The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-04
LARGE NUMBERS slain
-
Es%--
DIR. CORBETTS THRILLING DE-
SCRIPTION OF THE CAPTURE
OF TAKU FORTS
AMERICAN COLLEGE BURNED
Regiment of British Indian Troops
and WEIGH Troops Arrived
Just In Time to Take
Part in the Fight.

CEATFIELD, Mimi, Aug. 3.-The fol-
lowing account of the battle Of Taku has
been received by Mrs. George S. Hays.
1t came in a letter from her father, DR..
Hunter Corbett, the well known mission
airy at Chifu. His account of the irst
battle is as follows:
Chifu, June 19.-On Monday a. M, a
Japanese torpedo boat arrived from
Taku, at the mouth Of the river which
passes Tfentsin, with news so important
that the Japanese consul sent word at
met for consultation The subject Of the
news was as follows: Chinese soldiers
{ were seen putting torpedoes in the river
and rushing great number of soldiers
into the forts on each side of the river.
The captains of the thirty or more for
etgn men-of-war demonstrated. Finally
a shot was fired at one of the vessels
from one of the guns In the fort. The fire
was Immediately returned and continued
until the forts were silenced and all the
powder magazines in the forts exploded.
Several OF the foreign captains and
good many on board were either killed or
wounded. A boiler exploded on a Rus
sian vessel and killed twenty gen. The
moment the engagement began, foreign
men-of-war rushed to the side Of the
i've Chinese war vessels and demanded
instant surrender, which was done, other
wise torpedoes would have instantly
sunk them. The vigorous firing of Max
the Chinese to fire eighteen Of their larg
est and best guns
An old American wooden gunboat nam
ed the Monocacy was trying to escape
with foreign women and children who
were fleeing from TientSin. The Chinese
fired a shot which went through the YES
sci, but fortunately no one was injured.
The captain beached the vessel to save
her from sinking.
A regiment of British Indian troops and
another of Welsh troops from Hongkong
arrived just in time to take part IN the
fight. A large body Of foreign troops are
marching to Pekin, which at last ac-
counts was under mob law, and the &C, 44
Chinese troops were doing nothing TO re-
strain the mob.
The soldiers watched the burning Of the
bridges and track Of the electric railway
and did nothing to prevent it. The mob
poured kerosene oil on the ttmbers and
set fire to IT. 1t is known that many of
the soldiers are members of the Boxers,
who are sworn to kill or drive all for
eigners out of China and uproot Chris
tianity in China. Many of the native
thing, and not few have been killed;
and this is still going on, the govern
ment doing nothing to restrain the riot
ers. In this province 900 families of the
Catholic church have been robbed of
property valued at 100000 ounces Of silver
or tael, and 125 Protestant families have
been robbed of 1900 taels' worth. Three
days ago $50 Catholic refugees arrived
here from Tontsin. The British and
American consuls are sending a steamer
to the nearest port on the sea to Cham
flu TO bring the missionaries living in the
western part of this province. The new
college and buildings of the American
board at Tungchau, near Pekin, were
burned and the loss is estimated at $780,
600 taels. There is deep anxiety felt for
the safety of the missionaries at Pao-
fng-fu. There is no way of fleeing ex-
cept in the face of hostile Boxers.
On Saturday the Coltmans came on a
military train to Taku, where they went
on board a steamer. There they witness
ed the bombardment and destruction Of
the Taku forts. The terrific lombard
ment continued for five hours. Shells
from the fort flew all around the ship on
which the Coltmans were. Their ship
could not leave during the fighting with
Chinese. it is said, fought bravely and
quickly and accurately on moving YES
sells. If they had been well trained in
this, 1t Is said, the forts could not have
been taken. The Japanese led the at
tack on the forts and distinguished them
selves by bravery and skill.
A foreigner, who visited one Of the
forts after it had been captured said that
the sight was appalling. The vast num-
Der of Chiense who had been slain was
sight indescribable. The Russians fired
into vast crowd of Boxers on the shore
who had come to fight the foreigners. No
one can tell how many were killed. No
word has been heard from Pekin since
June 10. We are all waiting anXiously
to hear of the safety of the foreigners
there and at Paoting-fu.