According to advices received in Shanghai on December 19, two boats, the ['Ping and Chi Ping of the wstsze Rapids Steamship Ca.
fired upon by bandits Saturday Inst while on the way from Chungking to Ichang and seven Chinese passengers were wounded, two perhaps fatal News was received by the head office of the company in a telegram from the captain of the T'Ping. Further word of the affair has not been received and the company was merely given the information of the shooting when the ship was two days lout from chang.
Immediately on arrival at Wanshien the wounded wore removed to hospital and their further fate is unknown, Officials of the company blame the distressing incident on the fact that ships of the company are lying the river without the armed guards which was formerly their Protection, It is said thatthe bandits in the Gorges district know that the boats are without guards and their activ ties have. become boldo!
The men who fired on the ships, are believed to have been mutinous troops but this fact has not been definitely established. It is believed that action: will be taken by the American naval authorities to give greater measure of relief to the Yangtsze Rapids Ca. than is now the case.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.