The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-06-22

1aku
Washington, June 1S.-The navy
department has been informed by Ad-
miral kempff that the Taku forts yes
terday fired on the foreign warships
and after a brief engagement surren-
dered.
London, June IA dispatch from
Che Foo under today's date says:
The forces of the combined fleets
occupied the Taku north forts yester-
day, after exploding a magazine. The
British %gunboat AIgerine was dam
aged and two of her officers and four
men We're wounded Japan and Rus
STA are reported to be landing a force
Of troops. All is quiet here"
Berlin, June 1S.-A semi-offciol dis
patch from Che Flu announced that
the Taku forts had been captured after
a combined attack by the foreign war
ships. Three men OF the German a
ships '.eis were killed and seven were
wounded.
The dispatch added that me foreign
settlements at Tien Tsin were being
fired into by the Chinese.
When the dispatch left nothing had
D-ECI LEdIu 4IOLh EHc ICIIldn ueIdtA-
ment sent to Pekin or from the Ger
mar legation there.
THE FORTS OPEN FIRE.
London, June 18.-According to a
Che Foo special dated the 18th the
forts at Taku opened fire upon the
warships, whereupon the fleet replied
in kind and silenced the Chinese guns,
and the International forces subse-
quently landed n seized the forts.
Tha nnu-- Ar +hf- a1na nannnn+ &c stated
to have been brought to Che Foo by a
Japanese warship. but the date of the
occurrence is not given.
According to a dispatch the Chinese
bombardment. followed an ultimatum
sent by the commanders of the fleet.
LEGATIONS AT PEKIN CAPTURED
An official dispatch from the Ger
man consul at Che Foo received in
Berlin confirms the arrival of the ia
panese torpedo boat with the following
messages:
The Japanese torpedo boat reports
that the legations at Pekin have been
taken"
NO TRUSTWORTHY NEWS FROM
PEKIN.
Berlin also has official notification
from Shanghai that, owing to the in
corruption of the telegraph lines no
trustworthy news whatever is obtain
able of the events Transporting at Pc
kin.
FRENCH CONSULATE AND MIS-
SIONS AT YUNNAN sen.
BURNED.
Paris. June 1S.-Del Case has sum-
mOned the Chinese minister TO Paris
and has requested him TO Immediately
telegraph to the viceory of Yunnan
Hsen hat France will hold him per-
sOnaIly responsible for the lives of the
French citizens.
'HPrench o are massed on the
TOnquin frontier of China. but their
march has been delayed, as the French
authorities fear to provoke an uprising
of the population and a massacre OF
Europeans before the troops could
reach them.
The French consul general in south
China. who was instructed TO send
into Tonquin all the French citizens
at Yunnan Sen, cables from the latter
place. under date of Thursday, June
I4th, that he has been prevented from
leaving with his companions by the
viceroy. and that his house n all the
missions a W been burned. He adds
that everything, including their
clothes, has been stolen n that they
are practically prisoners"
The foregoing is the situation re-
ferred to by the French minister or
foreign affairs NJ. Del Case in his
speech of June 18th.
ADMIRAL KBMPFF TO JOIN THE
OTHER NAVAL FORCES.
Washington. June 1S.-The actual
news of the situation was received by
the navy in two cablegrams, the con-
tents of which were made known as
follows:
The department has received a
-cablegram from Admiral Remey at
Cavite dated 18th. that informs the
department that Commander Tausslg
Tr- $500 n
cables that the Taku forts al the
mouth of the river (Pei Hoo fired on the
the foreign vessels and surrendered to
the allied forces on the morning of the
18th.
The department has instructed Ad-
miral Kempff to concur with the other
powers in talAag all steps necessary
TO protect all American interests.
a dispatch from Taussig dated Che
Foo nth. saws that the Taku forts
fired on the foreign vessels at 12:4o In
the morning and reports mat the BTU
ish admiral is at Tien Tsin.'
4 REGIMENT FROM MANILA OK
DERED TO CHINA.
The press dispatch from Mania last
night saying that the Ninth lnfantry
had been ordered to Manila for service
in China exposed the secret plans OF
the war department to dispatch troops
To the scene of u in emma:
Secret orders were sent to General
acArthu a few days ago TO prepdte
for the prompt dispatch of troops to
Takn hut it was not intended that the
matter should become public until the
movement was at last underway.
Wa department ofnclas ADMIT now
that the administration has concluded
to sent troops to China for the protec-
fion of lives and property Of American
citizens.
The following cablegram from Gen
oral Macarthur. bearing on the subject,
dated Manila yesterday, was made
public at the war department this
morning: Nv
dered TO Taku on Logan; transporta-
ton Port Albert; probably start z4tn'
n delays movement.
The voyage from Manila 10 laAu w.
occupy at least a week so NAT unoe :.
the most favorable circumstances !.
appears that these troops VIII I
peach the Chinese port before ouiy
1st. The Ninth infantry has renoe!eu
excellent service against the Filipino