The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-28

beginning these hndbcpn used much more illn
NJ the end. when tho work was done almost
entirely with bricks. That was not because
the sandbags were not better, hut there were
no more bags. The ladies Of the legations
had used 40 all the material In their possession
in making bngs. Some of II was brocaded
sIlk worth dollars n yard Their pettlcoa's
and curtains and all the hnery they could spar"
they put To tho same good cause. " wa
n bright lot Of handbags that frv,l;vd s.s
Chinese inter that.
All tho porchcs Of the buildings In the Bf'1..;
J Legation wero barrlcaded with these bags
because II was necessary for people to sleep
there. and the bullets came Tipping in at all
hours unnnnounc.i. Just think Of having
TO build yourself a fence Of sandbags to get
into to have n decent nap OF an hour or 80!
NORTH CATHEDRAL LoNo HEMMED IN.
Rut stIll Pckin has not been relieved We
have been inside tho British legation thirty
hours. ard have been to the gate itself 80 w
Purple Wonder, but over in The Peh-tang, tho
North Cathedral old Bishop Favier Is still holding
out against the rabble that has besieged him
40 desperately all summer, 1t was not until
the morning Of the 10th, the day after the Ameri-
can hasco on the gates, that the British decided
to send n force to the relief Of the French. Then
they found that the japanese had done the same
Alllk hllfhNg INV FllihlN y 'I' i'''' WV
along with the British detachment and did not
arrive until the work had been done. There
was very little fight left in the Chinese. They
had had enough In the last few days and new
on tho appearance Of the japanese.
The Pch-tang is well within the walls Of tho
Imperial city. In its northwest quarter. IL was
n beautiful church, surrounded by extensive
grounds. where there were buildings for the
shelter and occupation Of many hundreds Of
- ~-.N~1 .sAa ~ ~
the men who understood The signs Of the times
and made preparations. lie II was who was
| responsible for tho conversion Of NJ. Pichon,
the Minister, to n realization Of the gravity OF
the situation when every other Minister there
was still doubtful that there would he trouble.
| Favier laid in supplies Of his own when he found
he could not move the French Of the legation,
He bought rifles for some Of his converts and
ammunition and prepared TO defend himself.
Then, at last, they got thirty French guards.
| with two officers, and ten Italians This was
| the whole band then Favler and two other
| priests, three nuns and forty-two guards. with
| about 1000 native converts huddled in the huts
| around the grounds. The Chinese attacked
l them night and day and battered the face and
| east wall of the beautiful Cathedral almost TO
| pieces with their shell fire. From the north
| and west they could not attack so fercely for
fear Of firing over into the Forbidden city Just
| beyond.
How the graveyard grew behind the church,
once the Chinese exploded q mine they had
laid under the corner Of the lines held by the
little garrison. II was a tremendous explosion
| and made n hole big enough TO put a sood-sized
ship In. II killed nearly three hundred Of the
converts, men, women and children, and de-
livered the garrison the worst blow II had In
the loss OF both It's officers and three of the
| guards. Still they held on so well that the
| Chinese could not come over the hole they
had made; they had preached the line. but 1t did
them no good.
cor BEsIEdBRs' Lone TOM.
Out in front of the cathedral the Chinese
mounted an old brass gun in the beginning
which the besieged promptly sailed out and
! took from them. After that whenever the
Chinese FIRE was too heavy from the front,
or they were edging their barricades up too
closely. the garrison would run out this old
| Ions Tom and give them a few rounds. That
always had the effect Of holding them of.
They we're glad 10 be relieved. these French
men and Chinese. They had had a long. hard
fight Of II, the real fight Of Pekin, but old Father
Favier simply smiled and said. yes. they had
pulled through.
PEKiN UTTERLY WRECKED.
That was two days ago. Since then nothing
has been done except get into camp and divide
up the city and loot. Pekin Is n sight. Every
minute since the foreign troops entered its
outside wall there have been fires in all direC-
ton. IL makes no difference which way you
go at night the path is light. And all about
the whole place is already destruction enough
done by the Boxers and Chinese to Justify one
in saying the city had been wrecked. Wherever
any foreigner or any Christian or any Chinese
who sympathized with foreigners or converts
lived or had property it was destroyed THIS
Nan-tang. Southern cathedral, was laid alb.
%solutely waste. That was only a sample.
Everywhere it was the same.
Now the foreigner has laid his heavy hand
on the wreck. and the condition is steadily
growing much worse, The lootlng Is going
on more easily and evenly than 1t did at Tientsin.
Here there are not Sc many Chinese lying around
watching for their chance. They are fewer and
vastly more timid. In their own quarter tho
Americans are supposed TO stop looting en-
tirely and the report Is that there are orders
to shoot. The British are going at the thing
quietly and Systematically. sending out their
pack trains with n party In charge OF each
under command Of an officer. All the loot goes
Into tho big pile in the legation compound and
will he put mp at auction. Then, when II L. all
sold, Tommy will get his share Of the prize
money. It is a very comfortable and easy way
and not liable 10 heart burninCs like ours.
ONLY THE JAPANESE NOT LooTINo.
The Russians and French loot joyously and
spontaneously, without effort. They gather
up what they like and as far as they can they
take 1t from the quarter OF the city in which
they happen to be. II a couple Of Russkies
drive along in one Of their big forage carts
and happen to find a good plant. they do not
stop to ask who has the guard. There being
more time. and thera bainp ulso tho aiannant