Peking, Feb. 16.
It is officially stated that all rumours of the fall of Luchow, which is alleged to have occurred on the 12th, are entirely without foundation.
The fighting which has taken place at Luchow was due to the treachery of General Liu Cheng-hue, Commander of the 2nd Brigade at Yungning, who, being in league with the rebels and knowing that a large portion of the troops at Luchow had departed to attack Suifu, to surprise Luchow on the He took Lantienpa, opposite Luchow on the southern bank of the Yangtze, on the Sth. Next day recements arrived for the Luchow garrison and a fierce battle raged for three days and nights. On the 9th the Government troops crossed the river and on the following day they succeeded in recapturing Lantienpa, the rebels retreating southwards. The Government troops followed up and on the 18th retook Taipingchang.
The rebels suffered heavy casualties, including Colonel Chen Liman, who was killed. They also lost six guns.
The telegraph officials at Luchow report that the sound of the cannonade is no longer audible in the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.