At 4.45 this morning the southern section' ofthe city was shaken a big explosion which occurred just cast of the South Gate. A large section" of the city wall, fell in but the prompt resistance of the city soldiers prevented the attacking forees from gaining trance.
For weeks large "enemy forces have been strongly entrenched in the large Changtai godown just outside the south gate not far from the city and it is surmised that the enemy have been sapping from this shelter with the object of blowing up the wall.—Repeated attempts have been made to burn the building but these have failed. Big. native cannon have also been used in an attempt to blow the building down, but the massive brick walls, though damaged have stood firm' and have defied every effort at destruction.
When the explosion occurred great quantities of earth mixed with stone and brick were cast high into the air, and the buildings in the near vicinity were so badly shaken that pictures fell from the walls and scrolls were moved from their places, The trench dug under the wall must have been a large tone and the charge enormous for doth inner and outer sections of the wall caved in for a distance of ten yards while the whole wall settled down ablaut five Some of the soldi Jscene and encouraged their men to Jdefend the gap; and directed a large corps of workmen who in the face of deadly fire from the enemy's guns, used huge water vats filled with sand and stone and soon had the breach stopped. Meanwhile Red [Cross workers hurried to the scene jand helped carry the wounded off {to the hospital and Red Cross base for treatment.
The streets next to the city wal were at once proclaimed a forbidden Jarea and civilians were warned Jagainst trespassing in that district. Later paving stones from the main streets were dug up and carried Jaway to be used in re-building the /wall and in other fortification work, Jand a company of military advisers visited the district with n view to deciding on how best to prepare for possible future attacks and jeonducting a successful defensive should the wall again be threatened.
Of the ten odd shells that fell into the city, two fell into a pond near the Fukien club house; two fell in a military yamen, one fell near the Chamber of Commerce, one fell in the old Fu yamen, and one the magistrates yamen while the others landed in empty houses or private dwellings. A few of the shells went screaming over the city and exploded with a thunderous roar sending lead and pieces of iron in all directions and wile a few elviwere wounded, none were killed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.