The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-10-03

ana We at once IctiiCa " hHO DAASs'AA -
CATION on Wednesday, June ~
..There we were divided into various
committees of defence, and every detail
was thoroughly organized. There were
food sanitary, fuel and water commit
t. es beside the one of which l was chiei
We had about $50 foreigners outside the
soldiers When we made our line of de-
fence we enclosed some Chinese stores in
which large quantities of fermented,
black looking rice were stored. This we
subsisted on, with horse and mule meat,
for two months. 1t was severe diet. but
not altogether unhealthy. We mad ninety
mules and horses.
I'm one day over 400 Krupp shells were
fired into the Legation compound. 1t is
little short of miraculous that more dam
age was not done. 1t was amazing that
we should escape such a shower of metal
The buildings were cut to pieces. Out or
lffty-two American marines seven were
killed and sixteen wounded, or "A per cent.
The Germans had 35 per cent killed. This
was due to their recklessness and not
ibarricading themselves as the others did.
The British loss was small. We were
fairly well supplied with ammunition and
orders were given to reserve fire. A ma
| rne told me he had fired only seventeen
] times during the siege, showing how Well
/ ne obeyed orders. Occasionally We were
/ lighting the Chinese directly across the
wall Sometimes a truce was asked and
I a CnlnPSe Object WOulQ ltih Will oS. OhC
said: We fire. bang! bang! bangi Nobody
fall. You fire bang! One Chinese fall
down. showing the accuracy of our fire.
I'VE found that the Krupp shells of the
Chinese would penetrate two S-inch walls
and stick in the third Our Notifications
were made of two two-foot walls with
bank of earth seven feet wide thrown
in between, making it impossible for the
shells to penetrate. Our trenches were
eleven feet deep. Water was reached al
Ii feet, effectually preventing the enemy
from undermining u.s. We were handi-
capped for intrenching tools, having only
a few old picks. The sand bags were the
most important barricades we had. SOM
We're made of the damask curtains from
the residences, as we'll as the valuable
silks which were procured. | doubt If ir
the worlds history military barricades
have cost 50 much money.
After Won Ketteler was killed / wa:
lin correspondence with Minister Congel
at all times, and have much of his CORE
spondence with me. We awaited the rein
ifcrcements, which We felt would come.
icourier informed US that Seymour ano
McCalla were on the way to relieve us
We waited and waited. Finally the
Americans said they would come in OF
July 4, the nations birthday. The Att
came and went; and then the Frenchmer
said they We're coming on the 18th, the
celebration of the fall OF the Bastile. Blu
no one came until August IA. At 2:3o II
the afternoon with my own eyes / saw
the British Sikhs under General Gasele,
come up the moat and drive the Chinese
away and we were relieved of our strain
The Americans came in later But the!
were really the first over the walls O
Picking. They scaled a wall of the south
lern city but We're compelled to go bach
and enter by the same route as the Brit
iish The Japanese In the forenoon ha(
commenced a furious assault in the north
fern city and diverted the attention of thu
Chinese, which was taken advantage o
by the Americans.
Gould we have held out much longer
No; I don't think we could have with
stood the siege more than week longer
Our food supplies would have lasted TO
that length of time.
lone of the bravest defences made wa
that Of the great wall which overhunl
and overlooked the American Legation
When the trouble began the American
marines climbed the wall by an incline'
:. ladder arrangement This was near
gate which was surmounted by hug
tower In this the Chinese entrenche'
themselves and 'sniped the marines. Tn
latter built a barricade. The Chimes
built a tower from which they could fir
| over it. So the fight continued. The ma
irines were brave. The ladder expoSe'
them to shipping, and many of then
were killed and wounded Finally the,
made a zig-Zag ladder. fenced in an
thus crawled up to the top of the wall
: They made a gallant defense. which wi
live in history. Had the marines been de
, Heated or driven away. the Legation woul
have fallen into the hands OF the Chi
: ,nese"
Mr.. GamewelI is accompanied by hi
wife, who was also one of the besieged
, She Is lively and chatty, and says sh
, would have preferred to remain behind {
see the result of the war. Both are look
ing extremely we'll despite the strain c
, eight weeks under fire.
Mr.. Gamewell is the son of the invento
. of the Gamewell fire alarm system.
which are used in every large city |
the United States.