The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-21
THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLE.
First Detailed Account Of the Ugh
on YaIu River.

SAN FRANCISCO. Oct. 2o.-The steamer
Australia. which arrived here to-day,
brought the following letter from the AS
ISOLATED Press correspondent at Yokohama,
dated Sept 80:
Long before the rejoicings over the cap
ture OF Phyong Yang ping Yang had be-
gun to subside Japan was excited by fresh
enthusiasm by the news of another victory
of even greater significance in the north
eastern inlet Of the Yalu river. On the 18th
of September Admiral Ito, commanding the
squadron stationed at the mouth of the Tai
Tong or Daido river, was notified that a
large Chinese fleet had arrived at the Yalu
river in charge OF transports conveying re-
Inducements to the army on the frontier.
He set sail the following morning with all
the men-of-war that could be Immediately
summoned. viz: The Matushima, flagship;
Hashidate. Itsukushima, Yoshino, Takachi-
no. Akitsushima, Naniwa, Chyots, Fuse,
AKagi and Hiyei. Accompanying these
eleven was the Saikio, a merchant steamer
taken into the national service since the
war began, of no strength and not intended
for heavy work in action. She would not
have Joined the expedition but for the de-
sire Of Admiral viscount Kabayama, the
naval chief Of the staff, who, being on a
visit OF inspection at the north, could not
resist the temptation to witness the ex-
pected engagement.
Between II and 1 o'clock fourteen Chi
nese ships and six torpedo boats were dis
covered a little south OF the harbor called
Taikosan in Japanese pronunciation, east
Of Ksiyoto island. The ships were the
Ting-yuen, Chi-Yuen. Ping-Yuen, Chao-
Yuen. Yang-Wei. Kuang-Hi, Kak, Wei,
IianU KuanO-pfnO and furo athara uyboua
names are still unknown. OF these the first
W carried Krupp guns of thirty cent?
metres and fifteen centimetres. The next
four carried twenty-one-centimetre and If
teen-centimetre Krupps, and the next two
had twenty-fve-ton Armstrong;. Contrary to
expectation they advanced unhesitatingly
and commenced firing when four thousand
metres distant from the Japanese, who re-
served their first discharge until another
thousand metres had been covered. The
serious fighting began between the vessels
at the Chinese right and the japanese left,
the flagship OF the other side leading the
onslaught
BY L o'clock the contest was general.
Both lines maintained their position steadi-
ly for an hour, when the Chinese showed
either by accident or design, had for some
time been made special objects of attack,
and although they commended vigorously TO
the last, they were sunk, one after another.
the crews climbing into the rigging and
ss ogn and Wildly Tor help 9Thpp to their GSompan-
Yuen. Chin-Yuen and Chao-Yuen. As soon
as they We're disposed of the foremost
against the immense German-built vessel at
the head of the Chinese column for a long
time without effect on the heavy steel
ever, a lucky she'll struck the Ting-Yuen
a little above the water and seemed to the
through and through. Their belief that This
ieat mad been accomplished was increased
when a thick body of smoke was seen ris-
ing from the flagship. and although no dim
mutton of activity aboard was perceptibIe
they were convinced that she had been SET
on nre. as she remained burning up to the
hour OF her hascy departure. Whatever
her condition was, she succeeded i'm in
nicting heavy punishment upon her chief
two twelve-inch shells. the first of which
upset and battered out of shape one of her
nnunition "i box xne d ssiiing edd Pesdf an am,
among the crew and starting a fire. which
was subsequently with great difficulty nut
Matsushima withdrew from the scene and
moved toward Tai Tong. Admiral Ito trans
lering MS nag TO the Hashidate.
A RASH vISCOUNT.
Meanwhile three other Japanese vessels
had undergone extremely rough treatment.
The Saikio, which viscount Kabayama per-
sisted in keeping in the thickest of rho
fight notwithstanding her obvious unsuita-
bility for such duty. lost control of her rud-
der and found herself in much closer prox-
unity than was desirable 10 the Ting-Yuen
and Chen-Yuen. AS she could not avoid
them she made directly for them. 1t Is sup
posed. In the belief that she was about to
ram them. The japanese are of the opin-
ion that it was under this illusion that the
two huge ships separated. allowing the
Saikio a passage about forty fathoms wide
through which. to escape. Torpedoes were
discharged at her as she went by without
avail.
The Hiyei having been unable by reason
OF her slowness TO keep pace with the rest
or the fleet became "A conspicuous object
TO the Chinese, and was Sc deluged with
mt<s-ess that she was set on fire before the
efernoon was half over. Her small crew
wus greatly reduced. and as the surgeon