The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-07
NE VAS ~ 4 NOT PLACE ONCE.
An Experience OF an Ofncer or the Visiting
French Gsunhoa.. the Mussnrd.


Lieut.. Stnez. the second officer OF the French
cunboat Hussarl. now lying in the North
liver. is young man who has acquired con-
siderable reputation for courage and enter
Prise among his fellow officers OF the
French navy. In January. 1885. when Gen.
BriGre de rIsle. Commander In Chief OF the
French expedition 10 Tonktn. decided to
carry the war into Chinese territory. he
sent Commander Domino and 600 men
to occupy tho citadel OF Thuyen-1uan.
This fortress stands at the entrance OF the
passes which lead westward toward Yunnan.
and was point which had to be occupied in
order to keep communication open between
tho French advance column and tho sea. Two
Gunboats. sixty feet in length and OF fifteen
feet beam each. armed with six-inch breach
loading rifle and two Calling guns. with "
Of fifteen men all told. were assigned to duty
in the Clear River to keep open communica-
ton between Thuyen-quan and Sontay. One
gunbont was commanded by Lieut.. SGnez. the
other by Lieut.. do Balaincourt.
The French column in command OF Gen.
N;Grier had hardly started through the m oun-
tain passes when the Chinese army corps OF
the Yunnnn. 1000 strong. came down from
Laokai toward the Delta Of the Red River and
attacked Thuyen-uuan. The Chinese General
besieged the citadel and expected to capture
ensy Sn Of his 81 nS and
Soon found that he could do nothing
MS lons as the two Eunboats kept provisioning
the tort. He therefore established four bat
terirs Of krupa guns six miles below Thuyen-
uuan. at point OH tho river where the rocky
shores mario we'd and turned the stream into
foamnG rapids On the most promlnentrocks
he built an additional battery OF bartette guns.
To make the place even moro impossible. the
Chinese com nlander ;illcd two !unks with stone
and sank them in midstream.
When StncH and de Ealaincourt found their
retreat cut oil they used their guns to help de-
fend the tort. iut at the end of a bonn bard
ment OF thirty-six days two-thirds OF the
French garrison aud most Of the officers had
been killed. 4 breach hh! been made il the
walls az which Commander Domino had been
compelled to repulse seven assaults o. Chinese
Infantry. had still tina siege artillery of the
enemy was pounding away in attempts to
make other Openings i'll the dclenceS The
commander OF Thuycn-'luan saw that some
thing must be done to save the men stil lett.
In few hours it was decided to send gum
boat down the river. The decks and machln-
cry We're protected by additional steel plates
and Lieut.. Senez was put in command. The
craft started down stream. and in a short
while had arrived in sight Of the rapids. The
officer rang for full speed. and steered straight
ahead toward the obstructions. 4 shower Of
shells and cannon pals was sent from the
shor. batteries. and the protected infantry
Lieut. Sirez was wounded. eight times.
and thirteen out OF the fifteen of his
crew were killed. The steel protective
9 Of the to %as torn and n:
but the gunhoat got by the oarricade and
reached Hai-phonc in safety. There Senez
found Gen. Briarc de rs G wit h 5000 men. In
three day.: hy Tea4s Of forced marches these
bloody fight rel eyed the fort. which must have
surrendered before night