The morning call., 1893-10-15

considerable as yet. Turning our head
shoreward and steaming at a slow rate we
returned the fire.
By this time the sailors seemed disap-
pointed at our apparent retreat. all being
eager for the fight, they not knowing what
conclusion the officers had come to at
council. so | ordered the executive to make
short but patriotic speech and the
huTrahs that rent the air at its conclusion
told me plainly that there was not man
on board but would rather sink with our
noble ship than surrender.
The enemy by this time was chasing us
at her utmost speed, which we calculated
at seventeen knots. There were several
vessels in the Chinese navy of the same
size and appearance as this one that were
rated as eighteen-knotters, so we were un-
able until later on to ascertain her name.
When we'll inside of Point Reyes and in
smooth water our enemy was about two
miles astern. Then / laid my vessel across
her course and poured in brOadslde after
broadside. raking her fore and aft; but
her tactics were no doubt to ram us, as she
came straight forward at very high
speed. This caused me to steam ahead with
helm 10 port and a repetition of the circu-
larlfght between the Kearsarge and the Ala
bama was in progress, we having decidedly
the best of 1t. being the faster by several
knots. ALI this time an awful fire was
poured into both vessels. Johnnie China
man apparently getting the worst of it.
Still their fire was as vigorous rs ever.
Having the advantage of speed. tried
to ram her, but each attempt was frus-
trated by her launching torpedoes, and at
the same time backing off in good order.
Our guns had done splendid service and
our armor was never penetrated; but an
accidental explosion OF one of our own
shells in the after turret wounded the
majority of the guns crew and disabled
one of our large pieces, but at the same
time our opponent seemed to be short of
steam.
Darkness had by this time set In, and
the electric searchlight of our enemy must
have been disabled. / therefore decided
upon new scheme, which l had never
heard of before. l ordered our steam
launch to run out two brand-new heavy
manila hawsers in half-circe around the
stern. as near as possible to Our antagon-
ist. New manila hawsers float nicely for
long time and suited the purpose ey-
actly. Then feignieg to ram her on the
bow she again launched torDedoes and
at the same time backed full speed astern as
she had done before. This was exactly
what wanted her to do. and within five
minutes her propellers had picked up the
hawsers, become choked and her ponderous
engines had come to standstill. She was
then at our mercy.
Within twenty minutes her batteries
were siienced, and she showed signals of
surrender. She sent her only remaining
boat alongside my vessel with a request to
save her crew as she was sinking. but
when turning our seachlights on her 1t was
plainly seen tina: only her after compart-
mepts were flooded and she was in no i'm
mediate danger. Thinking 1t ruse, | or
dered boats to transport the high officers
across at once to surrender. When the
commander assembled our gangplank l met
HIM. He handed his sword 10 me. using
the time-worn but noble words. Fortune
favors the brave" and in fluent English
congratulated me on my splendid victory.
her crew on board, except such as were
wounded.
At 10 o'clock the next morning / entered