Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-06-23
TIEN TSIN A HUGE CITY.

citing scene in China just now, is one
of the lar est cities in the empire, hav-
ing fully 900 900 inhabitants.
1t is the port OF Pekin, and stands on
the tortuous and muddy Peiho river,
SO miles below Pekin and 33 miles
above the Taku forts at the mouth of
the river. The province of Pc Chi Ii,
10 which both Pekin and Tien Tsin
are situated, is vast low-lying plain,
liable To floods of more or lesl severity.
O1ly 10 years ago 1t was visited by
such calamity, which counted its VIC
TINS by millions, the extent of the dam
age being measured by tens OF thou
sands of square miles. Tien Tsin lit
orally means "Heaven's Ford"
The walled city proper has circuit
of only three miles, but the suburbs
stretch out teyond the ramparts for
miles in every direction, and harbor
the greater part of the enormous popu
laton. The big cities of the south OF
Caiua have much about them that is
picturesque, but at Tien Tsin there i
little bright or attractive outside the
foreign quarter except the dress of the
inhabitaals. The wide-s 1reading Cni
nese portion of the place is pleasing
neither TO The sense of sight norsmel.
According TO the German traveller Won
Werner, the city is dirty and odorifer-
Jus, and large part OF the buildin, s
are merely huts OF dried mud. 10 the
aeat of three summer months" he
writes, "the town is almost unendur-
able"
Yet Tiep Tsin differs from the citie
of southern China 10 the greater width
of its principal thoroughisres. Wpil,
transportation in Shanghai and C4ntoL
is usually carried on by coolie porters,
IN the streets of Tien Tsin are seen huD.
dreds of the heavy carts of North China,
most of them drawn by mules or oxen
Nowhere within the vstt expause OF
:he Chinese Empire are the inhabitants
more enter prisipg than in this great
port of northern China. They own big
lee of juuks anu hU, few steamers.
Although the English st one time COD
rolled the larger part OF the trade oi
Tien TsiD, the native merchants won
back the first place 20 years ago, and
nave since fairly main, ain ed IL. 10 1881
he CITY was connected by telegraph
with Shanghai, Pekin and the chief
cities of the empire and for some years
past the place has also been railroad
centre on the route between the Taku
forts and the capital.
The foreign quarter is called Tkz'-chu-
lin, or the Red Bamboo Grove. 1t is
about two miles below the city proper
and embraces three "conc esstons," the
British. which is 10 the centre, being
the lal gest and most important,
while the French is nearest the
citv. and the American the farthest
away. This foreign quarter bears
striking contrast to the Chinese sec
ton of the city, and is orDamented by
many fine structures, notable among
them being a new hospital. Enclrcilng
the whole place, including the foreign
quarter, is rampant erected 10 1898 oy
a Tartar general as a defense against
the invading British forces, and known
after its designer, as "Ssn-kt -lln-sin's
The United States consulate at Tien'
siu, which is reported to have been
destroyed, is situated far up on the
Meadows road, which runs up from the
Peiho directly through the center OF
the town. 1t is far removed from any
of the other consulates and practically
isolated from all other foreign buildings
This fact might explain the report o.
its destruction before the rest of Ihe
foreign consulates were molested. Inc
Japanese and Russian consuIstes srt
close together on the Meadows roe. %
nssr the river. Of by themselvei
farther up the Peiho stand the orl'is' is'
and French buildings in close proximity
to each other.
A recent census of Tientsin showed
.ha tora;yn population to be about ,O0C
nar sons. including 10 Americans.
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