Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-03
ALL READY IN PEK|NG
Uncle Sans New Legation
There a Stronghold.
PREPARING FOR THE WORST
Five Buildings Surrounded by Wall
Nearly Finished.
AMERICAN GUARDS HANDY
Queer Difficulties Encountered in the
Construction of the Official Build
ings-The New Minister.
HANDY

Copyright 1906 by John Elfreth watklnsJ
For some weeks our State, War and
Navy Departments have been preparing
for the worst at Picking. and minister
MIR. Rockhfl, in the event of a second
boxer uprising. would find himself in
far less predicament than that which con-
fronted his predecessor, Minister Conger.
in 1900. When he goes to bed at night
his head rests comparatively easy. for he
knows that in the various barracks of Lee
CATION street there now are several thou
sand American and European guards; that
upon the sea, not far off, there Is squad
ron OF Yankee warships. that within close
call there are as many extra American
troops as he might need for the protection
of his little colony, and that he and his
subordinates are now duartered in moo
ern. nreproof buildings, surrounded by
walls that are veritable Notifications.
Maze of Picking.
That your minds eye may first be d.
rected to the spot where our new legation
stands, consider that maze called Picking
as two cities built one against the other
and whose plan is a square resting upon
an obong. The latter, known as the Chi
nese city, and which contains approximate
ly 400 600 souls lies to the south of the
square section or Tartar city. of eoo,O0e
populat ton. This Tartar city is really three
cities, built one within the other, the outer
most or Tartar city proper, containing
dwelling houses and shops. Inside OF TINS
is the yellow or imperial city, occupied BY
the government offices and private resi-
dences of officials, ana WITHIN the latter Is
the purple or forbidden city, containing the
royal palaces The oblong Chinese city TO
the south is surrounded by a wall so feet
high by IS feet thick and the square Tartar
city to the north is protected by stronger
fortificaton, 80 feet high and 40 feet wide,
while the imperial city Is separated from the
Tartar and the innermost or forbidden city
from the imperial each by its own walls.
Now TO reach our legation, the traveller
enters the oblong Chinese city through
deep arch in the southern side of the solid
wall and after passing northward through
two miles of street reaches the more SUD-
stantial wall of the Tartar city, which he
enters through the great arch OF the man
gate Once within the Tartar city he comes
almost Immediately upon Legation stree-,
running parallel with the wall for about
mile. All of the foreign legation compounds
are upon this thoroUghfare, which was
struggling, unpaved, broad gutter until a
few years ago when it was at last cIeansec,
leVeled and maCadamized. Thus IL VIII be
seen that our minister lives just inside the
square Tartar city, between its south wall
and the south wall of the Imperial city,
through the gate OF which latter he must
pass In order to reach that of the forbidden
city. when he wishes to call upon the en-
peror To be more exact, his walled in
closure is upon the south side Of Legation
street IS near the main gate and directly
adjOins the Dutch legation. Across the
street are the Russian legation and the
French Hospital. The southern boundary OF
the compound IS the great Tartar city wall,
whose occupa tion--at least wherever touch
ing the legation compounds considered
by the military commission of the powers.
in 1901 to be necessary for the defense or
the diplomatic quarter.
Our New Compound.
The new American legation Is surrounded
on the NORTH east and west by its own
wall. a new fertilization of stone. twelve
feet in height Inside OF this stand-now
nearly comprehensive buildings constructed
OF the gray native brick and faced with
stone. The more imposing OF these edifices
are the official residences OF the minister.
first secretary and second secretary. which
the accompanying photographs will depict
to the reader much more satisfactorily than
Il paragraph of penned description These
pictures, by the way are the first views of
the buildings TO reach this country and
have never been previously reproduced III
any publication. Not even the State Depart
ment has received copies. The two remain
Ing buildings-the office Of legation and
quarters for the Chinese secretaries and
student Interpreters-are of similar design.
but less pretentious. For the entire i'm
pr0vement Congress appropriated $4,000,
which has been economically expended DT
Mr.. Sid II. Nealy, architect assigned TO
the work by the Treasury Department.
Building Under Queer Difficulties.
The erection OF a legation building more
than one story high a distinct violation
OF the ancient tradition OF the Chinese that
heaven must resent elevation In houses
other than those OF the gods themselves or
OF the emperor, the son of heaven. This
rule was first broken however by the Aus
TRANS. who commenced their new legation
several years ago. and more recently the
question OF high houses has been officially
settled by the erection of a two-storied res
idence for Prince Su and three large blocks
OF similar buildings for the government
college OF languages
After MIR. Nealy arrived in Picking with
the commission to build our new legation
he encountered difficulties from the start
There was absolutely no American or Euro
pean labor TO be found and he had to resort
10 the native workmen. He soon discovered
that these artisans had definite rules for
doing things and these were NOT only quite
archaic. but not TO be improved upon
through either education or persuasion For
example. the walls progressed the ma
sons would not have their materials
brought up to them by ladders. but by long
bridse-like inclines. or ramps santing