On Sunday quite a serious explosion took place just inside the north gate of the city, when several people were killed or burnt te death on the spot, others were conveyed to the mission hospital, of whom four died, and many other were more or less seriously injured. It is probably impossible to tell the certain cause of the accident, but the following seems to me the most likely. Several corta were going out of the city towards Ching-yang with ammunition and while rumbling over the very uneven and stony road one case tell with the above tragic result. The animals and carts were also dos-troyed.
Sianfu is again heaving with unrest, and in almost daily expectation of fighting. It is evidently true that the present Tuchun has. been superseded by appointment from Peking, and in this all heartily rejoice. But the difficulty is that the gentleman here is preparing to resist; he is trying to raise an army of 50,000 men and is daily enlisting all he can. The army has been withdrawn from Tungkuan and is falling back upon the city. Guns also are being moved about. Two days ago there was a panic in the city and the exchange fell terribly: many are preparing for a siege and rumoura are persistent. It is reported that the late Tuchun has offered to retire peacefully on condition that tha new Tuchun comes to Shensi without an army that he, Ch'en Shu-fan, is allowed to retire to the west of the province with his army and that he is given two months to defeat Kuo Chien with whom he is. at present in a state of war. It is just possible that there may be another reason for asking, for a two months' respite, as the enormous levies made in the form of an opium tax have not all yet been paid, but for this the time mentioned would be ample, as all the country people are now busy reaping their wheat and opium crops.
It is reported that General Feng. is on his way towards Sianfu. This news is almost too good to be true, but what a relief it would be to this robber-torn province, to: have the worst army in China replaced by the best.
Peking, June 19.
General Feng Vu-hsiang has occupied Tungkuan and is now about three days' march from Sianfu. General Chen Shu-fan offered no resistance and has withdrawn his troops to the provincial capital. General Chen has promised to make no difficulty about handing over the seals to his successor, if the terms he previously proposed ate carried out. General In Hung-tao has sent troops to Shensi to compel General Chen to retire.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.