The Hawaiian gazette., 1894-08-28

| vessel, anu Is taken nom the Maya
sSSi Rising sun; The British =, :,
kowShiny, owned by the tndo. China
Steam Navigation Company. letI
Shanghai on July nth, bound 20
rSku, under charter to carry Chinese
/ troops trom that port to A.San, on the
] coast Of korca. Arriving at Taku on
| the Nlth, arrangements were made 20
/ ship the troops, and on the SD liOO
came on board, including two gem
erals, number u other officers OF
various ranks, and German eN army
officer named Heuniken, who came
Is Sn ordinary passenger. At $50 y.
III, on the Esd the ship proceeded on
her voyage 10 A-Sap. All went well
until the morning Of the sSth, when,
on Shopeiui Island, we passed a man
ot-wsr flying the japanese naval en-
sign, with y white fiag above IL. This
vessel proved 10 be the Chinese war
ship rei-yueu. shortly afterwards
we sighted three Japanese men Of
war, the Nauiws, loshiuo, and an
other probably the Akitsushiual.
The NsniwS st once steamed toward
Us, flying signal ordering us TO stop,
She also fired two blank charges, and
SIX Us ~ NhANAk VIC ~
once did. The Naniwa then steamed
away, apparently 10 communicate
with the other ships. l at snce in
quired by signal il might proceed, TO
which the Nsniwa replied; "Heave-
10 or take the consequences" A boat
then came from the Nsniwa, and an
officer came on board. He was re
eeivsd st the gsngway, and he asked
% see the ships papers. They were
shown TO him, and his attention, par
ticulsrly called TO the fact that she was
a British ship. Numerous other ques-
lions were asked and answered, the
most important one being: "Would
the Kowshing follow the Naniwa ;"
Being utterly helpless against man.
of-wsr, l replied that there would be
NO alternative but TO do so, under pro-
test, If ordered. The officer then left
the ship and proceeded 10 the Naniwa,
Shortly after, being still st anchor,
was ordered by signal 10 cut, slip or
weigh anchor Immediately. The
Chinese Generals learning the mean
ing Of the signals, and finding prepar-
stions were being made to follow the
Nsniwa, objected most emphatically.
They were told how useless il wauld
be 10 resist, as one shot would sink
them in q short time. The Generals
then said they would rather die than
obey Japanese orders, and as they had
100 men against about 400 on the
Naniwa, they would fight rather than
surrender. They were told that If they
decided to fight, the foreign officers
would leave the ship. The Generals |
then gave orders TO the troops on deck |
To kill us if we obeyed the orders of |
the Japanese, or attempted to leave |
the ship. With gestures, they threat |
ened 10 cut off our heads, to stab or |
shoot US; and lot of men were Sc
lected 10 watch Us and carry out the |
order. a signal was then made re- |
luesting the Naniwa to send a boat, !
in order 10 communicate the state OF |
affairs. \ boat was at once sent, but |
4 crowd Of armed Chinese took pos. !
session of the gangway, until | pre-
vailed on the Generals to send them |
away. Eventually the officers came
alongside, and a message for the Com
mander of the Naniwa was sent, |
stating that the Chinese refused |
to allow the Kowshing to |
be taken q prisoner, and insisted upon /
TO Taku. 1t was again |
pointed out that she was 4 British |
Ship. and that she had left port before |
war had been declared. The boat then /
returned to the Naniwa, and on her
arrival a signal was hoisted, ordering
he Europeans 10 leave the ship at
,nce. 4 reply was given that they
we're not allowed to leave, and asking
or boat to be sent. Notice was sent
20 the engineers TO be handy in case
he japanese fired. The Naniwa
shortly afterward replied that a boat
ould not be sent. The Nauiwa then
loisted a red flag at the fore, which
vas apparently a signal for discharg-
ug q torpedo, as one was fired at the
but missed her. A broad
ide of five guns was then fired. At
he time, was on the bridge, my Off
ers having left " and seeing that the
oldiers set to watch me had left their
tation at the foot of the ladder, /
ushed TO the wheel-house, and, after
life belt the last one re-
1 jumped over the ships
ide. In doing so heard a terrific ex-
,losion, and upon returning 20 the
urface Of the sea | found the atmos-
mere was VIII anu llnC l
GAL powder. l at once struck out for
be shore, distant about mile and a
uarter. There were many Chinese
d the water, but only saw one Eu-
Opean, Mr.. Won Hanniken. AS the |
Ir cleared, bullet struck the water !
lose to my ear, and was followed by
shower of bullets. Knowing that
hot from the Naniwa could not strike
ear me, owing TO being shelteIed by
ne hull of the kowshing, turned on
" back, and saw Chinese soldiers 8
ring at me from the deck and the
ween deck ports. As far as possible |
protected the back of my head with
De life belt, and swan as low in the
-ater as | could. Firing from the a
-aniwa's broadside and machine guns 1
as continued until shortly before the '
went down, stern first. AT
7 being in the water some time, was q
licked up by the Naniwais cutter in C
cry exhausted condition. The same
)at had already reached one Of the
who had been wound q
in the neck with rife bullet. On :
irving at the Naniwa We found that Il
le chief officer was the only other :
srsOn saved by the japanese, leaving i
ve Europeans connected with the :
up, and the passengers, missing. / i
another boat to be sent, but q