The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-01

have been much complimented on the
| discipline of the force. No grave charges
! have been brought against them, and In
| the loot they seem not to have been in
! the same class as the others, especially
the Russians Many grave stories are told
| Of the cruelty and ruthlessness of the
/ Cossacks during the fighting, but It is
naturally impossible to substant ate
them at this late day. An English resi-
I dent found some Cossacks or other Rus
slams looting his Office. He suatchei
the shoulder ornament from one of them,
reported to the Russian flagship. and a
few days liter the unfortunate offender
was swung from the yardarm. Here in
Tientsin an American found a party of
Russian soldiers looting his house. He
followed them up and meeting the Rus
sian commander stated his grievance.
The men were lined up along the street
was brought to light. Without the cum
bersome formality of a court-martial,
six of the offenders were placed against
a wall and shot to death.
Howe r whoever did the looting did it
Thoroughly, for Of the many beautiful resi-
dences n 'tie foreign concession few es-
capped. v AiIo the native city was stripped.
The h..5 Shells from the forts swept down
the Victoria Road. few over the river, and
left devastation in their path. Grim, desc
late, blackened walls are all that is left of
this once beautiful section. They stand in
ruined gardens, and blasted trees keep
guard over the shapeless piles Of debris.
1t is impossible to convey an idea of the
ruin in the native city The matched roofs
burned fereely, and the mud walls shiv-
cred at the impact of the Shells. Probably
no accurate estimate of the loss OF life In
this densely populated section will ever be
made. A curious fact is that a native
child or woman is seldom seen. even yet.
The Chinese say they were killed. but the
resident foreigners believe that they are
either hidden in the native city or have
been sent TO the country.
OF coolie labor there is no scarcity. The
word has gene forth tina; the foreigners
will employ them. and the supply far ex-
ceeds the demand. The wages range from
10 cents (Mexican) to SO Is cents CMexi-
CAM day. the latter price being paid by
the Americans, who also give each cooie
two pounds of rice a day. All ordinary
occupations are suspended. of course, and
beyond what the natives derive from their
labor for the forces of occupation they
have no means of Subsistence.
Strenuous efforts have been made to
put the city in a sanitary condition, and
they have partially succeeded However,
it is more than the work of a month to
undo the work of days. Lime by the ton
is being used in courts, alleys. and gut
ters, and the surface drains which line
the curbs are kept cleaned cut and free
Nevertheless, Europeans residents agree
that the nearness of frost is a thing to
be thankful for Huge stacks of rotting
rice and tons of burned ard decomposng
sugar FIJI the region of the river front
with an unhealthy and terrible sten,h.
while the ruins of the Chinese city are
almost impossible because of vile doors
in the heat of the day. A Chinese pro-
yisional government has been estab-
lished over the native city, administered
ny Americans and Europeans. police
force, native and foreign, is in working
order and system is being gradually
evolved out of the chaos. The foreign
city is efficiently policed by troops, and
perfect order is maintained. At every
corner is a sentry, while guards and
patrols are constantly afoot night and
day. The foreign residents are gradual
ly returning to find their homes either
destroyed or occupied by the allied
forces, and 1t is expected that an at
tempt soon will be made to fix compen-
sation for occupation and use OF su
property. The residents accept the stu
alton philosophically, and there is ap-
parently no conflict with the military
authorities
That it will be many months before tn.
rehabilitation of Tientsin is begun is a
certainty. That 1t will ever be restored to
its once beautiful proportions is doubtful.
The slow work OF years was destroyed In
4 week. Beautiful villas, superb resi-.
dences. once handsome grounds are but
wreck and ruin, and the hot breath of war
has blasted the Pei-Ho Valley from Pekin
to the Gulf Of Taku.