The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-30 00:00:00

DESTRUCTION OF THE FOOCHOW
ARSENAL.

Telegrams from Shanghai announce that the
Arienal of Foochow was destroyed by Admiral
Cutirbet on Saturday. The bombardment began at
tio o'clock in the afternoon and ended at eight. Only
one battery replied to the French fire. Seven Chinese
gunboats were sunk. Two succeeded in making their
escape. It is stated that the French fleet sustained
no damage. The European settlement was undis-
turbed.

Foochow stands midway between Hong Bong ana
Shanghai. It was opened to foreign commerce by the
Treaty of Nanking in 1842. The city is built on a
plain on the left bank of the River Min, about thirty-
four miles within the entrance, and is three miles
from the shore. All the foreign hongs and consulates
are on the opposite or south side of the river, across a
masFiye stone bridge. There are two passages by
which the river may be entered; but the
south channel is now disused by large ships,
being safely navigable only by junks, and even these
must be skilfully handled. The north channel
between the islands of Woga and Woufu is that
alone by which the French war vessels can enter.
Above Woga Island, the river is protected on either
side by fortifications. Besides, the river presents
great natural obstacles to navigation, from the
number of sunken rocks. It is said that the passage
of the Min has been industriously studded with
torpedoes. The usual anchorage is off the south
point of Losing Island, nine miles below the city.
Vessels of 12ft. draught can go up to Foochow; but in
spite of the skilful pilotage which is to be found on
this river, wrecks are of •not unfrequent occurrence
among its shifting sandbanks and intricate chan-
nels. The Imperial dockyard and arsenal, on
a point of the north bank opposite Losing Island,
are of recent construction, and have but lately
bin completed. The various establishments are,
however, in complete working order; and, indeed, the
dockyard has for the past ten years been capable of
building five war ships annually. The arsenal, which
gives employment to about 2,000 Chinese workmen,
under the superintendence of sixty-six Europeans, was
built by M. Prosper Giquel, the French engineer
officer who constructed the great defensive works ten
miles below Foochow, on the Min. During the tea
season the port is filled with English ships, and its
annual transactions in tea amount to betwecn
£65,000,000 and £70,000,000.

The following is from the Times: On the Min
River, August 23, 6 p.m. The bombardment was
a sickening business. The Chinese fleet lately on
the Min has, except two ships, been blotted out. No
surrender was allowed to the disabled and sinking
vessels; the guns having been silenced, they were
shelled for hours. Admiral Courbet opened fire at
two o'clock, and the Chinese replied almost simul-
taneously. The Dockyard Arsenal fired immediately,
but with only partial success. The eleven ves-
sels forming the Chinese fleet, mostly light
river and coast transports, were really toys. The
French had eight heavily-armed ships—the Volta,
Dugnay, Trouin, Detaining, Aspic, Vipere, Lynx, and
Villan. The Triomphante ironclad arrived soon
after fire had been opened. Several of the Chinese
epnboats maintained bravely a desultory fire for about
15 minutes, when the survivors of the crews leapt
overboard; but the combat was practically finished in
seven minutes. The superior artillery of the French
made the contest, after the disabling of the Chinese
vessels, no fight—it was a massacre. ..This was the
opinion of every spectator. Two 18-ton gunboats
fought well, one sinking near the Champion (Eng-
lish), while the other, above the junks, made a good
stand. The French kept up the fire on the arsenal and
the neighbouring buildings, forts, barracks, and even
villages, until five o'clock, although the resistance of the
shore batteries had ceased at about three o'clock. Some
of the French and Chinese ships were firing close to
the Vigilant and Champion. I was myself on board
the Champion. Three burning gunboats floated down
the stream, one carrying French colours. One passed
close to us, and so also did numerous fire-junks,
blazing in a dangerous manner; but they were all
fended off. One English barque was saved by the
English. The French torpedo boats exploded the
sterns of the Yangwoo transport and of two sinking
gunboats. The scenes on the river as the dead and
wounded men floated by were terrible. The English
saved many of the latter. The forts lower down have
not yet been attacked.