Warships To China

The foreign fleet is assembling at Tien Tsin. Some of the ministers are ordering marines to Pekin for legation guard." Secretary Long upon advices received at the state cepartment showing the existence of threater.ing conditions in Ccina has ordered Admiral Dewey to send two warshins immediately from Manila to a point as near the Chinese capital as possible for a warship to approach. The vessels selected for this undertaking are the Baltimore and the Petrel. It is expected that the Baltimore will not be able to get beyond the Taku forts at the entrance of the Pang-He river upon which Pekin is situated, but the Petrei, being of smaller proportions, may be able to reach Tien Tsin, eighty miles above the mouth and about the same distance below Pekin. The officials regret that there is not now on the Asiatic sauadron a light draught gunboat of the Helena class which could ascend the river as far as the Chinese capital.