Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-05-02

kllIed IN one or these attacks, being
shot through the heart. We have COM
Ter of people who were eating 1t as
sured us 1t was Very good, but our
pretudices prevailed some time First
we tried the liver, fried with a small
scrap of bacon. and We're pleased to
find 1t tasted just like beef liver. Then
we tried some of the meat curried and
now we are having excellent snusages
of the meat. which helps the rice to
be more palatable. We are allowed
enc pound of horse meat per adult
individual each day
When the Russians had come up the
first time they brought with them
sixty Shells, leaving the gun in Tien
that came. AS no other could come
tho ammunition was Of no use. 1t
Was thought that If some kind of q
cannon could be made good use could
be made of the shells in destroying the
Chinese barbados So Mitchell, the
United States gunner, started to work
ON two sections of fire-engine pump.
Meanwhile two Chinese coolies found
an old cannon, a muzzle loader of
about 1860, i'm q junkshop, and dragged
Ii In. AS this cannon fitted the shells
IL was used instead OF the pump. 1t
was mounted on a pair of Wheels taken
from the Italian ammunition truck. 1t
u
t,onal." The gun itself was an old
British one. mounted on an Italian car
rage, and fired with Russian ammu-
milton by AN American gunner. Hence.
the nickname. The ammunition for
the Italian one-pound gun having run
short lot of pewter vessels from the
Chinese houses around We're brought
in. melted UP. and run into molds to
make the shot for the gun. With
these the used cartridges We're re-
loaded and there being no primers for
the cartridges, revolver cartridges
Mere used instead. When tried in the
gun they worked very we'll. though it
which they We're made would be very
ard on the ritling of the gun. The
hinese broke two holes in the top
Of the imperial city wall, and built a
platform just over the water gate,
where it was expected they would
.:ount guns the next night. At 10 p.
m: they started heavy fusillade,
which lasted for few minutes, but
the rest of the night was fairly quiet.
The French and Austrians claimed
tc have heard cannoading about ten
kilometers (siX miles) to the .outh-
cast. But this has also proved q false
hope and the general opinion Is now
that the relief has not started from
Tien Tsin at all. though why no one
can say.
July $, Sunday. The Chinese on the
wall moved up their gun and opened
fire on our barricade. The third shot
they fired was badly aimed and struck
their own barlicade, carrying most Of
Ii away. when they We're forced to re-
treat in u hurry. There was fire at
the Su Wang Flu of the main pavilion
buildings, but 1t was not very serious.
Two shells from gun to the west
struck the wall and one the top of Mr..
Coburn's house, showing that the Chi
nese are getting the range better. The
lasted about twenty minutes.
July (Monday). In the morning
Mr.. Squiers sent out man into the
city to see what was going on there
He returned in the afternoon, report
i.as, first, that Ha Ia Men has been
closed for many days; second. that
there are no Chinese troops In the
troops are guarding the Chi Hua Men,
but there are many Ilansu mon on the
liata Men street and in the imperial
city; fourth, that at the supailou flour
arches) the shops are open and doing
business as usual; fifth that the em-
in the city; sixth. that the Peking Ga
2ette is published daily. The day was
quiet except for occasional firing.
July 10. In the morning several of
the Chinese shells came very close,
breaking right over the tennis court;
making it unsafe for any one to cross.
July III. a messenger sent out with
letter tried to get through the water
gate, but was Immediately fired on
by the Chinese sentries and forced to
NY. He got in safely without being
hurt The Chinese We're extremely
quiet all night, but the cause was not
known until the next morning, when
1T was discovered that they had built
two new big walls, one in the Hunlin
yuan and another in the imperial car
riage park.
July IL. The Chinese kept up a heavy
cannonade ali day, mostly from the
guns on the imperial city wall, but did
Very little damage to us. A flag. white
ground and black characters, was cap
tured by the French in the morning
and in the afternoon Mitchell captured
He got up on a Chinese barrier and
Mrcsted the flag from Chinese soldier
by pounding him with sandbags until
he let co. white five or six volleys We're
fired at him. He secured the flag and
got down without scratch.
July IL. A Chinese prisoner taken by
the French marines this morning
states that the emperor and empress
dowager are still in the palace here.
Prince Tuan, Jung Lu and General
lung are In control of public affairs.
Prince Ching takes no part in them.
Many Boxers are still in the city. Their
principal patron is Prince Tuan In
his palace they are registered. fed and
paid. These Boxers are ridiculedi by
the soldiers because they dare not go
under fire at the 'front.' in spite of
their pretensions to be bullet-proof
General lungs troops are facing us on
the wall and along our lines on the
south: Jung LUIS troops are behind
the French legation. Several of them
are killed or wounded every day. The
prisoner declares that he was one of
several coolies (hired at rs cents a
body to carry off and bury the dead.
There are about 5000 of Tung Flu
Hsiang's troops in the city. The en-
press has forbidden the use of guns
of large cali5cr against us because of
the harm they might do to her loyal
people and their houses. Direct at
tack having failed, and our rifles being
better than theirs, 1t has been decided
to starve us out. Two weeks ago news
came that foreign troops from 100 war
ships at Taku had captured the Taku
forts and occupied Fast Taku." oppo-
site Tangku railway station. Tientsin
city was in panic on this account.
Ammunition is being brought here
from the Hunting park Imperial
edicts are issued as usual. Business is
going on in the north part of the city
and market supplies are coming in.
The four chief banks" are closed. The
soldiers believe that we have several
thousand troops under arms here. The
prisoner thought we had at least two
thousand. OF course. this information
is not official, and there may be much
that is not strictly accurate. 1t sim
ply represents the gossip of the tea
shops and restaurants. One reason the
ha% yyyn hoy co
them are killed by their own bullets
which are aimed high and pass over
our heads and drop among their own.