The Portland daily press., 1900-12-31
How Boxers Shut Up The Foreign
Devils in the City.
The Brave Fight Against
Big Odds.
The Terrible Scenes Attending
This Long Conflic t.

The seige of Tien Tsin has already
passed into history, but few Portland
PEOPLE have had an opportunity OF
learning much about this terrible period
In the lives Of many of their country
man during the Boxer uprising in China.
Last evening MIR. Charles f. Cannon.
who has been superintendent OF the
American Bible society In China for
several years and who passed through
this ssige, gave a very interesting lecture
on tnis subject In st. Stephen s church.
tly, he related the events leading up
to the seige, Of the situation in Pekin
and OF the Boxer outrages in various dis
tricts. Boxers had gathered about Tfen
Tsin to the number Of hundreds OF
thousands and these with the 5000 reg
ulnr troops under Gen. Mich, made up
the terrible odds against which the
Americans and Europeans had to fight
for three long weeks.
He said: "We had, at the beginning
OF trouble, a fighting strength OF about
!, 400 men. The French concession Is
nearest the native city, the immense
Vi hnAJu o0jOAh AZ Nboh NAVoo
the British and German concessions, In
the order named. The banks OF the river
above, below and opposite the settlement
were lined with native villages, and they
also covered the Dlain behind the settle
ment, while there were many Chinese
houses and shops In our midst. especial
ly In the French concession, whole
section Of which consisted of tea houses,
theatres and hnts. 1t was a huge terri
tory to defend, especially with only 140J
troops, but many of the street ends were
barrioaded and machine guns placed in
the most commanding positions, SO that
the enemy must suffer heavy loss even
II successful in an attack.
The railway station was on the opposite
side OF the river, which is crossed by a
pontoon bridge, and this important po-
sition had to lee held at any cost. since
the possession OF IL by the Chinese
would give them the key to the settle
ment and put an end to the possibility
OF using this line for transportation pur-
poses. The innumerabls streets which
end on the river front and back on thu
plain, had all to be protected, since by
any one OF them the Boxers or troops
might lind entrance to the settlement
and that would prove speedily fatal, so
that only q thin line OF defense could
be formed with the small number OF
men to command, while 1t was necessary
TO use many for patrol purposes about
the streets. The younger citizens had
nearly all Joined volunteer corps, while
Home Guard had been formed among
the older residents, the object OF which
was to aid the women and children in
getting to Gordon Hall, (the public build
ing in the British concession) for IL was
agreed that in case of general alarm
all residents should assemble there, and
II the worst came TO the worst 1t was
there that we would make a final stand
and fight to the end"
MIR. Cannon went on to tell about
the outbreak on Thursday. June 14th
when the Boxers began to burn houses
in the native city. Mr.. Cannon saw
the trouble coming and sent his wife and
children to a ship about to sail for
Japan. On Friday the Boxers attacked
the railway station, but armed only
with spears and banners they fell in
hundreds before the fire of the Cossacks.
Saturday morning the Chinese began 20
desert the foreign settlement and that
night the native city was brilliantly
Illuminated with red lanterns, the signal
for general uprising.
Mr.. Cannon then went on TO say that
Admiral Kempf did right in refusing 60
sign the demand for the surrender OF the
Taku forts for by that demand the lives OF
two thousand foreigners were ieopar died.
Sunday morning the Chinese forts opensd
fire ON the allied fleets and the next day
the Chinese hogan sheIling Tien Tsln.
Graphically Mr.. Cannon described the
first day Of this Smelling OF the settlement
which was filed with foreigners and the
constant fighting with the Boxers who
were trying to force their way into the
town. The beginning of ths lombard
ment on Sunday was the drst fruit OF
the firing ON the Taku forts and the next
day Gen. Mich attacked the railway
station but the Cossaoks repulssd him
after great loss on both sides. Had the
Chinese attacked the city in two PLACES
at the same time the settlement must
have been captured nd for two days the
fate OF the foreigners in lien Isin hung
in the balance as to have cut their way
out would have been impossible. The
danger inside the city was very great for
hidden Boxers about The settlement were
constantly firing on nassers by In the
streets. Though many OF these hidden rifle
men were hunted down and executed
they caused much anxiety. The houses
were filled with wounded and the firing
on the skirmish lines WAS constant.
Under the cemetery wall Russian bodies
lay unDuried for days so hot was the
fire in this locality while the river wai
choked with corpses. The pontoon bridge
across the river bad fully 100 bodies piled