Hutchinson gazette., 1900-08-09
THE FIRST BATTLE.
Twelve Milos Above Tien Tsin
Sunday Morning,
TWELVE HUNDRED ALLIES KILLED.
Nearly Eight Per Cent Either killed
OF WOundod-Jnpnucse ana RUS
siums suiicr Most mcricans Not
Mentioned In the Dispatch,

val officers at Che Foo, repeating un-
official, but apparently reliable reports
Of active ana extensive hostilities be-
tween the allied forces and the Chinese
upon the line between Tien Tsn and
Pckin, The dispatches Indicate unmis-
tukubly that the relief column has
started IN earnest and that II Us meet
ing with determined opposition, Al
though neither Of the naval dispatches
mentions the presence Of American
troops reported in the engagement, IL
Us generally assumed mt the war de.
parmcnJ that AT least part of Cen
cal Chuilce'o small army was ON hand
and touli an active part In the affair,
The dispatches are as follows;
"Che Foo Aug. G.-l}urcau Nnyign.
lion, Washinglon' British Fame (war
ship repoiNs unofficial engagement ut
Pei Tsang, Sunday morning, to 1890,
Allied loss, killed and wounded, 1900,
chiefly Russians and japanese, Chi
bese rctrca,ng,-Tausig,"
"Chc Foo Aug, 6.--BureNu NNyaga-
ton, Washington; Official report be-
lieve rcliublc, about 10000 allies heav-
lily engaged Chinese ait Pei Tsnng day
light OF The 5rh Sunday ,-Rcmcy.'
Fei 'lsmg Is the first railroad sta.
ton nbOuG sixteen miles northwest of
Tien rsn, on route to Pckin,
Taussigwho signedthe first dispatch,
is In command Of the Yorktown, which
Is ut ChclUo,
According TO information in possess.
ion of the war department, the town
OF Pei YSnng Is at the head of tide
water upon the Pdl llo, between eleven
and twelve miles by road beyond Tien
Tsin. lt is n village of mud huts, of
considerable size, butnot walled, The
river NJ this point is not navigable by
anything larger than a good sized
steam lpunch, and It is thought that
The tfaprt probably reached there din
small boats towed 10y the naval launch
es.
Ii is stated that IL the international
forces IN the vicinity of Taku can be
landed and thc supplies brought up
thcrc Is sufficient force to overcome
any army which the Chinese may
bring forward to prevent the march ON
PCkin
The country all along the river he.
tween pckn and Tcn Tsin is Il low,
alluvial plain, almost impossible for
wheeled vehicles in the wet season, and
under qutlc n high state of cultivation.
II presents no natural defensive feat.
urcs and the war department knows
no strategic reason why the Chinese
should have mndC n stand there rather
than at any other of the dozen vii.
than nt any othher a the dozen viii
lagos east Of the walled town of Tung
| Chow, where Is stored an immense
amount Of provisions upon which the
city Of pel,in would have to depend
in case Of siege.
From the fact that the engagement
lasted seven and half hours, 1t is
figured in the department that either
the Chinese must have been heavily in
trenchcd or that there was an im-
mensc horde Of them to so stubbornly
contest the advance OF l6,O0O interna.
tionNl troops. II is figured by military
experts that n loss of 1000 killed and
wounded upon the part Of the allies
probably means a loss Of from three
to six times rs many Chinese.
II Is possible that n blow OF this
magnitude may break the resistance
of the Chinese to advance of the for
eign column, but upon the other hand
it is possible that this may be one OF
large number Of places upon the
road that have been intrcnchcd with q
view of falling back and contcstng
the foreign advance so ns to delay as
long as possible the arrival of the for
eigners at Pckin. Unless the opposi
tion suddenly breaks down. The mill
tary experts look for q desperate eN
gngement when the troops reach tn,
walled city of Tung Chow, rSvhich II
said to be even more favornbly located
for purposes Of defense than was Tier
Tsin.
The position OF the United States
automatically remains unchanged
This government will not consent Il
the removal Of ministers and foreign
ers from Pekin until there is fret
communication by the powers will
their ministers. Nor will this govern
ment consent to communication IL
plain language alone, but insists tha
cipher messages must pass freely be
tween Minister Congcr and our Stat,
department.
Ut is emphatically stated that unless
such messages are exchanged th
United States cannot know beyonC
question that the messages were no
garbled and both the United State
government and the ministers misled
There seems to be no doubt abou
the safety of the ministers at PekiI
ll3r The present and that they will re
main where they will be able to pro
tcct themselves and will mot be induce,
to accept any offers of the Chimes
| government to escort them to Tie
Tsin until they have communicated
with their governments.
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