The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1900-08-09
A fairs In China.

officials affirm that the guns were
mounted as precaution against Boxers
advancing southwark.
General Grodekon has sent the fol-
lowing despatch to the war Office at ST.
Petersburg: "Khabaroyisk, Aug. 81
Two columns from Blagovestchensk
were ferried over the Amur river at , a.
m, under Coloners Schwerin and
Serkianof, and attacked the thinese
troops and took the town Of sakhalin,
one gun and quantity Of Mauser
| cartridges. The steamer Silenga suffer
ed severely from rifle fire.
Minister WI Saturday morning. hand.
ed to the acting secretary Of State at
| Washington, copy of telegram from
the taotai of Shanghai, dated Aug. 2,
and received by Mr.. Wa on the evening
OF the I'd. II confines the message Of
uan Shih Kai governor of shan Tung,
to Mr.. Fowler, consul at Chefoo, pur.
| porting TO communicate the same tee-
gram OF July 30 from the Tsung Ii
amen, but 1t is TO be noted that il con-
tains passage omitted from Governor
uan message, namely, the announce
ment that as lighting is going Cd in Tien
Isin, 1t is inexpedient to send cipher tele-
grams to the foreign ministers in Pekin.
In this particular, the present tele-
gram agrees with Consul. General Good
now's report, received Friday, that Earl
Ii Hung Chang had told the French
consul at Shanghai, on the Sd, that no
messages would be delivered To the
ministers because the foreigners were
advancing on Pekin.
The Tsung Lii Yamen's cablegram Of
July 30 is as follows:
Foreign ministers in Pekin are all
safe and well. Recently vegetables,
fruit and provisions have been repeated
ly supplied to them. Relations most
friendly. At present consultations are
going on for the protection of various
ministers going to Tien Tsin for tempo.
rary shelter, which will soon be con
Guided satisfactorily. But as fighting
is going on in Tien Tsin it is inexpedi
ent that cipher kilograms should be
sent. Different consuls have been mott
fed so that they may inform their re.
spective governments. Please inform
the foreign Office. Besides wiring to
other ministers, transmit the above
to you.
There is renewal of the rumor that
something is occurring at Shan Hal
Kwan, at the eastern end of the great
wall, which will surprise the Chinese.
There is fine military road from this
point to Pekin over high and dry ground
and although the distance is nearly
twice that from Tien Tsin to Pekin, its
physical advantages may make this
route practically much shorter in point
of time. 1t is believed there that a
strong Russian column either has been
j or will be landed at that point to con-
verge on Pekin simultaneously with the
international column, and TINS divide
the Chinese opposition force.
Rev. c. L. Rhodes of the Baptist pub
LEGATION society received word, August
3, that all the Baptist missionaries of
eastern central China were safe in
Shanghai. A message to this effect was
caoled to the headquarters of the Ameri
can Baptist missionary union in Boston
Rev. DR.. A. B. Leonard, correspond
ing secretary of the Methodist society.
received cable message from Rev
Spencer Lewis of the West { hina mis-
sion. Mr.. Lewis cabed from hung
king, in the province of Szchuen, as fol.
lows:
Our party leaves for Shanghai to-
day "
The message was not dated.
ITO .utIuOulslS udu very important
work at Chungking Their missionaries
there were Rev. Joseph Beach and wife,
Rev. Olin Cady and wife, Harry L. Can
right, Nj. D. and wife, Rev. james O.
Quincy and wife, Rev. Spencer Lewis
and wife, Rev. Edward Marley and wife
and Rev. Jacob Peat and wife The
Woman's foreign missionary society of
the Methodist Episcopal church also
| had thraa miaainD aria fhara al
Misses Helen Galloway, Clara Collier
and Ella Manning.
The Presbyterian board of foreign
missions received a cable message, Fri
day, from Rev. William NJ. Campbell of
the station at kiumgchow, in the island
of Hainan, which relieves anxiety of the
board. The message is as follows:
"Nodoa arrived. Hainan quiet. Ladies
Hongkong"
Nodoa is about 90 miles away from
the coast. The message means that the
missionaries have arrived at Hollow
from there and that the women had
gone to Hongkong. There were Is
adults in the Presbyterian mission, be
side children.
All of the missionaries sent out by the
Presbyterian board, and about whose
whereabouts there had been uncertainty,
are now accounted for, although some
are still in Pekin.
The following cablegram from Minis
ter Conger was received, Tuesday night,
by the state department at " ashington:
"Tsi Nan Yamen, Aug. 7-Secretary
of State: Still besieged Situation
more precarious. Chinese government
insisting upon our leaving Pekin, which
would be certain death. Rifle firing
upon us daily by imperial troops Have
abundant courage, but little ammunition
or provisions. Two progressive Yamen
ministers beheaded. All connected
with legation of the United States well
at the present moment.
(Signed) CoNGER"
Information is received of a battle
beginning Sunday, the 9Th instant, be-
tween allied forces and Chinese at Pei
Tang, eight miles from Tein Tsin. The
Japanese, English and American, French
and Russian forces, about IA, 900, attack
ed hinese position on each side of the
river.
The most interesting feature of the
dispatch is the information regarding
the positions of the Chinese army and
the fact that the advance upon Pekin
is made by two columns, one on each
side of the Pei river. The international
force as given by Gen. Chaffee would
aggregate about IA, 600 men, while the
other dispatches have put it at 10000
The Chinese were driven from the
trenches, Sunday, but the losses to the
allied army is rppOrted IN have haen