The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-24
CHINA'S BIGGbNT Wan SHiP.
An Account Of tho vessel Now Lyil
Wreck at WeI-uai-Wei.

By the disabling of the Chen Yuen the
Chin csc are deprived OF their biggest and
most formidable battle snip. she was
a sister vessel 10 the Ting luen, which
was destroyed in the battle of the mouth
Of the Yalu river. The chen Nuen was
the most recently constructed sed-BolnB
armorclad in the Chinese service. she
was built I'm the Vulcan dOCkydrd, at
Stettn, in 1852, and was in all respects
similar ITO the flagship Ting Nuen,
launched at the same place year
earlier She was Of the tirst-cass ar
mored fIfgate type. She was Of 400
tons displacement and $3.50 horse power,
equal 70 a speed OF fourteen knots, with
central armOred belt Of fourteen inches.
Her armament consisted of four D.5 CEN
timetre Q2l inchl krupp guns in twin
Is OF armOred protection. The steel pro-
jacties for these guns weighed I2j
pounds, the charge Of powder being 2O2
pounds of slow burning cocoa; their per-
fOraton power at muzZle was through
20 - inches Of armor-no light blow. Two
hfteen-centimetTe t3.S incE) Krupp guns
were carried, one in the bows and the
other at the stern. with eleven-inch per-
foration power. There were three tor
, edO tubes and numerous machine guns
on deck and in the tops. A formidable
ram. which prOtruded well below water.
completed a very effective, offensive and
defensive armament Safety was afforded
by numerous watertight compartments.
The Chen Iuen. under the command Of
Commodore Lin, assisted by Commander
PhilO McGiffen, formerly Of the United
States Naval College, Annapolis, and
Herr Hickman. gunnery expert from
Krupp's. did splendid service at the naval
battle Of the Yalu She caught fire but
owing to the smart discipline on board
the flames never got the mastery. During
the five hours Of fighting this vessel
made splendid shooting her one draw
hlrk being the iu1IDQrJ4fa condition n
her magazine. Her smaller ammunition
was exhausted long before the battle fin
ished. and when the Japanese finally
withdrew she had only twenty large
steel shells left in the locker This YES
sci fired us siX-inch, 60 common heavy
and 80 armOr piercing steel shells. but
could have disposed of two or three
times the quantity. Beyond the utter
destruction OF her deck fittings she sus-
tanned little damage, the chief item being
the spindle of the port gun hydraulic
gear-a loss which, Of course, put the gun
out of action.
Wei-Hai-Wei is the great arsenal Of
China and II is presumed that Chen
YWen went there recently from Port
Arthur, where she had been with the
rest Of the Chinese vessels that survived
the battle of the Yalu. Wei-Hal-Wei har-
Dor is directly across the Bay of Korea
from Talenwan, distant $50 miles and it
is significant that the Japanese admiral.
Ito. telegraphed 10 his Government under
date Of the 18th. from TalieEwan stating
that the principal Chinese fleet. with four
gunboats. was lying inside the harbor
at Wei-Hai-Wei. and that although for
two DAYS the Japanese fleet had made
every effort 10 induce the Chinese vessels
10 come out their attempts had proved
fruitless. The admiral appears then to
have returned to Talienwan. probably on
the 18th. leaving portion Of his feet
watching for the appearance 81 the Chin
csc vessels outside Of We-Hai-Wei.
The reports Of the disaster are conflict
ing, but assuming the official cableeram
received at Washington 10 give the cor
rect version. II seems probable that the
Chen Nuen came out T. attack the
japanese fleet. when she touched unon
one OF the submarine mines which the
Chinese themselves had placed in the
charmed OF the harbor as a means Of de
fence.
THIRD JAPANESE corps SAILS.
LONDON, Nov. 2.-The Globe publish
es dispatch from Toxic, saying the
Third Japanese corps has sailed from
CJlwa. Its destination Is not known,
but IL Is believed that the objective point
of the corps is the g-Tse-kians river.
HlROSHl MA, Nov. "a steamer Wnlcn
has arrived here from Moji reports that
no assault had been made upon Port
Arthur up to November 18th.
Two interpreters and one war corre-
spondent following the second japanese
a. '''S ii'N'' btNii NapAIA GU am h'4i''- -
the Chinese.
REPORT THAT PORT Arthur HAS FALLEN.
LONDON. Nov "a dispatch from
the Central News correspondent IN
Shanghai says that the japanese cap
tured Port Arthur on Wednesday even
ing. The fighting began on TUESDAY
The Chinese made an unusually stroni
defence, and the fight was severe ana
incessant for fully thirty-six hours. BOT
sides are reported TO have lost heaV-
ly.
DEAD SOL DIFRs HEADED.
, LONDON. Nov. pa dispatch from
Chefoo says the japanese dead found al
fallen Wan had AL been beheaded
Among the dead was one European, who,
because OF his decapitation, could mol
be identified.
THE NEW TREATY WITH JAPAN.
WASHINGTON, y. c.. Nov. 9.-The
proposed new treaty between Japan ana
the United States was signed by Secre-
tary Gresham and Minister Kurino this