The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-10-13
MIss.TILLIE FAIR.

lie FAIR.
servants who had not run away left our
house and went to the Town Hall. 1t
was to be our place of defense. Lo-
Gated at the center of the settlement
large and strong, it was good place
for us. l had about as far to go to the
hall as any, and when got there was
one of nearly 800 women and children.
| By daylight the Boxers were repuls-
| ed We had taken food with us-that
| had always been kept in readiness
some beds carried by the servants, also
some clothes. While we were preparing
| to be as comfortable as possible the
news came that the fire had consumed
eight Roman Catholic churches, the
homes of many native Christians and
that at least 500 native Christians, men,
women and children had been slain that
night by the Boxers" For some rea-
sons they did not make very formfd-
able attack upon us again until Sun.
day afternoon about 2:15 or 2:30 p. m.
/ heard a sound boom VIII e-e-e-e-e-
bang. Then another / thought "shells"
but had not time for a question before
all were ordered into the cellar. My
next thought was 80 they are shells"
We sat in the cellar all evening while
the shells flew high up over our heads,
but as they came from the native city
and went towards the Chinese Imperial
Military College, the officers thought
there must be some mischief on foot
there, so on Monday they would send
troops over there to see about it. Ear
ly Monday morning the railway station
and the bridge crossing the settlement
over the Pei-Ho to the station were at
tackled by Boxers and native soldiers
who had Joined the Boxers The Rus
slams went out to drive them away
while the other allied troops crossed
the river to the college. After a short
battle they took the place and discov-
cred that within the walls they had
been mounting guns and training them
upon the foreign settlement. The coll
lege was destroyed to keep it from fall
ing back into the hands of the Chinese.
After a battle of thirteen consecutive
hours the Russians drove the enemy
back from the station, they then fired
the villages along the other side of the
river and as the houses burned we who
stood in the tower of the hall (for she'll
ing had ceased) could see the China
men run from these houses. They We're
fired on by the men in Tien-Tsin and
many of them slain.
The next day the Chinese shelled as if
they knew how, and we stayed in the
cellar all day. In the evening we found
ourselves short of ammunition so it was
decided to send some one to Taku. A
young man by the name of James
Watts, who knew the road well, under
took the ride escorted by three Russian
cossacks. The message he carried
prayed for relief. When he, after a
dangerous ride, succeeded in getting to
our men at Taku he found them just
starting to assist US. Now they made
all possible haste and having fought
the Chinese all the way they finally
came in sight on Saturday morning,
June 23rd. For a time we could not tell
whether it was a reinforcement for
the Chinese or not, but about 1890
o'clock from among the foremost col
umns fioated out our glorious STARS
and Stripes"
At l o'clock p m. they marched into
the settlement. Were we not happy +?
oh, on Thursday, June 26th, the force
that had left Tien-Tsin about the 18th
of June for Picking admiral Seymour
expedition came near Tien-Tsin. A
them and before entering the settle
ment they took one of the Chinese ar
senals and destroyed it.
!. AS they came into the settlement ]
stood at the gate and saw them go by
carrying those wounded worst, assist
ing some to walk, others wounded
helped themselves the best they could
Weary and hungry, for they had lived
!. NJ fno1, Nd IT. fo, =
. thirsty, for the Chinese had poisoned
the well, sad for they had failed to
, rescue the people of Peking The next
day the other arsenal was taken and
destroyed. Now the men began to
make preparations to storm the native
city and get the fort that was Smelling
us. In the meantime the Chinese sur
rounded us and poured a continual hail
of bullets into the settlement and often
killed some of our people. On the morn
ing of July I'd some of us were agree
ably surprised by being told that two
boats would leave for Taku that day
! and all who would risk little might
take their chances to get out of Tien-
Tsin. I have parents, sister and a
brother, so took the first chance to
come away. I sailed from Tien-Tsin
on the first boat that went. The sights
going down the river were dreadful
oead Cinnamon floating in the water
stranded on the shore and some OF
! them being eaten by dogs.
Ihat night we stayed on the U. S. S.
Monocacy." The next day we sailed
! TOT japan there to await whatever
chance we might get to cross the Pacif-
soon the U. s. A. T. Logan came
and took US safely to San Erano;soo
TILLIE FAIR