The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-07
His Account of the Causes That Led
to the Bombardmcnt Of Tien-
Tsin by the Chinese.
FIFTEEN DAYS IN A TOWER
EXPERIENCE OF CHARLES MIN.
TosH WITH THE BOXERS.
American Marines Succor q BeIeag.
uered Party-Dum-Dum Bullets
Used by the Besieged.

decks crowded with blue jackets, marines.
ex-soldiers of the Ninth Infantry and
refugees, the United States transport
Logan. from Taku, via Japan, was allowed
to dock to-day after passing quarantine.
There were men, women and children on
the vessel direct from Tien-Tsin. who had
escaped from the mobs of Boxers and the
imperial Chinese troops. Nearly all of the
passengers in the cabin had felt the de-
pressing effects of a siege and had been in
the Chinese city when it was threatened
by the Celestial fighters and the refugees
were more than glad to get back to civiliZa-
ton. Among them were Dr. Diffendorfer,
and c. Mcintosh, who were In the mill
at Tien-Tsin, where the Chinese were
held at bay before the first relief came
through Master Earl Ragsdale and Miss
Efie Ragsdale, children of the consul at
Tien-Tsin, were also on board.
A large number of the refugees left the
transport at Yokohama to return to va
rious parts of Europe and America by
regular steamers.
Among the passengers were the follow
ing: j. NJ. Mussen. Shanghai; Mrs. Drew,
Mrs. Tenny and four children, Mrs. Pike
and four children, Mrs. Lowrey and three
children, Mr.. and Mrs. Maynor and three
children. Miss Jones, Mr.. Pike, Mr.. Diffen-
dorfer, Mr.. Mcintosh, Taku; Rev. n. w.
Houlding, wife and son. Mrs. Frank +.
Davis, Mrs. Montele. Miss Tillie Fair,
Tien-Tsin; DR.. n. S. Hopkins, wife and
three children. Mrs. N. z. King and three
children Mr. and Ms. s. Smith, Che-Foo;
the Misses Drew. Mr.. l.. Drew, o. c. Cliff
kohama, and about 100 invalided soldiers.
There were three deaths on the Logan
during the voyage
To the Logan attaches the distinction of
Being the first vessel to land American
troops in China. She conveyed the gallant
Ninth Infantry from Manila to Taku.
DR. DIFFENDORFER'S STORY.
Dr. r. E. Diffendorfer, of Philadelphia,
the builder and manager of the first woolen
mill. established in the Chinese empire, and
a personal friend of Poo Tong, a brother
to the Chinese Emperor that was. tells the
following story of the attack on Tien-Tsin:
at was on the morning of June II that the
first clash between the foreigners and the
empires soldiers occurred. On the after
noon of the same day the bombardment
of the Taku forts began. Captain Bailey,
of the British ship Orlando. COM
mander of the allied force at Tien-Tsin on
June II, as Captain McCalla was absent
with Seymour at the time. About II o'clock
in the forenoon he saw smoke rising from
the railroad tracks -four miles distant from
the city and suspecting that the Boxers
had fired another bridge, Captain Bailey
ordered thirty of his blue jackets, COM
49, L. A.
spot and investigate. When our fiat car
had travelled about three miles We found
a bridge In which the timbers had been
burned away from the iron girders and
considering 1t unsafe to cross, our COM
wandered ordered his men to return to the
city.
eve had gone about three hundred yards
on the back trip when we saw about $50
Chinese soldiers crossing the track at a
point a mile ahead of us. They were walk
ing rapidly, and as We approached all
doubts as TO their being imperial troops
disappeared. They did not wear the red
turban and sash that distinguished the
Boxers and as soon as got within
about 800 yards of them they scattered and
got behind mounds Regarding this action
as suspicious our midshipman gave the or
der to fire a volley, and they quickly and
vigorously returned the salute. Our field
piece was minus a sight and most Of its
shots passed over the enemy, so that after
ten minutes of hot firing we resumed our
retreat the Chinese firing at us as long as
we were in range. There were no casual
ties on our side. The significant feature of
the incident was its bearing on the subse-
auent proceedings. If 1t had not been for
the action of our party that morning the
bombardment of Tien-Tsin might not have
commenced that afternoon. In other words,
/ am inclined to believe that our attack
on the Chinese troops precipitated this
bombardment of the city. And for that
reason the skirmish may attain some i'm
portance when final settlements are being
made
Dr. Diffendorfer believes that the trouble
In, China will be at an end within a couple
of years at the furthest. 1T will be a repe-
tition of the Tapping rebellion" he said.
when the allies have captured Peking
the Boxers will be broken into bands of
marauders."
BESIEGED IN TOWER
Charles Mcintosh. Toronto, Canada,
man. but an American citizen who was
DIR. Dinendorfer's assistant in the wooden
mill. said: IT think I must have spent
about fifteen days in the tower I was
doing sharpshooting most OF the time We
got Lee-Metford rifles from the arsenals,
end how many Cinnamon they brought to
death / don't know. l tried TO run three
engines out OF Tien-Tsin, but did not get
far. l think we must have got half way
through. Bodies OF Chinese were lying
all along the track. headIess and butchered
by the Boxers. The Boxers fought with
spears and knives until they got I'm with