The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-10-17
A GREAT NAVAL FIGHT
How French Fleet Whipped
the Chinese.
Graphic Description by an American
Officer.

A naval officer on board the United States
ship Enterprise sends the following account
of the desperate naval fight which took place
in China:
We found the Chinese Notifications full
of men and everything in readiness for battle.
There were also several Chinese men-of- war
at the mouth of the river The French had
three vessels stationed near the forti-
fications, and every day we expected the
fighting to commence. Our ship pro-
ceeded up the river as soon as the
water on the bar permitted, and on our aTri-
val at Shanghai we found everything in
readiness to pro ect the foreigners The cap
tam of the Italian man-ofwar Christoforo
Colombo, being the senior officer present. had
command of the united forces, and landing
parties were formed on each man-of-war to
land with small arms and Calling guns to
keep back the mob in case of trouble.
Just before the battle yesterday morning
an officer from the French flagship came on
board with his admirars compliments to our
captain and message to the effect that they
would commence operations in few hours
as the Chinese government had refused to
pay the 100000 francs demanded by
France.
The vessels in both fleets prepared for
action Three English men-of-war, this vessel
and four or five merchantmen were anchored
about half a mile down the harbor, giving a
clear space to the opposing forces. At 1;55
2. II. q single shot was fired from one of the
French vessels, and in a few seconds the bat
tie commenced. 1t is supposed that in the
first minute and half fully 100 shots were
fired, most of them from modern breech-
loading guns.
The French fleet consisted of the Volta,
flagship; Aspie. Vipere, ID Estange, Lynx, Dou-
gay, Trouin Willard, and, later, the Triumph
ant. The Chinese fleet consisted of nine Scoops
of-war, two gunbOats, and eleven war junks.
At 1906 o'clock the flagship Volta opened
fire from her tops, when i; general engage
ship was blown up by a torpedo.
At2:C8 Chinese gunboat was blown up. At
2:45 Chinese soop-of-war on fire drifted
down the harbor and sank abreast of US with
colors flying, while another Chinese sloop Of
war on fire grounded on flat island near us
and blew up at 4:5l. At SO another Chi
nese soop-Of-war on fire. with the French
cOlors flying, drifted down the channel.
The French kept on bombardng the navy
yards and forts on shore. which took an ac-
tive part in the engagement During and
subsequent to the engagement fire RATS and
junks came floating down the river.
The destruction of Nung Wo, the Chinese
flagship, will show what torpedo can do
when properly handed. As soon as the
fight began a torpedo boat darted to-
ward the Inflated vessel, and in an in
slant there was nothing left of the state
~ craft but some drifting timber and
broken sIars. The Nung Wo was built at
the navy yard at this place. She was full
ship rugged of about 1000 tons displacement,
and was a beautiful vessel, Her destroyer,
the torpedo boat, was about fifty feet long,
cigar shaped, very low in the water and cap
able of steaming about twenty miles an hour.
After her terrible work she drifted down
the harbor and anchored near u.s. We could
see that some Of her crew were wounded, as
well as her commanding officer. Our vessel
sent surgical aid to her as soon as nterna-
tiOnal law permitted it.
As far as could lie seen, only one Chinese
vessel made a Diet rmined fight This was q
gunboat commanded by a young Chinaman
who had been educated in America. His
gunboat was the target for a great many
French guns, but he went down gallantly, his
flag flying, and just as his vessel was sinking
he fired Il parting shot.
The rapidlty of the French fire completely
demoralized the Chinese, and the French gun
ners craftsmanship was excellent. Their
machine guns did frightful execution. One
of the Chinese vessels that sank shortly after
the fight commenced, was a terrible sight.
Her decks We're covered with blood and the
mangled remains of her crew. The Hotch-
kiss revolving cannon on the French ships
kept up a steady fire. One of these guns,
properly managed, is enough to clear the
deck Of any ship.
after the engagement. They escaped by get
ting up the river into shoal water. One Of
these vessels sank shortly afterward ON ac-
count of injuries received in the fight, and the
other one is now aground with her back
broken The French fire continued until
night. They SHIELDED the batteries on shore,
and drove the Chinese from them. The navy
yard and arsenal were shelled, and great
deal of damage done to government property
AT night fire RATS and burning junks came
down the river, but the French gunners sue
ceeded in sinking them With but one or
two exceptions the French vessels are uuin-
jured. The Volta had been hit once near the
water line. The DISTANCE had two shot holes
near her rail. The loss of life on the French
side was only six, beside the pilot Of the
Volta, who was an Englishman. The Chinese
Thousand