Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-09-27

/ London, Sept. % "A dispatch from
| Ten Tsin says: From Chinese officers
| with dispatches who have arrived here
and lates messages from Port Arthur, a
full narrative Of the naval battle on
/ Yula is obtainable.
/ Admiral Ting. commander of the
Chinese northern squadron was in
structed by the council Of war here 10
convey six transports and to land the
troops, guns and stores at Yo Chow,
/ from which base China intended to re-
rev operations in Coiea.
The battleships Tiny Yuen, Chen
Yuen, King Yuen, Ping Yuen, Lai
Yuena aad Isl Yuen. AMI the cruisers
| Chi Yuen, Ching Yuen, Chao Yuen,
Yang Wei, KwaEg Kai aud Kwang
Ting, together with four torpedo boats,
escorted the transports. They arrived
at the entrance to the Yalu ri fer early
| Monday morning, and the disembarka-
ton proceeded rapidly, the transports
steaming into the river. while the
warships anchored outside.
! At IL o'clock smoke on the horizon
| indicated the approach of a large fic-
tilla The situation was grasped i'm
mediately, and Admiral Ting CAV, or
ders for the weighing of anch1rs and
! the placing of the ships in battle ar
ray. His position was a difficult tne.
| II he remained near the shore, his
| movements would be cramped. and II
| he steamed out for sea room, he ran
| the risk of a Japanese cruiser or tor
redo boat running in among his tran IS
| ports.
| He chose the lesser of two evils aI d
formed fighting line to guard Il e
estuary In single column in the fol-
! lowing order from port TO starboard;
Yang Wei Chi Yuen, Tai Yuen, Ting
| Yuen, Lai Yuen, Chin Yuen, Ping
Yuen, Ching Yuen and Chao Yuen. As
any japanese ship that might succeed
in forcing the fighting line, the Kwang
Kai and Kwang Ting, with four to &
| pedo boats, were stationed at Il e
| mouth Of the river.
The japanese fleet approached ut
| full speed until within range. Then
they advanced in columns, forming
| into two lines. Nine ironclods ard
cruisers formed the fighting line. VIII lie
three gun boats and five torpedo boz
formed the second line. Firing COM
| menced forthwith. The guns on both
| sides were worked increasingly at long
range and the hits were infrequent
| The Japanese crept gradually closer
| and the gunner made better prac Ice
The Ting Yuen was the first to su FER
| shell bursting in her battery. From
the outset the japanese directed a
powerful fire upon the Chinese blttle-
ships Chen Yuen and Ting Yuen. For
/ ninety minutes n terrific cann made
continued The result was thst one
| Japanese cruiser, reported to have
been the Saikio, was placed out of
| action One Chinese officer declared
that lie saw her sink
IN the meantime the two Zig guns
oil thc Chen Ynen were disabled and
the OTHER ships showed signs of dam
age. Both fleets were under easy
steam. The Japanese ma ieuyering
continued, while the Chinese held their
original positions.
Suddenly two OF the Japs nese cruis-
ers sought TO break through the
! Chinese line on the starboard side.
Three torpedo boats swiftly pursued
them. The Chiu Yuen and Chang Iuen
went at full speed astern To Avoid
catastrophe. The boats fired their
torpedoes, but the nets about the
Jape nese cruisers stopped them In
the meantime other guns We're brought
to bear upon the cruisers which are
believed to have been the Akitsushima
and the Yoshimo. They were beaten
| back by the weight Of metal in al
most hopeless state. Chinese officers
! declare that both sank. They did not
see them sink, but are positive they
| could not float long.
The Chinese had Jared little better,
, for the Ching Yuen had been several
4 times hulled and pierced upon the
4 wate- line while the Chao Yuen mad
4 stranded In trying TO eyade the Japan
csc torpedo boats All attempts TO
float her had been frustrated by the
7 fire directed upon her. Finally, she
burst into flames from shells that had
been lodged aboard her. The big guns
of the Chen Yuen We're disabled, but
she remained in the lighting line She
worked her smaller and machine guns
whenever an opportunity presented
itself The Tai Yuen retired TO the sec
ond line. and he King Yuen was III
terrible plight A shell burst through
her decks and set her on fire and with
the flames bursting from her she SLOW
~ settled down.
The Chinese torpedo boats issued out
to make diversion in the enemy
line, but the attempt was failure
Throughout the fight the attack was
always with the japanese. Twice o.
thrice more they sought TO .oreas