The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1893-01-27
in A Hor PLACE ONCE. =
Experience of an officer Of the French
Guu- Rnat. IIuasurd

Experience of an officer Of the French
Gun-Boat. Hussard.
Lieutenant Senez tho second Of
ficer OF tho French gun boat Hussard.
Is n young man who has acquired
considerable reputation for courage
and enterprise among his follow. Of
flcers Of tho French navy says tho
New York Sun. In January. 1885.
whom General Brier do l'Isle COM
mander.in. chief Of tho French expo.
dition 10 Tonkln. decided to carry
the war into Chinese territory. he
sont Commander Domino and 600 mon
TO occupy tho citadel OF Thuyen. guam.
This fortress stands Mt the entrance
OF the passes which lead westward
toward Yunnan. and was d point
which had to be occupied In order to
keep communication open between
the Fronch advance column and tho
sen. Two gun.boats sixty feet in
length and of iiftoon feet beam oach,
armed with a six-inch brcech. loading
riile and two Calling guns with a
crow OF fifteen men all told, were as
signed to duty in tho Clear river TO
hSSP SPoh UclWtGu
Thuyen quan and Sontay. Ono gun,
boat was commanded by Lieutenant
Senex the other by Lieutenant do
Balaiucourt
Tho French column. IN command
OF General Negrler had hardly start.
ed through tho mountain passos when
the Chinese army corps Of the Yum.
nan, Il. 900 strong. came down from
Laokal toward tho delta OF tho Rcd
river and attacked Thuyen. guam.
Tho Chinese general besieged tho
citadel and expected 10 capture 1t
eusny on account oil tho creator
numerical forco OF his army and tho
power of his modern artillery. But
he soon found that he could do moth.
ing us long rs tho two gunboats kept
provisioning tho fort Ho therefore
established four batteries OF Krupp
guns six miles below Thuyen- guam, ut
n point on the river whore the rocky
shores narrowed and turned tho
stream into foaming rapids. On tho
most prominent rocks he built au adj
ditionnl battery Of onreetto guns 10
make the place evon moro impassa-
ble the Chinese commander filed
two junlss with stono and sank them
In mid stream.
found their retreat cut off they used
their guns TO help defend tho fort
But at tho end OF bombardment OF
Ii irty-six days two-thirds OF tho
French garrison and most OF tho OIL
GERS mad boon killed. A breach had
been made in tho walls Mt which Com.
mander Domino had been compelled
TO repulse seven assaults OF Chinese
infantry. and still tho siege artillery
OF tho enemy pounded away in ut.
tempts TO mako other openings In tho
| dcIeuscs. Tho commander OF Thuyen.
qiru saw TINT something must DO
dono 10 save tho tnen still iuiL
In few hours IL was decided TO
send gun.boat down the river Tho
decks and machinery were protected
| by additional steel plates and Lieu
tenant Senez was put in command.
The craft started down stream. and
in n short while had arrived in sight
OF the rapids Tho oillcor rang for
full speed and steerod straight ahead
toward tho distractions A shower
OF shells and cannon balls were sent
from the shore batteric, on tho rocks
kept up a hail Of bullets. Lloutcnan,
Sentl vas wonndcd eight times
and thirteen out OF tho fifteen OF his
crow were killed. The steel prot.r,
two plates werc blown 10 atoms and
tho whole top hamper OF tho boa, was
torn away. but the gun boat got by
tho bnrricadc and reached Hal. Phong
in safety There Serez found Gen.
eral Briero de rislo with G. 900 men.
In three days, by means OF forced
marches these troops reached Tbuy-
on -qunn. and after bloody fight no.
'icsed tho fort which must have sar.
rendered before night.