The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-09

An Experience of an Officer of the Visiting
French Gun-Bost. the Hussard-
New York SIM

An Experience of an Officer of the Visiting
French Gun-Bost. rhe Hussard-
New York Sun.
Lieutenant Senez, the second officer OF
the French gun-boat Hussard, now lying
In the North river. Is yonng man whofhes
acquired considerable reputation for cour-
age and enterprise among his fellow
officers OF the French ravy. In jan
uary, 1885, when General Briere
de PIsIe. commander-in -chIef of the
French expedition 10 Tonkin. decided TO
carry the war into Chinese territory. be
sent Commander DUinine and six hundred
men 10 occupy the citadel of Thuyen-quan.
This fortress stands at the entrance of Tho
passes W hich lead westward toward lnn-
nan. and was q point which had 10 be oc-
cupied In order TO Keep :. COM
mnnication open between the French
advance column and the sea. Two
guu-boats. sixty feet In length and Of fifteen
feet beam each. armed with q six-iDch
breech- loading rifle and two Calling guns.
with o crew of fifteen men all told. were
assigned 10 duty IN the Clear river 20 keep
open communication between Thuyen-quan
and Sontay. Ono gunb0Rt was commanded
by Lieutenant Senez, the other by Lieut..
de Bainincourf.
The French column, IN command Of Gen.
Negrier, had hardly started through the
mountain passes when the Chinese army
corps of the funDan. 1900 strong. came
down from Laokai toward the delta of the
Red river and attacked Thuy en-euan. The
Chinese general besieged the citadel, and
expected TO capture 1t easily on nc:
force of his army and the pow
er or his modern artillery. But he
soon found that he could do nothing as
long as the two guD-boats kept provision
ing the fort. He therefore established four
batteries of krapp guns six miles below
Thuyen-Quan. at q point on the river where
the rocky shores narrowed and turned the
stream into foaming rapids. On the most
prominent rocks he built an additional bat
terry of barbette gnns. To make the place
even more impossible. the Chinese com
mander filled two jnnks with stone and
sunk them In midsfream.
When Senez and de Balainconrt found
their retreat cut OF they used their guns to
help defend the fort. But at the end of
bombardment of thirty-six days two-thirds
of the French garrison and most of the
officers had been killed. A breach had
been made IN tho walls at which Com
mander Domino had been compelled 10 re-
pulse seven assaults of Chinese infantry.
and still the siege artillery of the enemy
was pounding away In attempts 10 make
other openings in the defenses. The CON-
mnnder of Thuyen-quan saw that some
thing must be done TO save the men still
left
In few hours it was decided to send n
gun-boat down the river. The decks and
machinery were protected by additioraf
steel plates, and Lieutenant Senez was put
in commanq. The craft started down
stream, and in a short while had arrived IN
sight OF the rapids The officer rang
for full speed. aud steered straight ahead
toward the distractions. A shower of
shells and Damon balls was sent from the
shore batteries. and the protected infantry
on the rocks kept mp hail of bullets.
Lieuten ant Senez was wounded eight times,
and thirteen ont of the fifteen of his crew
were killed. The steel protective plates
were blown TO atoms and the whole top
hamper of the boat was torn away, bat the
gun-boat got by the barricade and reached
Hal Phong in safety. There Senez found
General Brlere dc lIsle with $500 men. in
three days by means of forced marches.
these troops reached Thuyen-quan. and
after bloody fight relieved the fort. which
must have surrendered before night