Officers and Passengers in Imminent Danger from Enraged and Hungry Soldiers Aboard Writing from Chungking on July. 8 Dr, J. H. McCartney gives the following graphic account of experiences during a voyage from Hankow to the up-river port and conditions on the wa} We left Hankow on Saturday June 18 under convoy of the Admiral's ship, Isabel, six ships of us, and three Standard Oil boats to remove the remainder of the all in the tanks at Ichang. The three larger boats of the Yangtze Rapids Ca, were loaded with freight for Chungking, 'The previous day three Yangtze Rapids boats, loaded only for Tehang, had left under escort of the Eleano and as they were much' slower we were expected to overtake them at Chinlin, the entrance to Yochow.
The first:'day passed without incident. We did not see one soldier or hear a shot, and as per time-table we overtook the rest the fleet anchored at Chinlin. The next day we left together, 11 boats al told, We encountered very bad weather, Yaining, and, with a freshet, our progress was slow.
In the evening we met an A. P, C. tanker aground and according' to marine courtesy we all anchored and the 8, 0, C, Meichuan went *o the rescue, pulling her off without difficulty, after only two attempt,
time, gad the hander breaking the first The First Enfilade The next day just after passing Shasi we met the remainder of the 'A. P. C. oil boats and lighters under the escort of.two gunboats. They had left Ichang that morning after closing all, the remaining oil out of their tanks.
We had heard all along that Yang. Sen's army had evacuated Shasi, but we found the report not correct, 98 Javge numbers of his men were in and about the: city, but to all appenrances being. evacuated.
The A. P, C. installation at this for fear of being commandeered. About midnight coal came along after two of the other boats in the fleet had been coaled, and we sailed Just at the break of day, thinking that we had escaped all unpleasant-ress. Our success or failure alli depended upon our coal supply.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.