The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-19

LONDON. June 10, $50 a. n1.-China de-
clared war against the world when the
Taku forts opened fire upon the inter
national fleet. The accounts of what took
place are still unsatisfactory. the best
semi-offlcial information being the dis
patch received from Chefoo Of today's
date, which says:
THE forces of the combined fleets oc-
cupied the Taku forts yesterday. after
exploding a magazine. The British gun
boat Agerine was damaged and two OF
her officers and men We're wounded.
Japan and Russia are preparing to land
large force Of troops. All is quiet here"
The unofficial narratives coming by way
of Shanghai vary and bear evidence OF
experimenting the main facts with guess
work One dispatch says that the York
town participated in the bombardmenf.
Another asserts that American marines
formed part OF the stormfng force of 2c00.
An Associated Press dispatch from Che
foo, dated yesterday afternoon, says;
The forts on both sides OF Taku are
now occupied. The Chinese opened fire
Unexpectedly. The casualties to the
mixed force were as follows;
'killed-British, one; German. three:
Russian. one and French. one.
"Wounded-Brtish, four: German, sew
en-: Russian. forty-ive and French, one.
Chinese torpedo boats were seized"
Empress Orders the Attack.
The Shanghai correspondent of the Daily
Mail. telegraphing yesterday. says:
The forts began firing. In observance
10 orders from Peking, conveyed in the
personal edict of the empress dowager
by advice OF Kang " president of the
ministry of war. Several warships were
struck by shells from the twelve-inch
guns OF the forts
THE heavy Russian losses were due
to the blowing up of the magazines of
Mandshur
-Four hundred Chinese are reported
killed. The Chinese who were retreatinC.
fell into the hands of the Russian land
force"
The Daily News has the following from
Chefoo:
Two Of the forts were blown up. The
thirty-two warships at Taku aggregated
100000 tons and carried more than 600
guns"
Conflicting Rumors From PekinR.
Tho failure Of Admiral Seymour's coll
umn and its retreat to Tientsin increase.
Il is presumed, the peril OF the legations In
Pekiug, which Is stlu isolated. although
Shanghai forwards Chinese rumors that
the legations were attacked by mobs VINO
were moved down by machine guns. and
also that the members OF the legations
were massacred. The situation at Niu-
chwang is reported critical
Nations Ordering Troops sent.
The British consul at Kiukang has or
dcred all foreigners to leave Knllrg and
Nauklngehang. The powers are taking
prompt action. Four thousand German
troops have been ordered 20 China. l0.00o
French troops are waiting TO embark at
Saigol, capital OF French Cochin China.
and from 2o0o TO 5.oa more Russians have
been ordered from Port Arthur To Taku
More Russians have been ordered from
Port Arthur 10 Taku. This reinforcement.
says the 81. Petersburg CORE spondent OF
the Daily Telegraph, is announced in the
st. Petersburg Gazette the government
pointing out that Russia Is sending SO
many troops solely for the sake OF peace
and humanity.
Russia Masses to.ooo Men.
Tho Brussels correspondent Of the
STANDARD IN dispatch dated yesterday.
says "Eussla has massed W.ooo men. with
seven batteries Of artillery. at kiachta.