send word that they would
keep off this wall If We would No
sooner had we agreed to his arrange
ment, however, than the Chinese
treaCherous In every possible way, took
advantage of our belief in their word
and seized an important portion Of the
wall. From this point of vantage they
We're enabled to command view of
the legations and the surrounding
country.
I'VE saw that if the Chinese contin-
ued to hold possession OF the wall that
we would be at n great disadvantage
and that unless something was very
quickly done to change the condition of
affairs that we would be likely to meet /
with dire calamity. Realizing all this .
we got together "A sufficient force, !
charged the Chinese on the wall and
drove them from their stronghold with ,
considerable loss to themselves and !
with very little harm to our men.
That portion Of the wall which we
were now in possession of was about |
600 yards in extent. Bastlons were sit !
uated about every hundred yards but, |
not considering this TO be sufficient
protection, We caused further fortitica-
tions TO be erected on the wall. one
end of the wall was protected by the
Americans, while the Russians had
charge of the other end, ana the troops
Of the other nations We're stationed
along the wall in between.
The great canal passed under this
wall close by the legations and this
was one Cf the reasons why We We're
SO anxious TO fortify the position ana
hold II against the Boxers at amy cost.
You see that we We're looking ahead
Tor the time when We expected 10 be
relieved, ana We knew very Well that
II the relief expedition I.iled 10 make
AN entrance into the Imperial city
lhrtIg the gates, thut the next thing
10 he tried would be the great canal"
'H tain Iyrrs was iu command uf
me legation guard throughout tho en-
IRE Siege ~ The foreigners in pekur
- 'r Nrll known Ia Honolulu, having /
bgen hero before Ito was one uf nc /
"ul''la NJ lhu cruiser Charleston when I
fhr pHssri through nero on hpr way I
70 MhNl'n WIN thr n"st Trllrf uNprllr /
lnn in l'h llt WAS With thr Charles
lnh Nhrn shr hr.p.l ln lombard Mu,
a. thr Baltimore Fuuu thtg h. has /
been connected Ylth ha Dfrmn. hrlngI
ln.9ll4 pul uN Nr hrH4lk ami Hrut A. /
'hlnHI WhrrH hr aTUFtI Dol ur rarlyI
p1fl nf laHi May Captain Myrra is
hi present ~ alrk lr4N. uul is rriurr
lnf ip no hanlnpl a. rHgpefair no
hrHlib ana siffnFih
- sou ihlnk ihu tha RmlrsssI
b4atNef encouraged ihH nHBrraWf pAyI
HHkFd ~ taltElH Men ~ tlg l.f.,ft.gI
8taffFday
a u haI1 a. HsY fga0ty a. Nhat
tflFul lhr Empress dla pHelgfasp ~ +