The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-11-15
Capt. J. 7. Myers
Passenger On
Doric.
HE TELLS ABOUT
HIS EXPERIENCES
One of the First Ordered to Re-
lief of Foreigners in the
City.

When the cry for help went up from
the Americans and Europeans in Pc
king at the outbreak Of the Boxer out
RACES, Captain j. T. Myers Of the Unit
ed States Marine Corps, who passed
through here from the Orient on his
way to San Francisco on the Doric,
yesterday, was one OF the first to be
ordered to the relief Of the threatened
people hemmed in and around about
| by thousands of angry fanatics in the
Imperial city.
| Captain Myers favored an Advertiser
reporter with an interview at the Ha-
waiian Hotel yesterday. speaking of
the exciting and interesting events
which transpired in the land Of almond
eyes and tails with the enthusiasm
of one who has gone through a great
deal and knows whereof he talks.
1T was just after the Boxers had
burned a couple Of railway stations be-
tween Picking and Taku," said the cap
tain, "and when Minister Conger was
working the wires for help, help that
might come too late were It long de-
layed, that I was ordered by Com
mander McCalla on the Goth OF May,
to take fifty marines and hasten with
all possible dispatch to Picking.
I'VE first attempted to go by rail,
but were not permitted to do so by the
| Chinese railway officials; they refused
to sell us tickets. The only other way
was by the canal, and we had to take
it. Securing lighters we were towed
up the canal. The travelling was nee
essarily very slow, but we had to put
up with it. We were not the only
troops which went along. There We're
English, Germans, Russians and Jap
anese with US and when, at last, we
reached Picking, there were some 400
or 500 in the party"
|, When Captain Myers reached Picking
, the various troops were divided among
the different legations, the men being
assigned to the legations of their re-
spective countries.
After our arrival at Peking," con-
tinued Captain Myers, 1--WE noticed
with alarm how, day by day, the dem
lonstationS of hate against the foreign
ers increased on the part of the Chi
nese. On June IA all communication
with the outside world was cut off and
we were left to defend ourselves as
best we could against whatever misfor-
tune fate might decree. Baron Won
Ketteler was aSSaSSinated on the goth
of June; on the same night the women
and children were moved into the Brit
ish legation, and only Just in time, for
on the day following the Chinese COM
menced furious attack on all the le-
cations at once.
THE legations were all built in a
line along the great wall which is forty
feet in height and thirty feet in width
The wall in question was taken by
neither side at first. Each side was
anxiously watching the movements OF
| OIL he or
far as to send word that they would
keep off this wall if we would Nc
. sooner had we agreed to this arrange
ment, however, than the Chinese
treacherous in every possible way, tool
advantage of our belief in their wore
and seized an important portion Of the
; wall. From this point of vantage they
were enabled to command a view OF
the legations and the surrounding
: country.
: I'VE saw that If the Chinese contin.
ued to hold possession Of the wall that
we would be at a great disadvantage
> and that unless something was very
quickly done to change the condition o.
: affairs that we would be likely to NEE
with dire calamity. Realizing all thi.
we got together sufficient force
: charged the Chinese on the wall anC
drove them from their stronghold will
. considerable loss to themselves anC
|, Will very ullle our men.
THAT portion of the wall which w,
were now in possession of was abou
: 900 yards in extent. Bastions were sit
: uated about every hundred yards, but
not considering this to be sufficien
: protection, we caused further fortified
> tions to be erected on the wall On
: end of the wall was protected by tn
{ Americans, while the Russians hat
charge of the other end, and the troop
of the other nations were statione,
: along the wall in between
. The great canal passed under thi
wall close by the Legations, and thi
was one Of the reasons why we wer
so anxious to fortify the position an
& hold 1t against the Boxers at any cost
{ You see that we were looking ahea
for the time when we expected to b
: relieved, and We knew very well tina
+ II the relief expedition failed to max
( an entrance into the Imperial cit
{ through the gates, that the next thin
: to be tried would be the great canal
captain Myers was in command G
f the legation guard throughout the en-
e tire siege of the foreigners in Pekins
x he is we'll known in Honolulu, havin
y peen mere before. He was one of TIL
!. officers of the cruiser Charleston whe
= she passed through here on her wa
e 10 Mania with the first relief expedi
& tlon In 1893. He was with the Charles
ton when she helped to lombard Ma
= ma, and was afterwards transferre
70 the baltimore. Since then he ha
oeen connected with the Oregon. bein
nhaliy put on the Newark and sent
Chlna, where he arrived in the earl
part OF last May. Captain Myers
at present on sick leave and is return
ing TO the Mainland to recuperate hi
health and strength
i, 10 you think that the Emnres
% D9wager encouraged the Boxers?' wa
asked of Captain Myers by the reporte
yesterday. poi &c
II is hard to say exactly to wba
extent the Empress did encourage th
boxers, was the reply, but when W
were attacked by thousands of IN,
It perial troops, wearing the Tnnar;.
uniform, 1t certainly looked as If or
- ers than the Boxers were our enemie
d why, we captured banners which bor
fha Inn -inl ~