Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1900-09-06
HEROIC DEFENSE OF pEKIN
DEFENSEs OF locations WE'RE
WONDERFUL.
avery scrap OF Metal Converted Into A.
mmanition-s5o,oO0 Worth of SIN
Ussd In Aaking Breastwork,.

since the entrance into Pekin great
interest has been manifest i'm th.
heroic defense made by the Legations
The relief forces were surprised upon
inspecting the defenses at their com.
pieteness. The barricades are. after
oil. the most wonderful sight in Pekip.
The barriers hedging the British Iepa-
tion are marvel of stone and brick
walls and earthworks. Sandbaps
shield every foot of space. The tops
OF the walls have inches for the rifle
men and the buildings at their por.
ticos and windows have armor boxes
bags stuffed with dirt and pillows, too.
Back of tho United States legation is
work named Fort Myers" which
the marines held, completely screening
both sides Of the walls, with steps
leading to IT, There is q loophole in
the barrier across tho walls which faces
similar Chinese work . few yards
away. Another wall bars Legation
street in trout of tho German legations.
and confronting the snemy's barricades
within those limits are yet more walls.
enabling the foreigners to contract the
area of defense IL pressed. The tops
OF the American and British buildings
were badly torn BY the Chin sse shells.
The most OF the foreign shells fell dur
ing the frst three weeks of the bonn
oardment. 400 q day Bucketsful of
bullets were gathered in tho grounds.
Four hundred and fourteen persons
lived 10 the compound through the
greater part OF the siegs. Three hu,.
nred and four marines, assisted by
'ixty-hvs volunteers. commanded by
the English Captain Poole, defended
the place. Eleven civilians were
killed and nineteen wounded. Fifty.
four marines and sailors were killed
and ll2 wounded Gilbert E. Reid.
who was wounded in the foot, was the
only American civilian injured. Two
foreign women were wounded.
The imprisoned legationers looked
Ike company of invalids. Every
part OF the enclosure testified to their
experiences. There was plot of new
graves headed with wooden crosses.
including the graves of Ave children.
At the second secretary's house wa,
The hospital filled with invalids. At
one time all but four men of the
Japanese contingent had been In the.
hospital wounded.
There were several caves rooted with
timbers, heaped over with earth, which
served as bomb-proofs.
The bulletin board was covered with
ngnifcant notices. For instances:
"As there Is likely to be a severe
dropping fire today, women and children
are forbidden to walk about the
grounds"
Here is another:
Owing to the small supply of vege-
tables and eggs, the market will be
open only from 9 to 10 hereafter. All
horse meat inspected by physician.
The bravery OF the women was note
worthy. They became SO accustomed
70 the fire that it is difficult to restrain
them from walking about the grounds
1t all times.
When a proposal was made TO petit |
ion the Tsung-li-Yamen for vegetables
'ome said they would rather starye
than take help from that quarter. The
Yamen's food supply was farce, only
for one day. When meat was
asked for, the reply was that this
could not be furnished, because q stats
Of war existed In Pekin.
The Tsung-li-Yamen posted procla.
nation asking the people to kill all
as the latter had made war
On China in attacking the forts at
faku.
The legations were hercely attacked
from July 18th to July 25th. At tho
latter date nominal truce was agreed
to and extended to August 3rd, al
though the Chinese repeatedly violated
II. There was considerable rife fire
from August 3rd to August I1th, and
then the Chinese mounted smooth
bores. The mainstay of the foreigners
was an old gun used by the British In
1850, which was found In junk shop
by Mitchell, the American gunner.
This was mounted on Russian car
rage found by an Italian. Ammuni-
tion was fitted to 1t and 1t was
the international Gun."