Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1884-11-05


for action. Three English men-of-
war, this vessel, and four or five mer-
chantmen were anchored about half
mile down the harbor, giving clear
space to the opposing forces. At 1:55
p. M, a single shot was fired from one
of the French vessels, and in a few
seconds the battle commenced 1t IS
supposed that in the first minute and
a half fully one hundred shots were
fired, most of them from modern
breech-loading guns.
1.-The French fleet consisted of the
Volta, flagship; Aspie, Viperc, D'Es-
tango, Lynx, Dougay, Tronin, Willard,
and, later, the Triumphant. The Chi
nese fleet consisted of nine sloops-of-
war, two gun-boats, and eleven war
junks. At 1906 o'clock the flagship
Volta opened fire from her tops, when
a general engagement followed. At
2 o'clock the Chinese flagship was
blown up by torpedo. At 2:0S a
Chinese gunboat was blown up. At
2:45 Chinese sloop-of-war on fire
drifted down the harbor, and sank
abreast of us with colors flying, while
another Chinese sloop of-war on fire
| s.,
blew up at 4:5l. At $3.50 another Chi
nese sloop-Of-war on fire, with the
French colors flying, drifted down the
channel.
1.-The French kept on bombarding
the navy-yards and forts on shore,
which took an active part in the en-
gagement. During and subsequent to
the engagement fire RATS and junks
came floating down the river
1.-The destruction of the Yung Wo,
the Chinese flagship. will show what
torpedo can do when properly handled.
AS soon as the fight began torpedo
boat darted toward the ill-fated vessel,
and in an instant there was nothing
left of the stately craft but some drift
ing timber and broken spars. The
Yung WO was built at the navy-yard
at this place. She was full ship-rig-
ged, of about two thousand tons dis
placement, and was a beautiful vessel.
Her destroyer, the torpedo-boat, was
| about fifty feet long, cigar shaped, very
low in the water, and capable of steam
ing about twenty miles an hour.
''After her terrible work she drifted
down the harbor and anchored near
us. 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 interna-
tional law permitted it.
LAS far as could be seen, only one
Chinese vessel made determined
fight This was a gun-boat command
ed by young Chinaman who had been
educated in America. His gunboat
was the target for great many French
guns, but he went down gallantly, his
flag flying, and just as his vessel was
sinking he fired parting shot.
The rapidity of the French fire COM
pletely demOralized the Chinese, and
the French gunners Workmanship was
excellent. Their machine-guns did
frightful execution. One of the Chinese
vessels that sank shortly after the fight
commenced was terrible sight. Her
decks were covered with blood and the
mangled remains of her crew. The
Hotchkiss revolving cannon on the
French ships kept up steady fire. One
of these guns properly managed is
enough to clear the deck of any ship
"Only two of the Chinese vessels
were atloat after the engagement. They
escaped by getting up the river into
shoal water. One of these vessels sank
shortly afterward on account of in
juries received in the fight, and the
other one is now aground with her
back broken. The French fire continued
until night. They shelled the batteries
on shore, and drove the Chinese from
them. The yard and arsenal were
shelled, and great deal of damage
done to the government property.
"At night fire RATS and burning
junks came down the river, but the
French gunners succeeded in sinking