City Crowded With Refugees The following account of what was happerting in the early days of the siege of Sianfu capital of Shensi—for two months 1 © no letters have for out of the city—is sent us by Mrs, Evelyn Watson, staying at Kuling." It ie sufficiently instructive of the sways of life up-country in these days, Mrs. Watson says:
Those who have friends, Chinese} have come very near, one through er foreign will be interested in, andthe garden wall, another on an out-grateful for Mr, Rodney Gilbert's thouse, and many have burst overstatement in your issue of July 23, 'Mr. Watson's house has just to the effect that Marshal Wu has; had a corner of it blown out by a expressed the opinion that, the mis-huge shell, ang two shells have sionaries (and, therefore, the people [struck the roof of the Girls' School's in general) are in no real physical new dining room." anger, since the attacking General'
Lin Chen-hun has no artillery, with Why So Much Delay which to shell the city.
Mr. Watson says: "The It is a relief to know that General School has had six shells in's artillery is now all spent. That [three of which have gone through foreigners came in for their the root and damaged the building, hare whilst, it lasted is apparent] only just vacated by the boarders." from the following extracts of let-In the last letter to come out, beters, despatched during the first {fore all mail service was stopped, on month of the bombardment, before May 16, Mr. Watson writes, "One the city was completely cut off from [wonders what Wu Pei-fu doing, communication with the outside that a big ity like +his should be world, and whilst any who chose to} long besieged by what after do s0 were at liberty to leave Sianfu is a comparatively unarmed ho by: the West gate. land, "Two shells have just landed April 23, Mr. Watson writes "I lover. One came through the garden had a bullet through the north wall and exploded on the graves. window of the bedroom. I've taken [One landed right on the roof of one the hint and have now moved into lof the houses.
Had it fallen a few another r90m feet short, it would have landed April 24, "To-day there has been Jomongst about 50 women and chil terrific bombardment, but people Jdren refugees. A. part of the suburb are getting used to it now", wall was blown in a few da} ago. There is however, nothing more than Impleasant Visitors spasmodic attempts, ang something April 27, "A shell Janded in front more sus ned ang serious wil] have of No, 3 ward of our hospital. No to be -empted before Lin gets in." damage was one as thie well buried itself in the ground, and did not 102 Days of Siege explode. Several others followed now over two months since! and landed on the road beyond. At the last of these leters was written. he sound and screech of them going 102 days since the Shensi Tupan overs the Chinese lose their heads and Sheng Chang resigned, on the and behave as if demented." approach of "Lin Chen-huia, who May 4, Mr. Shorrock writes: forthwith proceeded t0 besiege the "or nearly three weeks the attack-city.
It is true that until May 17, Ing forces have been converging. on the West Gate was left open, but this, place, and we have been subject' refugees from all the country side to heavy shelling and rifle fire night! crowded in, adding to the number to ind day. Our houses here are very be fed. Although it is true that the ear the walls of the Bast Suburb, foreigners might have left the city!
we have had more than cur share, bby the West Gate had they not felt! of the racket an danger.
On tie! it their duty and opportunity to re-recond day of attack a shell landed main, yet it would have been useless right into our house, making a neat; for them to have done so, because! hole in the sides door and crashing, their route lay to the East, through into.a wall opposite and through the, the enemy lines, and all' Eastern, floor in the passage. Other shells ready were blocked.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.