The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-13
STORY OF THE iSIEG r..
Welcome Home o China Missionaries at
missionaries by the Congregational

1 SAub.
large audience representative Of all
the churches Of this city met last even
ing in Davenport church, the occasion
being the welcome home of returned
missionaries from China. An extra
meeting was called for this purpose by
the New Haven Congregational club,
which gave a reception to the mission
aries from to $3.50 p. m. Following
this a supper was served by the ladies
Of the Davenport church, after which
came the addresses.
The recently returned missionaries
were Rev. j. H. Roberts and wife of
Hartford, Rev. Charles E. Ewing of
this city, and Dr. Willis C. Noble and
wife of this city. Former missionaries
who attended are Mrs. Osgood of Lyn-
wood street, this city, and DR.. Peet of
New York.
Rev. f. r. Luckey of the Humphrey
street church opened the meeting with
prayer, and after the reading of the
minutes by the secretary of the club,
/ Professor Chandler, the following new
members We're elected: President Ar
! thur II. Hadly of Yale Rev. James d.
| Smiley of Plymouth church, Robert
Macarthur, jr. Davenport church;
Marcus B. Hemingway, Second Congre-
gational; Albert o. Norton, United
church; William H Ely, Church of the
Redeemer; John Scoville, East Haven
Congregational and Theodore II.
Thompson, East Haven Congregational.
J1Iy inJ AIre.
Roberts and Mr., Ewing then rendered
gospel hymn in the Chinese lam
guage.
Rev. c. f. Clark of Whitneyville,
president of the Congregational club,
in a warm address welcomed the mis-
sionaries who have so recently escaped
from the perils of the Boxer uprising in
China Rev. Mr. Roberts was intro
duced and told simply and thrlllingly
the story of his escape with other mis-
Eionaries across the great Cobb desert
into Siberia. Mr.. Roberts was located
In Hangar, in the north Of China, when
the Boxer rebellion began. Kangan
was defended by the stars and stripes,
which floated over the North China
college. and mounted telescope which
the Boxers mistoolz for cannon. He
fled to Pel5in, where he was entertained
by Mr.. Ewing and with the latter paid
a visit to Minister Conger. Finding
the railroads blocked and no way of es-
Gaping toward the coast on the next
day Mr., Roberts with small party
of missionaries disguised as merchants
started northward on the journey which
was not to end until they had traversed
the thousand miles which lay between
them and the boundary of Siberia, and
beyond that to the heart of the Russian
empire at st. Petersburg.
The adventures on the way, the
threatening mob of Boxers at Kangan
the concealments in the mountains, the
tolls and perils of the murderous Cobb
desert, where the wanderers suffered the
tortures Of thirst and the terrors from
wild beasts; the story of Larson, the
Swedish missionary, who, like a Moses,
led them through the hostile Mongol
country to the promised Siberian land;
how they cooked their meals with the
spinters of lightning riven poles that
lay along their route; how, when they
had almost reached their goal they
We're captured and miraculously res
cued by a band Of Russian Cossacks /.
sent by the Russian governor; how
finally they reached the bleak but hos
pitable Russian territory and thence |
journeyed successfully to st. Peters, |
story was heard with the alb |
sorbing interest accorded to him who
has seen and was part of these things /.
The address of Rev Charles e. Ew- .
ing of Yale 90 was concerned with his .
experience in the famous siege of Pekin.
Here, too the missionaries were pre-
served seemingly by special Provi- \
dence. Only three missionaries in the
city were killed Within the great
walled compound of the station the mis-
5ionories We're safe, though under con-
slant fire from without. Fires repeat
edly started in the city while the wind
set toward the station, but each time
he wind changed. Their wells supplied
hem constantly with the only good wa
Ter to be obtained. Mr., Ewing himself
1ad several escapes from the Chinese
and from falling shell.
For meat there We're plenty of horses
ind mules and an abundance of grain
which they We're able to grind and con-
vert into a coarse kind of bread. The
mothers and children suffered most
five children died during the siege. On
he first day of the siege babe was
BORN and was christened Siege More.
Mr. Ewing brought with him many
elics of the siege, Boxer sword, pieces
# rusty shell which showed the poor
of the Chinese ammunition,
,ieces Of cash four pounds of which is
worth but thirty-six cents inscribed tab
cts from the Chinese library of Pekin +,
which were used in the Notifications
The cause of the Boxer uprising Mr..
ewing ascribed to the innovations of 5
he Europeans which have produced
reat changes in labor conditions and
brown thousands out of work. War 4
7as not proclaimed by the Boxers alone,
ut by the Chinese government. He
expressed only words of praise for the :
onduct of Minister Conger during the
rying crisis, who acted ably in the dis I
barge of his duties.
FAIR HAVEN.