The Portland daily press., 1900-06-19

Continued from First Page.
Remey has lent due support to Admiral
Kempf during the crisis. The Yorktown
was sent from Shanghai to Che Foo by
Admiral Dewey without express instruc-
ton from the department and has served
very useful purpose here. 1t Is sup
posed at the navy department that Admit
raj Remey has pursued similar course
with respect to the gunboat Concord,
the sister ship of the Yorktown which,
according to press dispatches from Ma
Mia, sailed yesterday from that place I'M
der sealed orders presumably for China.
| II was said at the department that no
| instruction to that effect had gone for
ward from here, so 1t is supposed that
| Admiral Remey is again acting volun-
tarily to strengthen the hands of Admit
raj Keinpff.
/ Great appreh ension exists at the navy
department as to the fate Of the United
/ States marine guard of 90 men which
/ was landed ut Tien Tsin and despatched
| by rail to Pekin before the railroad was
\ interrupted. They went forward to Pc.
kin under an authorization granted by
the Chinese government to the United
/ States minister at Pekin in common
with other ministers to employ naval
guard at the legation.
Just before the wires from Pekin We're
cut word came that Minister Conger
had detached 20 of these marines from
his legation and placed them as a guard
at the Methodist compound. This is an
enclosure of some 10 acres situated near
~ a mile distant from the legation where
many missionaries and their families as
well as large number of native Chris
/ tans are believed to have taken refuge.
! The instructions sent to Admiral
! Kempff relative to his participation In
the seizure of the Taku forts, were broad,
consisting OF direction to protect all
| American interests and to that end to act
concurrently with the representatives of
the other powers. 1t is explained that In
the opinion of this authorities this order
conferred upon Admiral Kempff ample
power to seize forts, to tight, or to do
anything in fact, on the sole condition
/ that, in his Judgment, his acts should
/ tend to the protection of the American
| interests. 1t was learned at the British
| embassy this afternoon that there were
| two British admirals in the Pei Ho river,
Admiral Seymour and Admiral Bruce.
( Therefore, Taussig's reference to the
arrival of the British admiral at Tten
| Isin does not mean necessarily that Sey-
mour has returned with his foreign col
umn.
Included in the detachment of 100 ma
rines with the international expedition
sent to the relief of the foreign residents
at Pekin are the following well-known
officers of the marine corps: Major Il W.
I Il. Wells and Lieuts. h. +. Wynne, C q
Reid, A. E. Harding, IL. Leonard and
n. l.. Jolly.
In view of the international character
of the attack upon and capture OF the
Taku forts some interest may be felt in
the following: Taku is situated at the
mouth of the Pei Ho, southern bank of
the river, about O. miles miles from Tien
Tsin with which it is connected by
railroad 1t is noted for the three engage
ments that have taken place there be-
tween the British and the Chinese. Part
Of the lien Tsin army corps has modern
organization and arms and Is stationed
at the Taku forts. Between Iaku and
lien Tsin the centre of the defenses and
chief arsenal of Northern China are per
manent camps where there are usually
30 COO troops, infantry, cavalry and artil-
Iery ARMED with Mauser rifles and krupp
guns. The cavalry also carry Mauser
carbines. These troops have been well
instructed for ten or twelve years by
foreign officers. The armament of the
Taku forts consist of very heavy krupp
guns and the approaches to the fort from
the Gulf OF Pechile are extremely diff
cult.
The Notifications consist of three forts
a large one on the right bank and two
smaller ones ON the left All the forts
are armed with numerous guns Of the
most varied systems and calibres. In the
construction Of all forts of the second
zone, the muddy clay soil Of the coast
was used which, during the dry season,
becomes cracked and crumbles very easily
and the garrison is continually making
repairs In Taku are the materials for
closing up the mouth of the Pei Ho. All
the coast Notifications have mines.
PEKIN NEWS SHUT OFF.
} Berlin, June 1s.-The German foreign
; Office has received no telegraphic commu-
nication from Pekin for several days,
either by way of Russia or any other
route This applies also to all the powers.
Today Germany had telegraphic COM
munication with Chez Foo and Shanghai,
but was unable to get connections with
; Tien Tsin and Taku.
Tho reports regarding the burning OF
the legations and the murder of the Ger