Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-09-30
r. Associated Press.

| frCm the terrible shock which it ex-
peiienced. Everything lsruin. The land
| is devastated, villages wiped out,
crops destroyed ard the natives eth
er hiding or killed. 1t would take a
wise crow to fly down the valley of
Fei-Ho without carrying its rations.
Nothing is left of this once populous
and fiourishing region save roofless
huts, fallen walls and devasted gar
dens. No sign of life is to be seen
outside the city exceps the scattered
outpcsts, and within the walls there is
only sodiery.
Here the Russians and japanese pre-
dominate. No one knows the total
strength of either force, but they run
/, o the thousands. Skirting the river
CT either bank the Russian camps dot
the country. the Russian flag flies from
the railway stations, and Russian
troops are continually passing the
roads, either moving on towards Pek-
/ ing or establishing advanced outposts.
There are both Cossacks and foot SOL
diers. and all fine looking fellows, max
! ing a splendid show in their white
/ blouses and black trousers tucked in
/ to top boots. Next in number are the
/ japanese, and here again not even a
rough estimate can be made of their
strength. They appear, regiment after
regiment, and as fast as one consign-
ment arrives from Taku. those station
ed here are pushed forward The Ger
mans are also active and are not slow
in getting them in to the front Mean
while the American and British forces
are quiescent in camp, and do not
seem inclined to press matters now
that the legations are safe. The Am
er.can forces are camped in the eX-
treme eastern portion of the city. on
a fiat lying along the south bank of
the river and are, with exception of
scme Russian troops, the Cnly force
living under tents The other forces
al uudl Tel Gu III DlllNlllSN III lit III
ei-n concession. Col. Mohl, of the
Fifteenth Infantry, is the ranking Am
er!can officer in the absence of General
Chaffee and his HEADQUARTERS are in
the home Cf wealthy Chinaman who
was also an undertaken. The low,
cre-story structure, full of quaint
c"lrts and passages, was full of collins
W. en- the Americans took possession,
ard in the courtyard were number CT
lodies of wealthy Chinese enclosed in
handsome lacQuered caskets. Here al
50 is the Headquarters of the commits
sary and quartermaster'S officers. On
two sides of the building lie the camp
If the American army, while the river.
yellow and sluggish. winds along the
North of it. 1t is not an iedal camping
ground. The treeless plain IS inches
deep in dust: there is no vestage of
shade. and all the water must be car
ried some distance to the camp. The
sun beats down pitilessly, even so late
in the season as this, and the mosQui-
tCs are a plague.
The Marine Corps has Jared better.
troops the sea soldiers are quartered
in airy, comfortable buildings in the
English concessions. The men occupy
several large structures with big courts
or compounds, while the officers are
uuartered in a series of private resi-
dences in Victoria Terrace. The Am
erlcans are kent pretty close in camp,
and there is very little attempt to fra
ternizing with the other armies. In
fact, it is almost prevented entirely by
tra inability Of the forces to communi-
cste. Practically none CT the foreign
els know any English and the Bat
t'lion of Welch Fusiliers are about
the only comrades the blue coats can
f"d. On the whole, the nations keep
r""tty well to themselves, noticeably
in the case of the Russians, who are
r"'Aom seen in company with any 9th
or nationality.
The Americans, without exception
2"o Behaving splendfdly, and their Off
cers have been much compllmented or
the discipline and police of the force
No grave charges have been brought
against them, and in the loot they dc
net seem to have been in the same
class with the others, especially th'
Russians Many grave stories are tolC
of the cruelty and ruthlessnesss of thu
Cossacks during the fighting, but it il
naturally impossible to substantiatt
them at this late date. An Englisl
resident found some Cossacks, or 9th
er Russians, looting his Office, HI
snatched the shoulder ornament frcn
one of them, reported to the Russian
flagship, and a few days later the un
fortunate offender was swung from tn
yaTdarm. Here in Tien Tsin an Am
erican found a party of Russian sold
iers looting his house. He followe
; them up and meeting the Russian com
mander stated his grievance. The me
were lined up altng the street and con
siderable silver brought tOlight. With