The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-21

fell out OF line and returned toward the
But, meeting a transport on the
way, she obtained assistance in quenching
the flames and handed over the wounded
and returned with all the speed she could
make, not waiting for a doctor. TO take up
her work where she had left off. In this
hope she was disappointed, for the enemy
had flown and the battle was over. II Is
reported that when she steamed away in
flames she was thrice in great danger from
torpedoes, but skillfully escaped by empty
ing a device described in a recent magazine
account OF an imaginary fight in South
America To most readers of that sketch
the expediency of stopping a projectile by
turning upon 1t a converging fire Of shot
and she'll seemed purely fiction. yet this is
precisely what the Hiyei seems to have done
at least in one instance.
The Akagi. a small %gunboat. was badly
overmatched from the outset, an accident
having brought her under the fire Of not
less than six Of the enemy's boats. Her
e1mnnnahaer was struck down ana kiseo
would still have kept up a determined re-
sistance but for the loss of a mast, which
rendered her unmanageable. She also found
II necessary TO return TO the Tai-Tong.
About the time when Admiral Ito left the
Matsushima the disorder In the Chinese
fleet plainly indicated that the contest could
not be prolonged on either side. Three
ships had been sunk and a fourth, the Yang
Wei. had been half destroyed and aban-
dOned. Beside, the Ting-Yuen was on fire
moralized. a little later. after 8 o'clock,
the flagship took the lead in retreat toward
the nOIue SIdIiD0S. fOuT IdSI liz
apanese cruisers were detailed to follow
and II possible TO cut off their escape. But
the torpedoes had to be reckoned with, and
them in the night made 1t imperative that
the japanese should exercise caution. Morn
ing found them at the mouth. of the gulf
of Pe-Chi-Li, with no ship of the enemy
in sight. They steamed back TO kaiyoto
island, Keeping a keen outlook 1.-The way;
place Of refuge. The greater part of the
Japanese squadron had gathered near Ia
kaisan harbor on the chance of getting an
other fight, bringing this time torpedo
boats to cooperate. The need of them
was so greatly felt On the previous day
that 1t is safe to say no large number or
these essential adjuncts. One of them was
now put to a practical If somewhat in
glorious use in breaking up the Yang-Wel,
deserted and unfit for further service.
Examinations show that none of the
Japanese vessels received damages that
cannot be repaired with slight cost or la
Dor. All but the four referred TO were so
free from injury that they could have gone
into action the following day. The loss
OF life was the largest on the IassusniIns
thirty-nine men were killed and seventy
officers and men wounded. The total loss
was ten officers and sixty-nine men killed
and 100 officers and men wounded.
L-HUNG CHANGES DEGRADATION.
Warnings of punishment in store for ii
Hung Chang IN consequence of the re-
peated defeats suffered by the Chinese army
and navy nave several times been sent
\ forth from Picking, but the foreign public
has been slow TO credit the possibility of
so ill-advised a proceeding. That the rules
Of a system which condemns every official
to disgrace in the event of failure in his
enterprises should be applied to the chief
subject of the enterprise or the imperial
authority could be so injudiciously exer-
cised as to fasten ignominy upon a states
man and soldier TO whom the reigning house
wed all the power II possessed, seemed too
great a departure from propriety for the
court to sanction, but the wrath Of the
Emperor is kindled and his displeasure
manifests itself in a decree proclaimed on
the 18th Of September and published in
Shanghai the next day. The full text Is as
follows:
1.-THE Wojen Japanese) having broken faith
with Corea and forcibly occupied that coun-
try, the throne spmpathized with its tribu-
tary kingdom in her distress and so raised
an army to attack the common enemy.
Upon Lii Hung Chang, Imperial High Com
missioner of Pei Yang, having chief con-
burden of being prepared for emergencies,
but instead, he has been unable to act with
speed and promptness in his military, prep,
arations, so that much time has elapsed
without any important results. He has,
indeed. failed in the trust reposed in him
decoration Of the three-eyed peacock feather
be plucked from his hat, and that he be
stripped of the yellow riding jacket as a
| slight punishment. 1t is necessary then that
said imperial commissioner exert himself
TO the utmost and decide upon what shall
S Se d1ae; arm 1has from he aif fSe v anS na preVin ees
to the front in order that all may put
forth, their best strength to chase and root
out the enemy. In this way Ii Hung Chang
may hope TO redeem former errors"
Reports of the Emperor's anger from re-
ceiving the news from Taikosan had previ-
Il nrIG1v hQan OfrplIlaf tod hlf IN Cnfra of all rn-
mors 1t was not seriously believed so great
a step would be taken as the degradation
cree was instigated by Lis enemies. who
have been long eager for an opportunity to
satisfy old g%rudges. How the venerable
| question of deep interest. Hitherto he has
| shown the utmost devotion to his imperial
mas and Ihn MS sense on dnty may cop pps
sibly, however, he will make himself secure
against further indignities by ending his
favored by many Chinese dignitariss who
| incur the sovereign's ire. In any case, IL
is hardly. probable that he will be inspired
to any heroic efforts for retrieving the
errors for which others are much more &C
countable than he. The announcement Of
his humiliation has produced a proper i'm
1 preston in China, and even in Japan a
feeling of disgust is awakened by this ex-
hibition of malicious spite on the part of
an ungrateful ruler.
The Japanese clerk of the ordnance depot
in Tien Tsin was decapitated Sept. IA. He
was accused OF no crime. but an English
saying his existence was a source of con-
siderable embarrassment to officials who
| ought to have been talive to the danger of
| having such a person in the department at
a time when the utmost vigilance should
have been used TO prevent information from
| leaking out in any way.
What will be Ii Hung Chang's fate as a
result of the Yalu river naval defeat is
R ROys a eon mstter Of hr fae Gga Pisatsst a] iRtsress IN IN
the fight have been published. They CO.
ports, but claim that three Japanese ships
were destroyed. This mistake probably
grows out of the fact that the Hiyei, Akaji
and Saikio were disabled and obliged to re-
tire TO Japanese territory
THE BATTLE OF PING YANG.
The naval successes have divided the
public attention from the military move
ments in northern Corea, and little has
been heard respecting the progress of the
japanese since the capture Of the Phyong
Yang was announced. The details of that
important event are unsatisfactory. AS re-
CARDS the number of prisoners taken, the
discrepancies are bewildering. At first it
wax fixed at 1900, but later has steadily
grown smaller, until now only some hun
dreds are claimed. That the army was
practically wiped out of existence can
scarcely be disputed; that it might have
been held captive had the Japanese so
chosen seems evident from the complete
ness with which il was surrounded. But
inquirers are left in ignorance on this
vital point. The government shows no de-
sire TO conceal facts, but appears to have
very scant Information concerning mat
tiers or much comment. kilograms from
the front state the purSui of the Chinese