The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-04
On CHINA'S FLAGSHIP
IT'S COMMANDER Is PHLo n. M'GIF-
FEN, AN AMERICAN CITIZEN.
He Comes from n Family Of Fighters
Here and Is Highly HoBored by
Officers in Our Navy.
New York Herald.

Some very interesting news concerning
the Japan-China war reaches the public by
way of Brooklyn. 1t came yesterday in the
shape of letters written by Commander
Philo n. McGinen. OF the Chinese battle
ship Chen-Yuen, the only American i'm the
Celestial navy. who also. by the way, Is
the head of the Imperial Chinese Naval
College at Wei Hal W lei. The letters were
received by his brother. Prof. Nathaniel
McGiffen, of the Brooklyn Polytechnic In
stitute. and his mother also. The letters
throw considerable light on the naval
phase of the war in the Orient. In one let
ter received by McGiffen's family the
writer says:
II have been appointed commander or
the ironclad Chen-Yuen. The laps are very
confident that they can whip US OF course,
they cannot in the end, but at first / prefer
not to say. But / say that Cor men who
are going into a fight with the odds greatly
against them Chinese seamen are full OF
pluck. My ship is going to cause a lot OF
damage TO Japan"
PhiIo Norton McGinen. the daring Amer
lean commander of China's most powerful
war vessel. the C~hen-Yuen. is a born
fighter. Capt Norton McGifen. of the
United States army. his father, won the
praise of the government for distinguished
'aNSo IA NV AZ - 40
the Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers
he won further distinction in the civil war.
Commander McGiffin was born in Wash
ington, Pa, in 1862. and was graduated
from Annapolis in 1882. He stands nearly
six feet three inches high. and is 1.-the and
muscular and OF commanding presence He
resigned from the United States Navy in 1894
and went to China in 1885 to take part in
the war against France. He served with
distinction, and at the close of the war be-
came superintendent of the Chinese Royal
Naval College. The Emperor thanked him
on several occasions for his valuable aid
in reorganizing the naval force. He went
to Corea in 1892 TO make a map OF that
country for the Chinese government, and
this map supplanted all others and is now
the official chart of that peninsula.
GOT A PROMOTION.
The commander sot a leave of absence
last spring and was to date from Aug. l..
When the war with Japan broke out, how
ever, he refused to leave his post, and de-
clared that he would not take his furiough
until the war should be over. The Chinese
government was so pleased by his deter
mination-for he had earned a vacation
that it gave him command of its finest war
ship.
His reputation as an able officer is we'll
established in the American as well as the
Chinese navy, and he stands very high in
the eStmd tlOn or the autnOr1tleS IN WASH
ington. His brother. Alexander McGifin.
Is professor of elocution in Polytechnic In
stitute in Brooklyn. In a letter to Pro-
lessor McGiffin, he says:
Still here, waiting word to go. Ready to
leave at an hours notice. 1 am definitely
ordertd to go on board the flagship. as I
told YOU. Day before yesterday L received
a big official dispatch commissioning me
on the staff as commander, so l am the
staff commander Of the Cher-Yuen. We
ara badly fitted out in the surgeons de-
partment. You know IL is four killed to
one wounded since the new ammunition
came in, instead Of four wounded to one
reinforcing our turrets on all the ironcla0s
by bags OF coal piled around them eight
| to ten feet thick. The coal can gradually
be used at first and leave our bunkers full
to the last, and at the same time be a
considerable protection to us by causing
armor, so the fragments will have little
power.
Don't believe the sneers you may hear Of
Chinese sailors. They are plucky, we'll
trained and full of zeal. They fight better
| against the laps than any one-tneir life
long enemies. All our swords and cutlasses
are ground to a Tazor's edge. The Japs
outnumber US in ships and have better
shos. We will make up for ii by firing
faster and better and handling our ships
/ 600 troops over TO a place. i may as well
call it Big Wills, in case this letter is
looked at in Japan. We have been very
busy here the last week or so. A steamer
arrived just in time from Krupp's. Ger
many, with thirty or more heavy guns,
nine and tep inch. and they are all landed.
and work, day and night, is being carried
on on them. Besides the dozens Of guns
before in the forts here. ten quick firing
guns arrived from Shanghai within two
days through my urging and scheme"
In a letter, dated Aug. 2. and addressed
to his mother. McGifen says;
JAPAN PICKED A QUARREL.
1--WE have been expecting war for days,
but China KEEP peaceable, and so Japan de-
L 1fhorotalx, .foLaI m r,xo rraI In IT,. 80 -
and the Kow Shing was flying light. Nine
days ago we got ready for sea. 1 was
packed on shore and FASTENED on board.
Admiral Ting wished to take us to Che
mulpo and open fire on the Jap feet, but
at the last moment got direct cable from
Using Ii va not to do so. On Tuesday last
the Kow Shing, a British merchant ship.
with nearly 1000 soldiers on board and a
load of artillery of the newest and best pat
tern, was steaming into Assam, when a big
Japanese man-of-war steamed alongside and
deliberately fired two ~torpedoes at her. The
first blew up her boilers and the second
knocked her mainstay down. OF course.
she sank at once. Captain Goldsworthy. a
nice fellow, lowered a boat and got in it
with all the officers left alive; also Mr.. Won
Hannekin, a friend of mine 1 often men,
toned. The Japs fired machine guns into
the boat, sinking her and killing all but
We only knew yesterday that Mr.. Won II.
got ashore. Only 80 got ashore from her.
Int FRENCH SunDOdl picked up some lJJ
The Japs steamed slowly around, shooting
every one they saw swimming In the water,
a most barbarous trick. The British Min
lister had officially notified the Japanese
government that she was there in time OF
peace and on proper service. . . AT the
same time the Tsi-Yuen was attacked by
the Yoshimo, the Japanese's best shin,
while we considered the Tsi-Yuen aboI,
our worst. They fought from s a. m. 10
about i ID. m. The Tsi-Yuen had nef for.
ward turret damned and fought neariy
all the fight with her six-inch stern gun
We knocked the Yoshimo's three best guns
overheard. She Is nearly a total wreck,
while three days will fix up our ship. The
last shot OF ours carried away the Jap's
bridge and coming tower, with the jap
admiral and a lot OF officers The slaughter
on board must have been dreadful. We lost
thirteen killed and twenty-seven wounded.
Two more have died since. The Tsi-Yuen
came to Wei Hal Wei next day, Wednes-
day. and our whole fleet put TO sea that
night to search for the Jap. We spent
three days looking along the coast, but
they kept well out of sight and we went
p2ck. as the weather was very trying on
the crews OF our torpedo boats.
Il am here with Rear Admiral L. Tai
Isan- My post is in the coming tower 10
fight the ship. Admiral Ting made two
general signals to-day at noon. One was.
II the enemy show the white flag or hoist
the Chinese ensign give no quarter, bu,
continue firing at her until she is sunk.
Ire other signal was, Each officer ard
man do his best for our country to-mor-
row. EXPECT 10 cOnxrafulafe Won nm q