Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-02
FIRES CONTINUE IN PEKIN.
Estimated That Loss in City Is APP
proximatelv $4,000, 600

Peiin. China, March lee Z. NJ
throughout the day looting Of stores
and residences has been going on III
various parts of the city. and there
have been several skirmishes between
the local troops and the mutineers in
the outskirts The majority of the
mutineers, however, had left the CEN
trail districts before morning.
Tien Tsn. March 1.-The Chinese
troops at FengTai. a village % miles
out from Pekln. ON the Pckin-Tieu
Tsin railroad, mutinied shortly after
midnight, this morning. There was
much heavy firing In che native quar-
ter. The foreign community com
posed entirely OF railway employees
and their families retired to the
British military post nearby. where
$50 soldiers of the Somerset Infantry
are stationed to guard the railway
lines
Dispatches from Pekin declare that
the situation there, today, is Very
serious No reinforcements of for
eign troops for the legation guard are
lrequired at present, however.
BY noon. today, it became evident
that mutinous soldiers were causing
trouble along the line of the railroad
between the capital and this city. The
morning train which left Pekin at $50
O'Clock had not Vet reached Feng- Tai
(22 miles, at t1.30 o'clock, and an
English officer with a detachment OF
Somerset infantry was sent in light
locomotive to ascertain the where
abouts OF the train. and if necessary
escort it on its way The telegraph
lines towards the capital are badly
crippled. Railway men believe than
FengTai was looted during the night
All train service toward Pekin has
been suspended.
Ten hooters captured in the act OF
carrying off property have been exc
euted on the spot by loyal soldiers.
Iseveral regiments of whom are pa
trolling the streets.
The incendiary fires which were
| started, last night, have now all been
DISTINGUISHED, or have died out The
loss is estimated approximately at
$4,000, 900,
| Tho number of the casualties that
| have occurred among the civilians
and the soldiers is not known, but it
| is believed that the loss of life has
been heavy. The outbreak was a conf
| pletc surprise both to the government
and The foreign legations, and there is
some apprehension of u recurrence OF
the disorders, tonight.
The smouldering fires in many dis
| tricts of the city are. this evening, be-
| ing raked over by throngs of the poor.
who pay no attention to the patrollmg
| soldiers rs they have nothing 10 lose
| and much to gain. No fresh fires have
| occurred. today, but there has been
some further looting in remote quar-
ters OF the city,
| Some attachments of old style tur-
baned troops have been brought to
| the city. today, and it is reliably re-
ported that Yuan shi Kai is also
bringing back the Manchu troops, who
! We're recently ousted from the city be-
] because il was believed that they were
| Il dangerous element. This was evident
| ~ an error of Judgment of Yuan Shi
| kai, who has since been endeavoring to
retain the loyalty of the soldiers in Pc
| kin, by permitting his bodyguard to
do as they pleased. Only a small body
of Yuan Shi Kais men now remain
| loyal to him.
The delegates from Marking sue
! ceeded in escaping, yesterday, from
| the burning residence where they We're
guests of the city. They are now stay
| ing at a hotel in the legation quarter.
| The streets have been thronged, all
| day, but the shops and houses are all
closed. Long lines of carts continue