Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-09-20
BIG FIGHT IN CHINA.
Japan whips the Chinese At Ping Yang
Heavy Losses.

Japan whips the Chinese at fhe 1@nS'
Heavy Losses.
London, Sept. ia dispatch re-
ceived here from Seoul dated yesterday
says that during the evening OF Thurs
day last a japanese column from Pung
San made n reconnaissance In force'
drawing the fire Of the Chinese forts
and ascertaining accurately theft dis.
position. This done, the Japanese fell
back in good ordc1 with little loss.
On Friday night the dispatch adds all
the Japanese forces were in position
| for a combined attack. The general
column was threatening the Chinese
| left flank.
The Pung San column was facing the
Chinese center and the Huang Zu col
umn was operating on the Chinese
right. The latter column had been re-
inforced the day before by n detach-
ment of marine and blue jackets from
the fleet stationed at the mouth OF
the Ta-Tong river.
The Chinese utilized their old de-
fenses at Ping Yang and had thrown
| up new works, with the result that
their opposition was exceptionally
strong.
The battle opened on Saturday morn.
ing Mt daybreak, with direct cannon
ade upon the Chinese works and this
fire was continued without cessation
until afternoon. The Chinese fought
their guns well, replying effectively to
the japanese fire.
At 2 D. m. a body of Japanese infan-
| try was thrown forward In skirmish
order and kept up rifle fire upon the
enemy until dusk. All the fighting dur
ing the day was done by the Pong San
column. The Chinese defenscs suffered
| hn In
but It Is doubtful IL the losses on either
| side were great, as the troops, both
Chinese and Japanese, took every ad-
vantage possible Of the shelter which
the earthworks on one side and the
nature of the ground on the other af-
| forded them.
The flank attacks upon the Chinese
post did not develop any material ad-
vantage during the day, although the
Japanese gained some in the position.
But they mainly occupied the same
ground at night MS when the attack
upon the enemy was opened.
The firing was continued at intervals
throughout the night.
| In the meantime the two fianking
columns of Japanese drew Gordon
around the Chinese troops, and ut 3
o'clock In the morning the japanese
attack was delivered simultaneously
and with admirable precision.
The Chinese lines, which were strong
| in front, were found to be weak IN
the rear. and the Chinese utterly un-
suspicious of the Japanese attack from
that quarter, became panic stricken
and were cut down and bayoneted by
the hundreds. So well was the Jap
anese attack directed that the Chinese
were surrounded at every point anu
/ Ia fntv In,
Defending the entrenchment, how
ever. were some of Viceroy Ii Hung
| Chang's picked Chinese troops, drliled
nv Europeans. These soldiers made
a determined stand to the last anu
were cut down to a man. The Pong
San columns swarming over the dam
aged defenses of the Chinese front,
completed the rout of the Chinese and
the whole of the latter's pos ion was
captured by the troops of the Mi
kado.
Some idea of the manner in which
the Japanese attack was delivered
may be Judged from the fact that half
an hour after the early morning at
| tack commenced, the strongly de
Tended position at Ping Yang was In
the hands of the Japanese troops. II
is believed that the Chinese position
at Ping Yang was defended by 10000
| Chinese, of whom only few succeed
ed in escaping. The Japanese VIC
tory was brilliant and complete. An
immense amount of provisions, arms,
ammunition and other stores, in addi-
tion to hundreds of flags, were cap
tured by the Japanese in the Chinese
camps and entertainments. 1t is es-
timated that the Chinese lost 10000
killed, wounded and prisoners. Among
the captured are several of the most
prominent commanding officers in the
Chinese troops in Corea, only few
/ of the Chinese commanders succeed
ing in escaping, and these got away
almost Immediately after the Jap
| &c made their attack upon the
Chinese rear. Among the Chinese
commanders taken prisoner was Tso
Fonk-wal, the comamnder-in-chief OF
the Manchurian army, who fought
desperately to the last. and who only
yielded when he was badly wounded.
The Japanese loss was trifinS com
pared with that of the Chinese, only
thirty Japanese being killed and 2IC
wounded. Eleven Japanese officers
are included in these numbers, and
the loss of the Japanese was incurred
mainly during the first days fighting
The loss of the Japanese during the
/ night attack was very small due to
the fact that the Chinese, taken by
surprise, became panic stricken,
threw away their guns and fed. thus
throwing into confusion the regiments
which otherwise might have been
counted upon to make a better stand