The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-08-28


Then Mr.. OtOri proposed TO reform
the Korean administration and to en-
sure Korean independence And -
Korea showed inclination TO yield 70
Japau. the war was declared; but
both at sea and on land the Chinese
have been victorious. On account Of
these defeats Of the Chinese, sir ROD
ert has been attacked for having adj
vizei war, by II Hung-chang and
other members OF the Government,
whose confidence he has forfeited. be
has now Ned from Picking, which had
become too hot for him, and =
living in a private house in Shanghai
Sinking of the Kowshine.
The following statement Of the
linking Of the Kowshing was made by
Captain GalswOrthy, Of the Inflated
vessel, and il taken from the Maya
saki Rising sun: The British ;. ;.
Kowshing, owned by the Indo-China
Shanghai on July 18th, bound to
Taku, unGer charter to carry Chinese
troops from that port TO A-San, on the
coast OF Korea. Arriving at Taku on
the 10Th, arrangements were made 10
ship the troops, and on the I'D 100
came on board, including two gen
erals. a number Of other officers Of
various ranks, and a German ex army
officer named Henniken, who came
as an ordinary passenger. AT $50 p.
IN. on the 23d the ship proceeded on
her voyage to A-San. All went well
until the morning of the 18th, when,
off Shopeiul Island, we passed a man
of-war flying the japanese naval en-
sign, with a white flag above 1t. This
vessel proved 20 be the Chinese war
ship Tei-yuen. Shortly afterwards
we sighted three Japanese men Of
war, the Naniwa, YOshino, and an
other probably the AkitsushIna);
The Naniwa at once steamed toward
us, flying a signal ordering US to stop.
She also fired two blank charges, and
signaIIed us to anchor, which we at
once did. The Naniwa then steamed
away, apparently to communicate
with the other ships. / at once in
quired by signal if might proceed, to
which the Naniwa replied: "Heave-
to or take the consequences" A boat
then came from the Naniwa, and an
officer came on board. He was re
ceived at the gangway, and he asked
TO see the ships papers. They were
shown to him, and his attention, par
ticularIy 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-war, 1 replied that there would be
no alternative but to do so, under pro-
test, If ordered. The officer then left
the ship and proceeded to the NanlWa.
Shortly after, being still at anchor,
was ordered by signal to cut, slip or
weigh anchor Immediately. The
Chinese Generals learning the mean
ing of the signals, and finding prepar-
atoms were being made TO follow the
Naniwa, objected most emphatIcally.
They were told how useless 1t wauld
be to resist, as one shot would sink
them in a 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 to cut off our heads, To stab or
shoot us; and a lot Of men were Sc
lected to watch us and carry out the
order. \ signal was then made re-
questing the Naniwa to send boat,
in order TO communicate the state OF
affairs. A boat was at once sent, but
a 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 message for the Com
mander of the Naniwa was sent,
stating that the Chinese refused
To allow the KOwshing to
be taken a prisoner, and insisted upon
returning TO Taku. 1t was again
pointed out that she was a 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
the Europeans TO leave the ship at
once. A reply was given that they
were not allowed to leave, and asking
for boat to be sent. Notice was sent
TO the engineers to be handy in case
the Japanese fired. The Naniwa
shortly afterward replied that a boat
could not be sent. The Naniwa then
hoisted a red flag at the fore, which
was apparently q signal for discharg-
ing a torpedo, as one was fired at the
KOwshing, but missed her. \ broad
side of five guns was then fired At
the time, was on the bridge, my Off
GERS having left it, and seeing that the
soldiers set To watch me had left their
station at the foot of the ladder, /
rushed to- the wheel-house, and, after
obtaining, life-belt the last one re-
maining), l jumped over the ships /
side. In doing so / heard n terrific eX
plOsion, and upon returning TO the |
surface of the sea 1 found the atmos-
phere was thick with smoke and fine
coal powder. L at once struck out for
the shore, distant about mile and
quarter. There We're many Chinese
in the water, but / only saw one Eu-
ropean, Mr.. Won Hannikeu. As the
air cleared, a bullet struck the water
close to my ear, and was followed by
a shower of bullets. Knowing that
shot from the Naniwa could not strike
near me, owing to being sheltered by
the hull of the Kowshing, turned on