The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-20
PEKING'S FATE SEALED.
CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE.


dispatch to-day from Yokohama. Berlin
dispatches intimate that Germany will not
object TO Japan sending eighteen thousand
troops. while Great Britain will indorse the
plan with avidity, though, perhaps, only
secretly. The japanese legation in London
has official information of the dispatch of
three thousand troops. In the meanwhile
the British are dispatching six native regi-
ments, besides artillery. from India. ,
The revolt is spreading in Western China.
The representative of Pritchard Morgan,
NJ. p, at Cheng-Tu. wires that he and his
party have been detained there, owing to
news that the revolution had broken out in
Shechuan. which adjoins the province of
Yunnan, also in revolt, n official news
comes to-day that the London Missionary
Society's premises at Tsao-Shih, central
China. west-northwest of Han-Kow, have
been destroyed by a mob. The rising
seems to be spreading with rapidity and
shows organization among the
anti-foreign elements. The missionaries at
Tsao-Shih escaped and reached Han-Kow
in safety.
Cable dispatches from Shanghai report
that a number of Chinese cruisers are an
chored in sight of the foreign settlements,
which are only guarded by a small Japan
csc %gunboat. A thousand Chinese troops,
with two forty-nine-ton guns still hold the
forts outside the town. The viceroy of Woo
Sung is reported to ave assured the con-
suls that the foreign settlements at Shang-
hal will not be attacked.
The Admiralty Office has received the
following message from the officer COM
manding the British first-elass cruiser
E~ndymion:
"Lieu-Kun-Tau, June is (Monday.)-The
Taku forts opened fire at / in the morning
of June II on the ships of the allied squad
rons. After a six hours engagement the
forts were silenced and occupied by the al
lied forces. Additional men for storming
the forts were sent ashore from the ships
the previous afternoon. The British ships
up the river engaged were the Algerlne
(gunboat), Fame (torpedo boat destroyer,
and Whiting (torpedo boat destroyer. The
two latter captured four Chinese torpedo
boat destroyers. The casualties OF the Al
gerine were slight. Those OF the storming
party and others are unknown
"A Chinese second-class cruiser lying an
admiraPs flag is detained outside Taku by
the allied admirals.
n information OF Commander-in-chief
~Seymour's return TO Tien-Tsin had been
received by the rear admiral up TO 2 in the
afternoon of June IL. l am sailing forth
with for
The Admiralty draws attention to the
fact that the Endymion's report, which is
of a later date, does not confirm the
Japanese report of Admiral Seymour's re-
turn to Tien-TSin.
An agency dispatch from Shanghai.
dated June 19, says che latest news from
Pekin is that the dowager Empress is
greatly concerned at the capture of the
Taku forts and that wholesale degrade
tons of the Chinese army, including Gen.
erals Sung Ching and Flung Flu Slang, the
governor OF Picking and other high officials
who promised in the Tsung LII Yamen to
accomplish the expulsion of the foreigners,
have taken place. Three of the Taku forts,
il is added. were completely destroyed and
most of the garrisons were killed or
wounded by a charge of the sailors OF the
allied fleets.
1t was announced to-day that the Chinese
government has notified the cable COM
panies that it is unable to provide any long
err the daily boat service hitherto run be-
tween Taku and Che-Foo whereby dis
patches were filed after the destruction of
that il was quite likely that even Che-Foo,
which is over two hundred miles from
Taku, will not long be available for send
ing cables. The nearest point of
cation with the outer world Will then be
Shanghai. 600 miles from the seat of opera
tions. The reason for the probable isola-
ton of Che-Foo consists in the fact that 1t
is only connected with the main line by
loops. The junction is inland at Ginning,
and Boxers are believed to be in that neigh
borhood. If they are successful their first
step is sure to be the destruction of the
line. All dispatches now coming from Taku
to Che-Foo are I'm vessels of the powers
which may shortly have to go to Shanghai.
This tedious method of communication will
exist for some time after the united forces
reach Picking.
The opening of communication between
Taku and Picking will undoubtedly be by
means of military wires, which win be
taxed to the utmost by the demands of the
commanders of the various nations. So
complete is the destruction of the COM
pany's wire between Tien-Tsin and Peking
that 1t is estimated that 1t will take many
days TO restore them even after the united
forces control that portion of the country.
Hence all signs point to long lapses be-
tween direct news and the little that leaks
cut except such official reports as the gov
ernments choose to give out.
While the number of foreigners in China
Is supposed to be about 1900. including
Shanghai, and not more han six hundred,
If so many. would be huddled together in
the embassy at Picking. Native converts
TO Christianity Inc the servants of Euro
peans would considerably increase the
number of refugees at the embassies. The
British Enclosure was the largest, but all
the legations were virtually defenseless.
Lady Macdonald. with several children.
TO the ambassador the most prominent
Englishman in Peking was Sir Robert
Hart, who had charge of the imperial mar
thine customs, and lived near the French
embassy.