The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-05-10


British compound. At the main gate
of the foreign Enclosure. the besieged
placed the British Nordenfeldt in
redoubt. There We're three other guns
in the armament, the Italians having
one FOUNDER, the Americans Colt
and the Austrians q machine gun.
Around the British legation the de-
Tenders built walls of sand bags. 1t
was dangerous for foreigner to show
himself in the daytime. The Chinese
We're continually sniping. They also
tried to burn the British legation by
firing buildings close to it when the
wind was favorable On the 23d of
June the Chinese mounted krupp
gun LOCO yards from the legations
and began throwing shells.
A second Krupp gun was posted 300
another hauled close to the American
barricade on the city walls. A desper-
ate sortie to capture the gun near the
legation failed. In front of the Ger
man barricade the Chinese had
Krupp gun, which shelled the German
position, and on the morning Of July
1 q band of Celestials surprised and
routed the German guard. This left
| the American barricade without sup
port, and the guard fell back to the
main line. The wall was the key to
i the position. The American Captain
Myers Immediately dashed for the bar
ricade with about 80 followers and Sc
| cured it before the Chinese saw their
opportunity.
Later in the day, July 1, Captain
Paolini of the Italian contingent led
a gallant sortie to capture Krupp
which was firing into the compound at
close range. 1t could only be reached
by means Of a long lane at the head of
which was Chinese barricade. Pao-
lini's men, 80 in number, rushed along
the lane for some yards, when sudden
ly the Chinese rifles on the barricade
opened fire. At the first fire Paolini
was wounded and two Italians killed
By taking shelter and covering one an
other man for man the assailants man.
aged to retreat through wall border
ing on the lane.
Meanwhile the Chinese authorities
brazenly treated the ministers as
: though all was peaceful. They sent in
communications asking the ministers
to attend to diplomatic matters of q
local nature On July 3 Captain Myers
with a force Of Sc men CALAMITY charg
ed the Chinese barricade on the wal
and captured it. This was the first
success of the siege. Casualties were
2 suffered every day in the ordinary ex
$ posture of the siege. By the middle Of
t July the Chinese had Krupp gun OF
1 the wall within 40 yards of the Amer
. lean barricade. On the 18th mine
y was exploded under the French lie
+ cation and two marines killed. Sew
g eral officers standing over the min,
d narrowly escaped. On the 14th til,
: Chinese again tried to get the foreign
d ers to leave Picking. In communi
Y cation signed by Prince Ching FAN
d others" the ministers We're informe,
e that the relief expedition of June ha
e been turned back by Boxers. An asy
S lum was offered the besieged in tn
tsung-li-yamen if the ministers, wit
s their staffs and families, would leav
e the compound in detachments unde
e escort of Chinese officers.
< Meanwhile the Chinese in Pekin
If knew that Tien-tsin had been captu
s ed by the allies, and they made flu
d Their effort to bring about peace wit
1t the legations, although firing contil
G. ued. The ministers declined to 6
IS out, and the Chinese pledged protectio