Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-31
DESPERATE BATTLE
The Chinese and japanese Fleets
Have an Engagement.
CHINA SUFFERS A SIGNAL DEFEAT
A Battleship and Two Cruisers
Captured or Destroyed.
G REAT LOSS OF LIFE

GREAT Loss OF LIFE
TlEN TSlN, July S1.-A naval battle was
Fought yesterday between the Chinese and
japanese fleets. The japanese sunk the
Chinese battleship Chen Yuen, and two large
cruisers. supposed TO be the vessels built
Tor Chira by the Armstrong;, were CAP
tured or destroyed by the japanese.
The Chen fuen was a battleship Of 400
tons displacement. carrying l4l-2 inches
compound armor at the water line. Her
battery inclrded four twelve-inch guns pro-
tocted by an armored breastwork, and two
smaller krupp's. She was also furnished
With eleven Hotchkiss cannon and tubes for
Whitehead torpedoes. In addition, the Chen
fuen had two eight and one-quarter-inch
and G-inch krupps in her main battery and
a secondary battery OF Hotchkiss revolving
cai.non.
The Chen Yuen was built for China al tie
Stettin works. She was sister shin of the
ing fuen, and was the most powerful
wafship In the Chinese navy, with the ex-
coption of tie Ting Yuen.
Great Loss of Life Reported.
sHANGAI. July 31.-News has just been
received here Of a desperate battle between
Chinese were defeated, and the Chen Yuen
the largest battleshir but one in the Chinese
service. was sunk. and two other large
Chinese vessels, said TO be first-class cruisers
were captu.ed or destroyed. The battle was
iotiy contested. but the japanese appear TO
na.e nav. handled their guns. ships and torpedoes
with more skill than the Chinese The
Nfinese neet engaged carried nearly a thous-
ana men, and a large number of them are
reported TO have been killed or drowned.
LATER rl,. <1.-
rhe chinese engaged in the battle escaped
IMo German officers in command of the
Chen 1ren, are reported to have met death
with the crew CT that vessel
Significance Of the Defeat.
The news OF the battle was received here
by private kilograms from Tien Tsin. ana IL
is admitted that il the report is true. ~
means that an end has been nut 10 the
power Of China. so far as fighting Japan
Upon the sea is concerned. No, one of the
remaining ships of China will da -e show it.
self cut of port IL AZ is true that the first
class battle ship Chen Yuen has been sunk
.! the Japan The Chen Yuen must
the Chinese Transports there.
The Two Chinese cruisers supposed 10 have
been captured or DESTROYED during the en-
gagement which ended SO fatally for the
Chen lusD are the Chin Yuan and the Foo
Ching. The Chin Yuan was a protected
cruiser built at Elswick, England; she had
-.Stb
an average speed in her trials with an
weights, batteries and crew aboard of Isl.
Knots. Her armament consisted of three
ets-inch krupps and two 6-inch Arm
strongs, protected by splinter-proof Shields
She also carried eight 6-pounder rapid-fire
pedo tubes.
The Foo Ching was also an English built
projected cruiser very much similar to the
Chin Yuan. She had a disbursement ~
200 tons. was built Of steel in lso ana
carried ten guns of about the same caliber
as those carried by the Chin Yuan
Japanese Omcial Statement.
YOKOHAMA. July 3I.-The following OFF,
cial statement OF the difficulties between
China an Japan which led to the outbreak
of hostiities between those two countries
has been issued by the japanese govern
ment:
Japan and Chira were approac5ing n
settlement Of their difficulties when China
suddenly requested Japan to withdraw her
Heet from Corea and TO give a formal com.
plance with the Chinese demands by the
10th, otherwise the whole Chinese forces
were TO land and a sea advance upnn the
rort OF China was to be made
Inc japanese regarded this as an rlti-
:natum, but acting under the advice OF the
friendly powers, they agreed to the pro-
posals, in principle. in amended form, at
the same time declaring that IL the threat
ened Chinese advance was made ON ~.
Japan.
1t is conjectured that the japanese naval
commanders were Instructed to be on the
qui vive for the Chinese warships. ana
seeing the latter advancing on July "a, they
opened fire.
The japanese do not believe that the kow
Shing. the Chinese transport sunk nv a
Japanese cruiser was flying the British aar
but In any case they regard IL, IL true ss
being russo de guerre.
The japanese Indignantly deny the
charges of brutality brought against the
officers and crew of the cruiser which sank
the Chinese transport Kow Shing No offi-
eiai report has been received At Yokohama
OF this engagement.
Jnpnn and the Philippine Isuaua..
MADRID. July 3l.-Misgivings are Off
cially expressed here regarding the possihl.
result to the Philippine Islands in tn.
event OF Japan becoming the dominant
power IN the far east. II is said 10 he pos-
sibie that Japan might utilize the troubles
at Mindanao Island. Malay archipelago. a,
signs.
Protestant Missionaries suffer.
SAN FRANCISCO. July Sl.-Reports from
Hong Kong show that there is unrest both
in northern and southern China and that
the outlook for foreign missionaries is bad.
Anti-missionary disturbances are reported
from kiang Yon, ON the Yang Use Kiang,
but a far more serious AFFAIR occurred al
Shek Lung, near Tung Kun, on the Pearl
river, on June -. In this instance the
American Presbyterian Church was demol-
ished by the mob, and one Christian. wheth-
er a foreigner or native has not yet been
was killed. The Roman Cath
oIic Church was well guarded by Chinese
soldiers, and IL is a fact worthy OF notice
that here, as at Kiang lon, the Catholic
missionary escaped scathless, while the
Protestant brethren suffered heavily.
The Telegraph Service.
NEW YORK, July 31.-The Anglo-AmerI-
can Telegraph Company issued this morn
ing the following notice: Government
messages TO Tien Tsin and Pekin. when
not written in plain language. are accepted.
but are subject TO the scrutiny of the
Chinese government. Government tele-
grams in secret language for Foo Chow are
admitted. Shanghai notifies that lines &c
Chefoo. Tien Tsin and the north are in
terrupted."
The central cable Office OF the Western
Union Telegraph Company has received ad-
vices from Hong Kong and Shanghai TO
the effect that the Chinese telegraph COM
panies will not accept any telegraphic mes
sases respecting the war between China
and Japan. The Chinese land lines north
of Shanghai are interrupted, cutting on
rT.s, NJ