Iditarod pioneer., 1914-08-15

the steamship komagata Maru between the Hndus and the officers of the law, and be- fore the engagement was finished many men were knocked into insensibilty, and the decks were strewn with prostrate forms Some of the combatants are in hospitals and some may dIe A joint force of police and special immigration constables descended at night with the tug Sea Lion on the koma- gata Maru at the anchorage of the big yes sel in Burrard inlet, where the ship has been lying with the Hindus the last two months. After graphing with the vessel the Sea Lions hose was gotten into action and powerful streams of water were brought into play The Hindus had been reused to desperation and lined the rail and decks with formidable front The Hindus were armed with clubs. spikes and the Ike, and beat back the officers who attempted to swarm aboard behind the streams of water The officers were endeavoring to get pos session of the steamship so that she might he manned by whites and turned on the back track to the Orient.
 The government had decided, as an act of mercy, at the cost of SS,O00, to provl- sion the ship and start her on the back track across the Pacific but the scheme was not working out. A force of 50 spe- cial immigration officers and l25 police, armed with Ross rifles, made up the board ing party. The Hindus showed remark able pluck and fearIessness. When the attack ing party brought the powerful streams into play the IIindus at first recoiled, but dog gcdly came back in the face of the water. climbing time and again to the rail and clubbing every man attempting to board the ship Clubs were used on both sides, and guns finally were brought into action, but probably more for shooting high in order to alarm tLe men, With the crack of rifles and the rattle of bludgeons and the scutIlc of feet, the curSng and yelling of the com batants the ship was the scene of all the stirring excitement of the ancient days when naval forces fought hand to hand.
 When the Hlndus made a rush with all sorts of missiles and some firearms and offered their chief resistance, all men on the tug rushed to the off side of the tug to escape the fusillade, and the tug nearly capsized. The police were tempted to open fire on the Hindus, but the officers forbade it. The tug finally drew of, leaving the Asiatlcs in possession.
 On July = tnt tdnduldu cruiser halu- bow, flagship of the Pacific, fully provi- stoned and armed and equipped with plenty of hose, aS well as the customary fighting arms sailed from EsQuimalt shipyards un- der special orders for Vancouver, to deal with the EIndus Two officers and ten bluejackets who arrived recently from the Atlantic flagship Niobe arrived and manned the Rainbow under direction of the cap tain. The vessel was placed at the disposal of the immigration department should it be necessary to arrest the rngleaders cn the komagata Maru and to tow the ship outside the three mile limit.
 The Rainbow arrived in Vancouver on July 2l. The officials met on board of her and after conference gave the Hindus notice that they would be given until noon to decide whether they would surrender or fight The Hindus barricaded the decks and piled high the buIwarks with footed dunnage and built up reinforcement with lumber
 Later the Hindus' excitement was Queled and the vessel put to sea, accompanied by the Rainbow