A well-known Shanghailander who arrived yesterday evening with the proverbial toothbrush and. his Cairn {ervier, graphically described—the sudden onslaught. 'To his old Chinese gardener who had offered to. stay, had thrown his keys; the coolie': wife took $10 gratefully'and, made a bee line for the Pootung ferry. His Property, he calculated, could wait for more opportune shifting. "On Wednesday, he said, about 1,000 coolies—his gardener maintained they were Japanese and not Chinese—Started fattening out the bunkers and felling shrubbery on the golf lub just across the canal.
"The firing opened with a dex Yastating suddenness" he continued. "For two and three quarter days the coolies had been working at" top Pressure "under" their overseers, went out to watch them about 430 o'clock yesterday afternoon. All of a sudden three trench manor shells burst out in the Kiangwan area and then a volley came from the big Shanghai College building near the links. There must have been about a dozen snipers there, The "first Durst sent the dust flying all over the elf course and the coolles stamped €d for the shelter of the canal bank. grabbed my binoculars and sprint= for the root for a grandstand view of the serap.
Naval Guns Join In "Japanese troops returned the fre from "the clubhouse. Machine" gun fire joined the crackle of musketry, The retaliation completely destroyed the aim of the snipers, Buildings on the Point Island canal front were in the line of fire. High shots whistled around my house and bullets smack= ed into the fence. "About 5.30 0 very heavy bombardment started from down the river. Warships, destroyers cruisers, I could not tell. which, started firing heavy stu towards Kiangwan, By the scream of the shells and the detonations they had 4 in, oF Gin, guns In action. Towards dusk the bombardment' became heavier "sti, Thad had. "more than enough and started up the ear, Panicking Chinese were everywhere There must have been 2000 of the: clustered around the Island landing for the Pootung ferry. They were milling in thousands along the Woosung Road. Curiously enough T ald of pass a' soldier on the way back, Big Ching chimed 7:30 as T crossed Garden Bridge and that ended for me the most exciting three hours since my own war days." es. Tt was understood late Inst ight that the North Honan Road gates was supported by sand-page during the evening and that the other gates would be reinforced to-ay. Further sand-bags also were placed at the Dixwell Road Police Station, which was well within ear= shot of even the light fung yesterday afternoon and. evening, "Early this morning the Station reported that the vicinity was apparently quiet ud that no firing was audible, Detectives of the SMP. in all dis lets "were put into uniform yester-ay. 7
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.