Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-16

CoREA AND THE GENERAL SHERMAN.-The
following is said to be the account given by the
Coreans of the circumstances attending the de-
strnction of the General Sherman:
A foreign vessel came to the lower waters of
fine Ping Yang river. The incumbent local mag
iStrate supposed that they were driven here by
distress of weather, and wished assistance; but
being about to inquire into the thing the man
on the vessel became exceedingly hateful both
officers and men refused attention to our words,
shutting their eyes and lying down to sleep,
clearly wishing TO offer insult. Our people re-
strained their shame and rage, and, after the
most humble speech and earnest entreaty, ascer-
tanned that the vessel was not driven hitler by
adverse winds. There was one man named
Tony, calling himself a Frenchman, and another
said to be an Englishman. They declared that
France was about to send large number OF war
vessels. eff you permit us TO open trade it Will
be the occasion of the dispersion of the soldiers
of the two countries" The local magistrate re-
piled that it did not pertain to him to promise
such thing, upon which the man Tony became
more and more unreasonable and violent. The
water in the PingYang river is shallow and unfit
for large vessels, but he disregarded this, and
every day, riding on the tide, worked his
way up the river. Our people showed
their friendly feelings by supplying them with
meat vegetables and fruit, but he would not re-
turn, but gradually pushed his way up TO the
capital of the province There, by means of
graphing irons and cables, they captured the
vessel OF the adjutant general and put him in
confinement, and by the time an official letter
arrived they had shattered TO pieces with their
cannon, | do not know how many merchant
vessels, robbing them and killing the men. The
whole city, several ten thousands of soldiers
and people, could not restrain their indignant
rage, but came out all together to the river and
made an attack with all their might, desiring to
rescue the adjutant general. Several tens of
men were killed by the cannon balls, and all be-
coming enraged and furious their combined
power was irresistible. Guns and cannon were
used on both sides, and RATS of burning wood
were floated, and finally the powder magazine
exploded, tearing the vessel to fragments and
sending the smoke on high, burning up the ves-
sci entirely and not leaving single man alive.
To this time we do not know whether or
not this vessel belonged to your hon.
orable country. This man Tony without
sufficient cause pushed into a strange country
md stirred up this affair, and even to this time
inquiry has failed to discover his motives. Ac-
,Ording to the laws of our country, if the mer-
chant vessel of foreign country is driven on
our shores, in case the vessel is still-bOund, we
are to assist them with provisions and furnish
what they need while they wait wind to de-
part In case the vessel is destroyed, we are to
send them at their pleasure by land, and pro-
tected by an officer, to Pekin, which thing has
occurred more than once. We thus act as ac-
cording with the principles of true benevolence.
Heaven above treats the people of different ma
tons as all his own people, and it is hard to
suppose that we should make special point of
the people of your honorable coun-
try. We have heard from the Chinese that the
custom Of your country gives special attention
to the rules of propriety. Careful examination
into the beginning and end of this affair will
show it to be not so much as a particle of
autumn dust to be kept in mind as matter of
doubt or solicitude.