The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-08-14
FAST NEARING PEK|N
Allies but Thirty-three Miles
From the City Last
Thursday.
CHAFFEE SENDS THE NEWS


OFFICIALS THRILLED WITH EXUL-
TATION IND EyPECTANCY.
Troops May Now be within Striking
Distance of the Chinese Capital A
London Dispatch from Shanghai De-
cIares They Were Only Twenty Miles
Distant Oh Saturday.
Washington, Aug. 13.-The American
commander in China, in dispatch or
just three words, received at the war
department late this afternoon, sent
thrill of exultation and expectancy
throughout official quarters by an
nouncing his arrival at Ho ST WI, only
thirty-three miles from Pekin, last
Thursday. The last heard from him
before this was at Yang Tsun. which
had been captured after a hard fight
and word of his movements since then
had been eagerly awaited. Thursday
he was eighteen miles beyond Yang
Tsun. Lang Fang, the place where
Admiral Seymour's expedition met such
terrible resistance and turned back, had
been left behind The battle of Yang
Tsun was fought on the sixth and the
advance on Ho 81 Wu was accomplish
ed on the ninth days march of eighteen
miles in three days. This was four
days ago and at the same rate of prog
ress Chaffee is even now fairly within
I'LL -. I;,to sc ,o11c af Do1rf
1t was consummation which the war
department had awaited calmly, and
stirring as the news was that the
American force was now nearing the
gates of the imperial city, Secretary
Root and Adjutant General Corbin
evinced no surprise, as it accorded with
calculations, although the advance has
been more rapid than was expected.
The dispatch from Chaffee, conveying
so much in SO few words is as fol-
lows:
Che Foo, Aug. 10.
Adjutant General, Washington:
Tenth arrived Hos Pf Vu
(Ho 81 Wu.) yesterday.
CHAFFEE.
Word of the advance soon spread
throughout official quarters and In thes|
enthusiasm of the moment report got
about that this was the day for the
actual arrival at Pekin. But the war
department had not word of the ad-
vance beyond Ho 81 WI. It was DEEM
ed hardly likely the march to Pekin
should have been made since last
Thursday. AT the rate of progress, six
miles a day, made from Yang Tsun to
Ho ST WI, about twenty-four miles
would have been covered in the last
four days and up to to-day this would
still leave the international forces nine
miles from Pekn. Viewed from any
standpoint, the advance to Ho 81 WI
was of the utmost Importance, not only
strategically but also in showing that |
communication was open back to Che |
Foo, that the expected opposition from |
Chinese hordes had not been sufficient to |
prevent the steady forward movement |
and in the influence it would exert upon |
the Chinese government. Brief as the |
diSpa tch is it conveys much informa- |
tion beyond that specifically contained |
in it's few words.
Although it is not stated what force
has arrived, the war department ac-
cepts it to mean that this is the inter-
national force which first took Peit |
Sang and then Yang Tsun. 1t has gone
steadily forward along the left bank OF
the Pei river, keeping on the main road
which skirts the river bank. At Yang
Tsun the railway crosses the river and
branches off to the west. Now that the
forces have left the railway far in the
rear, they are depending upon the high
way and the river. Ho ST WI is place
IF or16 fho In, |
town between Tien Tsin and Ching
CHA Wan. The latter place and Tung
Chow are the two cities of considerable
size in the line Of advance after leaving
To ST WI. 1t Is surrounded by or
chards and gardens, and is not a place
likely to have afforded opportunity for
strong defense. 1t is the highest point
on the Pei river where the river water
is depended on, as the native wells are
the source of supply on the balance of
the route to Pekin. AS it has taken
five days for General Chaffee to make
the advance to Ho ST WI 1t is evident
that wire communication is now open
to the front This was hardly to be ex-
pected and the safe arrival Of the mes
sage at least shows that a certain !,
measure Of communication is open. One ,
of the chief sources of congratulation
among officials is that the fancied ,
hordes of China have not materialized I
Or at least have not prevented the in {
column from drawing close
to the gates of Pekin. ,
Shortly after this dispatch arrived
another message from General Chaffee, :
far more lengthy, gave the melancholy
result of the fight at Yung Tsun. The =,
list is given in detail, with the 6
additional information that the dead :
had been buried at Yang Tsun and that :
he wounded had been sent back to the .
hospital at Tien Tsin. {
THREE MILES FROM PEKIN !