The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-01
SHANGHAI, July 81.

lMI of desperate battle between
llWl the fleets of China and Japan.
EO in which the Chinese were de-
teated and the Chen-Yuen, the largest
battleship but one in the Chinese ser
vice, Was sunk and two other large Chi
nese vessels, said to DO first-class crui-
sers. captured or destroyed.
The battle was hotly contested, but
the Japanese seem to have handled
their guns aud torpedoes with more
skill than the Chinese. The Chinese
fleet engaged carried nearly thousand
men, and large number of them are
reported to have BEEN killed or
drowned.
Later dispatches say that few If any.
Of the Chinese engaged in the battle
escaped. Two German officers, in COM
mand of the Cheu-Y u-Yueh, are reported
to have met death with the crew of
that vessel.
The news of the battle was received
here by private kilograms from Tien
Tsin, and it is admitted that if the re-
port is true it means that China's
power. as far as sea fighting is con-
the remaining ships Of China will dare
TO show itself out of port it it is true
that the frst-class battleship Chem
Yuen has been sunk by the Japanese.
HISTORY OF THE SHIPS.
The Chen Yurn must have started
out from Taku after leaving the
Chinese transports there. The two
Chinese cruisers supposed to have been
captured or destroyed during the en-
gagement which ended so fatally for
tie Chen uen, are the Chin-Yuan and
the Foo. Ching. The Chin Yuan was a
protected cruiser, built at Elswick.
England. She had displacement of
$3.50 tons and attained an average
speed in her trial trips. with all
weights, batteries and crew aboard. of
1St knots. Her armament consisted of
three St-inch Krupps and two 6-inch
Armstrong;. protected by splinter roof
shields. She also carried eight g.
FOUNDER rapid fire Hotchkiss guns, six
Gatiings and four torpedo tubes.
The Foo-Cbing was also an English.
built protected cruiser, very much
similar to the Chin. Yuan. She had q
displacement of 2. 500 tons, was built of
steel in 1890, and carried ten guns OF
about the same cslibre as those carried
by the Chin-Yuan.
The Chinese feet carried about /, 600
men most of whom were drowned.
Among the killed here two G-rman
officers attached to the Chen Yuen.
The C0cn Yuen was a battleship of
7,400 tons displacement, and was the
most powerful warship in the Chinese
navy with the exception of Ting Yuen.
JAPAN's OFFICIAL STORY.
YoKoHoMA, July 81 The following
official statement of the difficulties be.
tween China and Japan. which led to
the outbreak of hostilities between
those two countries, has been issued
by the japanese government.
japan and China were approaching a
settlement of their difficulties when
China suddenly requested Japan to
withdraw her fleet from Korea, and tc
give a formal compliance with the
Chinese demands by the twentieth,
otherwise the whole Chinese forces
were to land and sea advance upon
the part of China was to be made. The
japanese regarded this as an ultima
tum, but, acting under the advices oil
the friendly powers, they agreed to the
proposals, in principle, in amended
form, at the same time declaring thai
If the threatened Chinese advance was
made on the twentieth it would be re-
garded as menace to japan"
1t is conjectured that the Japanes,
naval commanders were instructed tC
be on the quivive for the Chinese war
ships and, seeing the latter advancing
on July 27. they opened fire. The Jap
anese do not believe that the Kov
Shung, the Chinese transport sunk b.
the Japanese cruiser, was flying tn,
British flag but, in any case, they re-
garded 1t, II true, as ruse de guerre.
The japanese Indignantly deny the
charges OF brutality brought against
the officers and crew of the cruiser
which sank the transport No cfficia
report has been received at Yokohoms
OF this engagement.
OFFICIAL INTELLIGENCE RECEIVED.
oui1 Gil ne UADA-
nese legation has just received from
the japanese government full tele-
graphic reports OF the first great nava
fight off the Korean coast bstwee,
japanese and Chinese men-of-war. /
is positively stated that the Chimes,
gave the first provocation. aud that the
Chinese iron-clad Sci Yen, which was
one Of the convoy and which ia tn,
most powerful vessel in Chimes,
northern squadron, fed after the ex
change Of few shots.
The japanese minister expresses hi
emphatic disbelief in the statemen
contained in II Shanghai dispatch pub
lished yesterday of inhuman conduct
on the part of the crews of the Japan
ese vessels. Such action is entirel
foreign to japanese methods and tn
minister regards the report as anoths
one of the grossly distorted rumor
which have come so frequently fror
- Chinese sources at Shanghai and othe
places since the present troubles began