The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-28
A DUEL OF BIG GUNS.
ALLIES WE'RE MORE sKILLFUE
AND DROVE THE CHINESE.
SEYMOUR PROBABLY SAVED.
ADMIRAL HELIOGRAPHED THAT RE
COULD HOLD OUT TWO DAYS.

Keen Rivalry as to Which Nations
Soldiers Should FlIst Enter Tien
Tsin-Russians Lost Most Heavily
Because They Stormed the Citadel.
Powers Anxious to Hear From
Expelled Ministers to Learn If
There Is a state of War.
London, June 2s, 3:2O a. m.-The COM
posite brigade Of $500 men that raised the
investment of Tien Tsin and pushed on
TO help Admiral Seymour has probably
saved him, but the news has not yet
reached Che Foo, the nearest wire point
The latest steamer arriving at Che Foo
from Taku brought this message, dated
Tien Tsin, Monday June %:
1.-THE Russian general in command of
the relief force had decided in view of
Saturdays heavy fighting and marching
that one days rest for the troops was
essential and that the advance should
not be resumed until to-day.
Meanwhile came Admiral seymour's
heliograph that his position was desper-
ate and that he could only hold out two
days. The relief started at dawn to-day
(Monday.)"
Saturdays fighting began at daybreak.
The allied forces opened with several OF
the Terrible's Al naval guns, six field
guns and numerous machine guns, the
firing being at long range They continu-
ed to advance steadily, the Chinese ar
tillery replying The guns of the allies
were more skillfully handled and put the
guns of the Chinese out of action one by
one, the Chinese retreating about noon.
There was keen rivalry among the rep
resentatives of the various nations as 10
which would enter Tien Tsin first, and
the Americans and British went in neck
and neck. The Russians stormed the
arsenal, thereby sustaining the largest
losses.
Several thousand Japanese have left
Taku for Tien Tsin, and altogether 1900
japanese have landed. The International
troops now aggregate nearly 10000, and
Japan is preparing to send 2O,OOO more
With British, American and other troops
ordered to go. probably 5000 men VIII De
available in a month.
The Tong Shan refugees and the foreign
engineers at Che Foo estimate the Chi
nese troops now in the field. as 25V0
troops at -Lu Tel, q, 900 at Shang Hal Wan,
1900 driven off from Tien Tsin and $780,
900 at Pekin.
The dispatch received by the foreign
once, stating that the foreign legations
were requested to leave Pekin within
specified time, is interpreted in some un-
OFFICIAL quarters, as tantamount to giving
the ministers their passports, and to
declaration of war but as China does
nothing like other countries, the official
opinion is that there is nothing to do but
to await the course of events and to see
what the ministers themselves say when
they are rescued.
All the students at the foreign hospitals
in Canton are leaving. Women mission
aries are returning from the West river
ports. There was a slight disturbance a
Wo Chou Tuesday while the women were
embarkng. The crowd shouted xiii the
foreign devils!'
According to advices from Shanghai,
she Chinese officials. by direction of the
southern viceroys are asking the consuls
10 agree to, conditions tinsuring" as the
Chinese say, "the neutrality of Shanghai
and other coast cities" They are also
asking that foreign warships shall not
sail or anchor near the forts, nor go to
ports where there are no warships now;
that their crews shall not go ashore, and
that the protection of foreigners be left
20 the Chinese authorities. These condi-
tions are considered at Shanghai to be
virtually an ultimatum from Viceroys
Liu Kun Yih and Shang Chih Tung. The
consuls desire sufficient naval and mill
tary force to back up their refusal to
comply with these demands. The total
naval force there now consists of 969 men
with 80 guns. The Chinese have 5000 men
with six guns in the forts, and 10000 men
outside Shanghai with modern rifles and
machine guns.
The magnitude of the arrangements
Japan is making suggests provision
against present contingencies other than
the suppression of the present disturb
ances IN China. She has chartered nine
teen additional transports, and now has
thirty-five In ALL
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