The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-08


| over 1900 people a day and no time tc
| prepare and stock in for such an expert
| ence as we are having? There were
| within our barricades two small foreign
| stores. These goods have all been con-
| fiscated, but they were not many Within
| our boundaries were few Chinese grain
| shops. In some of the buildings which
| have been burned down food was found
| Four or five good wells of water, and nc
danger of their being poisoned. We have
| by careful living food enough TO last three
weeks longer. OF course it is food .ery
| different from what we would have il in
| our homes. The only meat has been horse
meat until yesterday a COW was killed.
| The horses belonged to the legation peo-
pie, and there are enough to last ten days
J more. / believe they kill two day. Then
we have rice and graham bread. Our but
| ter long ago gave out, except for Use once
a day We have no milk for tea or coffee.
Sugar is limited to SO much day. Now
| and then open some cans OF fruit or
vegetables for one meal AS rule peo-
| pie have kept up fairly we'll as to health.
| Five little children have died, and two
| or three more are quite i'll.
Twice the officials have sent word that
| the Christians must be given up, but they
have received fitting answer. What will
be done with them and us when the troops
come in we cannot answer.
Word came last night that Ii Hung
Chang had been given power to settle the
affair with the nations by telegraph 1t
cannot be that the foreign Governments
will believe a word of any of the lies they
have been sending them. Twice presents
of fruit have come from the Emperor %,
and we judge by a telegram that came to
ST. Robert Hart that they have reported
they were protecting and feeding us.
Nfsrl- re J,.fxr niraer Nr,tst
$50, We had for three hours a most ter
rife attack. Nothing in battle. as far as
sound, could equal 1t. Three mines we're
exploded in the French Legation, blow
ing up houses, killing and injuring for
eigners as well as some of the enemy.
part of shell came into our hospital
and struck one of the beds, but did not
injure the sick man. Several spent shells
struck our porch. We rushed around in
the most horrible din, making new beds,
feeling around in the dark after things,
because the windows had been filled with
sandbags. Flames burst out at the French
Legation, also at the German and French
Hotel The shot and shell of the Chi
nese cannon was not good, and did not fit
their guns well, or we should long ago
have been reduced
when it was found that cannon had
been mounted aud turned on us, our
wounded soldiers went to work and with
the help of the Chinese dug great pits
and covered them over as a place for us
10 retreat in case the buildings were bat
tered down.
Captain Stroud Killed.
"The morning of July is Captain Stroud
was killed, also another British marine.
That night, while we were at the funeral
a., of nj .-ly;1 -
at the gate, shot and shell came flying over
our heads, making US decidedly uaeasy
during the service. A shraprel struck the
tree under which five or six of US were
standing, and you can imagine We moved
cut rather quickly. Sixty foreigners have
been killed and 149 wounded during these
days. More than half have been picked off
by sharpshooters. One of our marines was
sharpshooter from Missouri, and he
brought down four with seven bullets. Poor
fellow, he was brave, and led an attack on
the wall which saved our lives, but he lost
his.
AT last our mon saw the Chinese were
going to make an attack before long, and
they concluded they would give sherl a
surprise At 3 a. IN. August 3, they made
a dash and 1t was a grand victory, won by
the Americans. as the Russians, who were
10 help failed to carry their side Since
then our men have had no use for the
Russian soldiers. There are seventeen ma
lions represented in this siege; there are
Ala foreigners.
August 10.-This morning at 3 O'Clock
We had furious rife attack. The cannon
have I'll been sent out of the city to meet
the foreign army. Bullets struck the sky
light in the hail, and the glass came crash
ing down with a terrible noise. Our ma
chine guns were turned on. but L have not
L
killed: in fact. We could not know. as they
fight from sheltered places. One day, when
We first came in / had look at the street
after serious attack. We could see only
a small part from loophole, but one look
was enough-dead men and dead horses.
Yesterday Captain Van Stroudt caught men
just outside our wall digging q mine. We
drove them of and succeeded in getting
their bag of powder.
Sunday night. Aug. I've heard on
Friday that our troops were half way to
US from Tientsin, had had two battles. and
expected to reach US either August 10 or
Il. Now, while ! am writing, We are in
the midst of a furious attack 1t is the
fifth or sixth We have had today. Our men
estimate that they have killed 100 Boxers
and many soldiers. Today our men on the
wall report hearing heavy cannonading TO
the southeast. That is where the Chinese
expected to meet our troops today and we
expect there is a big battle Oh. Our men
also say they have seen thousands of SOL
diers leaving the city to-day and the cav
airy going out on the run.
Last night about IL o'clock we had a
fierce attack for short time. In the midst
of the attack last night the Italian soldiers
put their fingers in their mouths and whis-
tied. The British marines took it up and
shouted bravo. The sound was tremen-
deus and the firing ceased at once and We
had quiet for over an hour; then they took
it up again We have to stay indoors. as
the bullets are too thick for anyone who is
not on duty TO be out.
"A letter came from the Tsung -li-Ya- |
men tonight saying that tomorrow Prince |
Ching and Prince TuSn desire audience !
with the Ministers. This latter man is |
one more responsible than anyone else for |
all this trouble. He openly said he ex-
pected TO line his cart with the skins of
foreign devils; then and then only would |
he be satisfied.
August 13.-All day there was firing, |
and several attacks. About in the even /
ing it was bad, and simply grew worse /
till this morning. Then we had a !et-up /
of hour or so, and then they started I
in again. Thousands Of bullets struck all /
about US. One came into our room |
through the window, but did not nit any
one. One struck just over the window,
and brought down some tiles, and several
struck on the roof. All our west barri-
cades We're badly injured, and it will take
all day 10 repair them. Our three ma
chine CUES and cannon were all working.
1t is simply wonderful that tens of thou
sands of bullets could be fred and only
one man killed The French captain was
killed. The Chinese simply point 4
their guns in our direction and fire; they