The part of the Winter Palace occupied by Field-Murshal Count Waldersee, includ ing the asbestos house, hus been burnt during the night.
The chief of Count Waldersce's staff, Major-General Gross von Schwarzhoff is The Frouch have prepared a large ex pedition to the Huolu Pass, south-west of Paotingfu on the highway to 'T'siyuanfu. even thousand men and 1,500 horses are nurching, One battalion of German troops also started yesterday.
small "detachment has left Peki wug is trying to impress upon the Pawers that the Chinese wish only 10 ausrd the row leading to Taiyuanfu, to Li's statement, the number for this purpose entire German garrison of Paoting-the command of Major-General ler, his now also loft, part gong yeverday mon and the rest yesterday moving in the direction of the Huolu Pass. The continue: of more ub 0.0) men. von Lessel, personal ©. A garrison of only 400 men remains in Paotingfu. It is not known yet how far the troops to-day.
Major-General von Gayl, who has been at Paotingfu, and who was fo join this new expedition, has been recalled to Peking by telegram, apparently. to take charge of the alf of Count Waldersee.
The fire which partly destroyed the Winter Palace last night, broke out at 11.29 p.m., in the kitchen or the pantry of the Field "Marshal's apartment, "The two courts occupied by the Field Marshal's staff, and which were formerly the private apartments of the Empress Dowager, hava en entirely consumed. The fire spread sith furious rapidity. Count Waldersee mself could not reach the door of asbestos house, but with assistance escaped through the window. He only barely saved his life, all his personal belongings and papers having been lost. General yon Schwarzhoff was burnt to death in his room. With the assistance of Major Baron von Marschall and Captain von der Groeben, he was trying:0 save the archives and documents of the headquarters. He succeeded, with their help, in getting one tin box into safety, but when for the second time he entered the building to get other papers and his little pet dog, he was overcome by smoke and heat. His body was found this morning face down, entirely burnt. The pavilions occupied by Count Waldersee, Generals von Gayl and Schwarzhoff, Major von Brix-en and the Aide-de-camps, Captains Wil-berg and von der Groeben, as well as Lieutenant von Rauch, havebecncompletely destroyed, nothing being saved from them. The cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained. It is improbable that it was the result of incendiarism on the part of the Chinese, as was at first suspected, but is more likely to have resulted from the negligence of the cooking staff. An enquiry is now being held, Tientsin, 18th April.
In agreement with the Chinese Authorities the portion of the territory which is to form the extension of the German Settlement here was formally taken possession of yesterday afternoon. The German Settlement now extends westward to the Race Course Road.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.