The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-31
ON ONE POINT THE
POWERS ALL AGREE
Continued from Page One.)

dropping fire today, women and children
are forbidden to walk about the
grounds"
Here is another
lowing to the small supply of vege-
tables and eggs, the market Will be
open only from to 1 hereafter. All
horse meat is inspected by a physician
Mr.. Conger had the first secretary's
house. Seventy American missionaries
occupied the chapel and the French con-
tingent had the pavilion on the lawn.
The bravery of the women was note
worthy. They became so accustomed to
fire that it was difficult to restrain them
from walking about the grounds at all
times.
When a proposal was made to petition
the Tsung Ii Yamen for vegetables some
said they would rather starve than take
help from that quarter. The Yamena
food supply was a farce, only sufficien'
for one day. When meat was asked for
the reply was that this could not be
furnished because a state of war exist
ed in Pekin
The Tsung Ii Yamen placarded g
proclamation exhorting the people to kill
all foreigners, because the latter had
made war on China in attacking the forts
at Taku.
The legations were fercely attacked
from July 18th to July 25th. At the lat
ter date a nominal truce was agreed to
and extended TO August Bird although the
Chinese repeatedly violated it. There
was considerable rifle fire from August
Ord to August 18th; and then the Chinese
mounted smooth bores. The mainstay
of the foreigners was an old gun used
by the foreigners in 1896 which was found
in junk shop by Mitchell, the American
gunner. This was mounted on Rus
sian carriage found by an Italian. Am
munition was fitted to it and it was
christened THE International Gun"
The foreigners remarked that relief
had been long delayed, but they insisted
that they had never despaired of the
outcome. The Chinese are said to admit
that they lost 5000 killed during the
siege. The foreigners did not waste
| their ammunition, shooting only when
target was in evidence. The Chinese
method on the other hand was con-
tinuous heavy and indiscriminate fire.
The enemy would advance to the barri-
cades at night, creeping up with their
arms filled with bricks and in the morn
| ing the foreigners would find new wall
| came so close that talking could be dis
| tinctly heard.
During the last two nights, the Chinese
officers urged their men to charge the
| foreigners and exterminate them before
the international forces could arrive. The
| Chinese soldiery replied that they could
not stand the bayonets. The night before
the relief they fred several thousand
| 11rn will
| shots only. The Chinese artillery and SOL
diers in Pekin were apparently much in
| ferior to these encountered in the fight
| inc at Tien Tsin. The relief Of Pekin
| was a notable achievement chiefly for the
forced march Of four independent armies
over a single difficult road and in sicken-
| ing weather.
The opposition offered by the Chinese
dwindled steadily each day until the re-
| Heving columns were in front of Pekin.
The defense of the city, considering
the possibilities of the case, was exceed
ingly weak. The Japanese are still ham
mering away at the wall of the northeast
section, which has not yet been entered.
Probably the Chinese concentrated their
forces there thus giving the Americans
and English comparatively easy position.
of the canal under cover, the Fourteenth
Infantry leading with the Ninth Infantry
and the marines following. From hill
| Captain Reilly shelled a psgoda ever the
| Chinese-Hua Gate, until the infantry got
close in. The 14th regiment was extend
ed under cover before the wall, about
800 yards away. when e" Company seal
ed the corner near the gate, under the
| ict Cnhn
planted the regimental flag. The regi-
ment then crowded with the Russians
through the gate unopposed, but every
side of the streets leading 10 the Tartar
wall alcng which the solliers passed,
was SWEPT by rife fire from the wall
The companies dashed across the
streets in single file. The British
| entering Sha Ho Gate, about the middle
of the East Wall, were nearer the le-
| cations and able to enter first. The last
| five days marching was the worst. 1t
was a terrible strain. The thermometer
kept near a hundred, and was some
| times above that figure. The country was
deep with sand, and the route lay through
shadeless fields of tall. thin corn. The
Japanese possessed the greater endur-
ance, and being provided with the best
|
| slams held second place most of the time.
| The Americans and English were pushed
to the utmost to keep up.
| General Fukushima said the Japanese
might have reached Pekin two days be-
fore He probably spoke the truth.
They seemed never to rest. Their
cavalry and scouting parties were thresh-
| ing the country ahead and on their
| tanks and their outposts kept in con-
slant contact with the enemy, pressing
the latter so closely that they threw
away their pots, sleeping mats and
| clothing.
Several hundred Americans dropped out
| from the heat of the day and came stray
Cling into camp this evening. Even the
native Indian troops suffered almost as
much. The army could be traced by
dead horses.
The soldiers drank continually from
| the muddy river and wells by the way
side with the result that an epidemic
of dysentery set in. The Americans
marched during the hottest hours of the
| day. causing great dissatisfaction among
| officers and men who wished to move in
the cool of the morning and evening like