The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1894-11-10
A MODERN
NAVAL BATTLE.
Graphic Description of the
Greatest Sea Fight for
Good Many Years.
THE FIGHT WAS TO A FINISH.
The Scene on Board the Chinese
Cruiser, Wang-Wai Simply
HideOuS,

'olio"lhS Is grapmc description
OF the great japanese naval battle
given by ayoung Englishman, VIII
was supervising engineer on tn
Chinese cruiser Yang Wal, and VIII,
has come to the United States fo
treatment for the injuries he received
in the battle:
''The Chinese admiral received
word from Fekin, July 12, to watcl
the japanese without making any
aggressive move. The Yang-Wa
was accordingly detailed to proceed
to sea and keep an eye on the Jap:
anese.
"She overlook the japanese fee,
eighty miles to the southwark, pass.
ing through their lines in defiance o1
the japanese admiral's orders to stay
away, and, making a squirt, led the
admiral's flagship swift race.
When the rest of the fleet had been
left out of sight in the distance, the
Yang Wal suddenly turned and
planted a 1O9-inch shell out of the
3S-ton forward gun in the port bow
of the Meisuchima. 1t tore an
enormous hole in her upper deck and
disabled three of her eight-inch guns.
Passing the Metsuchima on the re-
turn tack, her secondary battery was
fired broadside into the japanese
vessel, and as she passed astern her
2o-ton gun came to bear on the jap
anese vessels after barbette. Sew
eral of the japanese guns were dis
abled before she was able to return
the fire.
"Some clever maneuvering follow
ed and both vessls proceeded to pour
broadsdes into each other. The
battle lasted from II 80 o'clock in
the morning until 3 in the afternoon.
After the Yang-Wai had been dis
abled, with the exception of the big
gun forward, she managed to cripple
her opponent by shot which struck
the cunning tower of the japanese
vessel, killing the japanese admiral
and several of his officers. This
completely disabled the Japanese
ship.
"Shortly after the Metsuchima
ceased firing, and while we were
busy ascertaining the extent of our
own injuries, we sighted the other
Japanese vessels approaching, and
the Yang Wai's commander gave
orders to make run for il to Wei
paiwei.
"The scene aboard the Yang Wal
after she had withdrawn from the un-
equal conflict was simply hideous.
There was but one gun left in fight
ng trim, and that being the big bow
gun, it was useless in flight. The
'ix Japanese warships pounded away
It us as we ran, and we were devout-
y thankful that our speed was great
enough to soon get out. of range.
The Yang-Wai was simply floating
wreck. Above the water line every
hing was ruin. The pilot house,
bridge and coming tower had gone
'arly in the fight; the boats were
hot into splinters, and the super
structure was in hopeless, shape
ess tangle. The funnel had been
hot away to within four feet of the
ieck, and, as we were running under
orced draught, we rugged jury
tack of sheet iron and canvas sun
ported by derrick. A hose was
'ept playing constantly on this
nakeshift funnel, to prevent it from
aking fire or melting.
''The captain directed his crippled
raft from jury bride of empty
iquor casks and soap boxes, using
'oat's compass, as the binnacles had
'een shot away. The masts we're
zone and the rudder, too, but steer
ng with the twin screws was COM
'aratively easy. The Yang-Wai
lad been in commission nine years,