Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-10-12

the morning until in the Afternoon
After the Yang-Wai had been disabled.
with the exception Of the big yum for
ward, she managed to cripple her oppc-
nent by shot which struck the coming |
tower of the japanese vessel, killing the |
japanese admiral and several of his fiji
els. This completely disabled the Japan
csc ship.
"Shortly after the Metsuchlma ceased |
firing, and while we were busy ascertain !
ing the extent of our own Injuries we
sighted the other japanese vessels APP
preaching, and the Yang -Wai's COM
mander gave orders to make a run for it
to Weipawei.
"rhe scene aboard the Yang Wal after
she had withdrawn from the unequal con-
fiict was simply hideous. There was but
one gun left in fighting trim, and that be-
ing the big bow gun, it was useless in
flight. The six japanese war ships pound
ed away at us as we ran, and we were de-
youtly thankful that our speed was great
enough to soon get out of range. The
Nang-Wai was simply a floating wreck.
Above the water line everything was
ruin. The pilot house, bridge, and CON
ming tower had gone early in the fight;
the boats were shot into spinters, and
the superstructure was in a hopeless,
shapeless tangle. The funnel had been
shot away to within four feet of the deck,
and as we were running under forced
draught, we rugged jury stack of sheet
iron and canvas supported by derrick,
\ hose was kept playing constantly
on this makeshtt funnel to prevent it
from taking fire or melting.
"rhe captain directed his crippled
craft from jury bridge of empty liquor
casks and soap boxes, using boats
compass, as the bnnacles had been shot
away. The masts were gone and the
rudder, too, but steering with the twin
screws was comparatively easy. The
Yang Wal had been in commission nine
years, but we got twenty knots out of
her, or two knots better than she did on
her trial trip.
"rhe junior officer was sent down to
take charge of the stokeholes, where
naked coolies were shovelling coal for
dear lie. lie had several cases of gin,
which he gave to the sweating stokers as
often as they asked for it. In one hand
he held a thick club made of a section of
thick rubber betting, and whenever a
man Jagged he beat him with it until he
picked up his shovel again. The draught
that was produced was so fierce that a
continuous sheet of flame poured from
the jury funnel. Below, the cruiser was
a huge butcher shop. Holes fourteol
feet square yawned in her side, marking
the place where the japanese shells had
entered. These war engines in bursting
had blown the upper deck into fray
ments. On the main deck was the worst
of all. 1t was simply lake of blood
, fully an inch deep in the shallowes
part. Writing in this and floating il
the deeper parts we're heads, arms anC
legs, with here and there the fragmen
of a man still alive tangled among the
fragments of timber and steel torn from
the cruisers sides and decks. Their,
were only two white men aboard the
| cruiser, myself and the surgeon, young
| lrishman named Kirk.
''As soon as the vessel was out oil
danger from the shells of the Japanes,
gunboats, he and | with corps of tn,
+ surgeons assistants set about clearing
up the terrible mess on the main deck.
wherever we found man hopeless
ly wounded the surgeon gave him in
slant relief from his agony. He carried
an atomzer filled with prussic acid, ant
"a soon as his hasty examination of
e hopeless case was finished. he sprayed
the poison into the mans mouth anC
nostrils. The dying men craned thei
necks forward eagerly in their desire [,
e escape from the torture they suffered
There were very few of the woundeC
: who were not put out of their mlscrv by
; the surgeons atomizer. Then the hid
- eous mess on the main deck was throwl
; into the sea and the deck washed dowl
2 with the fire hose. had no means o
: knowing what the loss was on on
Japanese adversary, but the vessel itsel
! suffered even more than our ship. He
r guns were all silenced, and, so far AS
= could see, she was unable to make steam
f When.we drew away not sound coulC
e be heard from her. Her mast and fun
mel had been torn away, and her uppe
work shot to pieces, until she locke,
like huge junk shop.
; zone of the most distressing feature
of an engagement like this is the terrific
noise aboard "A modern man of-war, fair
ly in action. The Yang-Wai fought al
the time with one screw turning slowly
her fires raked clean, and the steam
blowing of like the shrielling of a gale
The scream of the shells, the thud ant
the vibration as they struck the cruiser
the terrific roar as they burst, and tn