The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-13
DESPERATE ATTACK
Of Immence Chinese Forces on Tien
Tsin No Authentic News From
Pekin.

London. July IL, Ais a. m.-"No au-
thentic news from Pekin," is still the
burden of the dispatches from the far
east, and, although the disposition is
to believe the optimistic reports from
Chfnse sources, no real confidence is
possible until the legations, If they are
still in existence, are permitted to
If, as is alleged, the Boxer movement
is losing ground in Pekin, it might
have been supposed that the Boxers
would have endeavored to send up re-
Inducements from Tien Tsin; but, in
stead of that, they are still IN great
force in the neighborhood of the latter
place, and are assisted by the imperial
Chinese troops with ample, efficient
artillery.
According to a special Che Foo dis
patch the fighting around Tien Tsil-
on the 3rd and 4th was the severest
yet experienced, The British losses
alone were thirty killed or wounded.
The Chinese had $4,000 men attacking
simultaneously from the west, north
and east and made excellent practice
with over 100 guns
Tn defenders numbered IA 900, with
Scant supplies and it was only the
presence Of the newly arrivedJapaneSe
and Russian guns that prevented a dis
aSter. One Russian company of infan-
try, numbering 12o men, had 115 killed
or wounded. The German contingent
also suffered heavily. By the evening
of the 4th the situation was very criti-
cal. The allies narrowly escaped total
defeat. Providentially, when things
were at their worst a torrential rain
fall compelled the Chinese to retire.
On July 9Th, the rain having abated,
4 Chinese "a
ing fire upon Tien Tsin with two bat
terieS of 4-inch guns, but the allies,
aided by two of her majeSty'S ship
Terrible's 4.7-inch guns, succeeded in
silencing the Chinese artillery after
eight hours of fighting.
At Shanghai it seems now to be the
general belief that the date of the dis
patch of July 3rd, asserting that two
legations were still standing was an
error, either accidental or intentional.
The courierS must have left Pekin at
the alleged maSsacres are said to nave
least five days earlier, making the real
date of the message June 2Sth while
occurred on June 30th. Until this point
is cleared the greatest anxiety will be
felt as to the fate of the Europeans.
ANOTHER DETERMINED ATTACK
Tien Tsin, Thursday, July 10.-Yes-
terday a large force of Chinese troops
attacked the settlement from two di-
rections-one from the western arsen-
al and the other upon the railway sta
ton on the opposite bank of the river.
The Chinese evidently now have a more
capable commander. The attack from
the arsenal was directed upon what is
probably the weakest point of the de-
tense, which has hitherto not been
pressed. The Chinese advanced on this
side across an open plain, without COW
er and the attack was easily repulsed
by the British guns.
The enemy made a simultaneous at
tack upon the station with large in
fantry force, covered by the fire OF
eleven gums. The British replied with
two Of her majesty's ship Terrible's
12-pounders and five smaller guns
while the combined forces of British,
French, Russian and japanese 1nfan-
try, moved out to dead with the Chi
nese infantry attacks.
The Chinese artillery attack was e4-
cellent, and the allied troops sunered
severely from a we'll directed shell
fire. The Japanese whose behavior
was splendid, executed a well conceiv-
ed movement and succeeded in turning
the Chinese left and driving the enemy
from their strong position among the
irrigation trenches. The Chinese re-