The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-31

was the noSpltal ana II was nlleu with
wounded. French nuns ministered there
at one time. All but four men of the Jap
anese contingent had been in this hospital
wounded.
Some Siege Notices.
There were several caves, rooted with
timbers. heaped with earth, which served
as bombproofs. The bulletin board was
covered with significant notices. For in
stance, LAS there is likely TO be a severe
dropping fire to-day, women and children
are forbidden 10 walk about the grounds"
Here is another:
Owing to the small supply of vege-
tables and eggs, the market will be open
only from to l hereafter. All horse
meat is inspected by a physician"
Mr.. Conger had the first secretarys
house. Seventy American missionaries
occupied the chapel and the French con-
tingent had the pavilion on the lawn.
The bravery of the women was note
worthy. They became SO accustomed to
fire that it was difficult TO restrain them
from walking about the grounds at all
times.
When a proposal was made to petition
the Tsung-li- Yamen for vegetab es, some
said they would rather starve than take
help from that quarter. The yamens
food supply was scarce. only sufficient
for one day. When meat was asked
for the reply was that this
could not be furnished because state of
war existed in Pekin.
The Tsung-h-Yamen placarded a proc
lamation exhorting the people to kill all
foreigners, because the latter had made
war on China in attacking the forts at
Taku.
The legations were ffercely attacked
from July II to July 25. At the latter
date a nominal truce was agreed to and
extended to Aug. g. although the Chinese
repeatedly violated il. There was con-
siderable rife fire from Aug 8 30 Aug. II
and then the Chinese mounted smooth
bores.
The International Gun.
The mainstay of the foreigners was an
old gun used by the foreigners in 1896.
which was found in junk shop by Mitch
| ell, the American gunper. This was
mounted on a Russian carriage found by
an Italian. Ammunition was fitted to it
and it was christened THE interna tional
| gun"
The foreigners remarked that relief had
| been long delayed, but they insisted that
they had never despaired of the outcome.
| The Chinese are sold to admit that they
lost 5000 killed during the siege. The for
| eigners did not waste their ammunition,
| shooting only when a target was in evil
| dence. The Chinese method, on the, other
| hand. was a continuous, heavy and indis-
| crimnate fire. The enemy would ad-
vance to the barricades at night creep
ing up with their arms filled with bricks
| and in the morning the foreigners would
find a new wall few feet closer Final
ly the barricades came so close that talk
! ing could be distinctly heard.
During the last two nights the Chinese
officers urged their men TO charge the
| foreigners and eXterminate them before
! the international forces could arrive. The
Chinese soldiery replied that they could
| not stand the bayonets. On the night be-
| fore the relief they fired several thou
sand rounds. the foreigners replying with
two shots only. The Chinese artillery
| and soldiers in Pekin were apparently
much inferior to those encountered in
| the fighting at Tien Tsin.
A Notable Achievement.
The relief of Pekin was a notable
! achievement chiefly for the forced march
| of four independent armies over a single
| difficult road and in sickening weather.
! The opposition offered by the Chinese
| dwindled steadily each day until the re-
| leving columns We're in front of Pekn.
The defense of the city, considering the
| possibilities cf the case, was exceedingly
weak. The japanese are still hemmering
away at the wall of the northeast section.
which has not yet been entered. Probably
| the Chinese concentrated their forces
| there. thus giving the Americans and
| English a comparatively easy position.
The Americans advanced along the left
| of the canal under cover, the Fourteenth
| Infantry leading, with the Ninth Infantry
! and the marines following. From a hill
| Capt. Reilly shelled a pagoda over the
| Che-Hua gate, until the infantry got close
! in. The Fourteenth Regiment was ex-
tended under cover before the wall, about
800 yards away when e. company scaled
| The corner near the gate, under the fire
| of sharpshooters. Lieut.. Gohn planted
the regimental flag and the regiment then
| crowded with the Russians through the
gate unopposed; but every side of the
streets leading to the Tartar wall, along
which the soldiers passed, was swept by
| rife fire.