The Helena independent., 1894-12-31

nNlsnos OF dRy pAaaed uneyentfuly jas,
about duak lwo torped0 boats wsTs dig00v'
efod hngging tho coast 10 tue eastward. AZ
b2O .. M, they began w approach us, aud
- biO they and iva Others, making four IN
hll, completely surrounded tho Bhltlmore,
all OF them dying Japanese 0sga both fore
aud AfL We were lying Ia an extremely
dangerous position riehb nndsr The guna Of
nil The Chinese forts. buddenly ons OF lbe
Jap nose torpedo boats approached 10
Wlthiu hftT feet Of u.s. ID was getting
quils dafk, With tho moon breaking
through tho clouds occasionally and "
nninatlng small patches Of watsr Al in-
trfvala.
"rnoy hailed "a twice. This arai auo,-
tion waG Who are your We answeredi
Baltimore They apparently did not
'WAnt is yous manner W. cant aea your
colofs.' We again replied, baltimore
AZ this tho entire ow OF tue 60 pedo boat
baFsi Ont lhuRhing Iheg then sang outs
All ant Evidently theY had taken Ms
Tor n Cinnamon. and 80 log ua lying nj an-
ohor, dotsfmined 10 Iun In quietly aud oI-
plDde n torpedo al az. CHANGING the datk-
ness would screen thom aud Toyent our
seeing them until u would b, too late for
na TO make ang dsfons'. After hor reply.
All right aho steamed around TO tho
Other aida. under our siofn. and Whis IA
ihii position tho moon showed Itself for a
moment
"At this instant B;i5 =. M. this Chinese
forts opened IRE 90 tho tori 0lo boAtH with
their heavy batteries. One shell straok
tie Wator aad exp. .odsd within thiity iost
OF the boat We had been talking 10 not
fifteen seconds bsfo o, We were IN a
regular trap. Ofders were al once give. 20
Get mp anchor ami get under way lively.
Ono Of the torpedo boats AZ onos left Us
aud steamed dArinRly across u large patch
OF moOnllt Watof, at the same tims dls-
plaSinR red signals. This drew vo.lsy
from all of the forts. the shells striking the
water all around the Baltimore and s1
plojiug. The balance OF the torpedo boats
bid themselves from Visw ia The dense
smoke ftom the Baltimore's smokestaoks.
he Chinese forts continued firing. One
shell striking close 10 tho ale u OF the Bal
timore. Another pissed between our two
srnokestaokL A third passed over our
starboaid d bow. very low aud 40 close that
several OF Us instinntivsly lodged.
"W0 had little over sixty fhthoma Of
CHAIN out and our fres banked, but We suo-
ooeded In moving ahead slowly al 6l09 D.
ni., aud few minutes later were leaving
the dangerous spot. II was most oxoit-
ing aud ticklish pfe1icament, bat owe y
thing aboard the Baltimore wss done with
~,
slowing that all our men we're pc fectly
oool, alert, and we'll disciplined. At 6i2S
We had a stiff breeze from the northward.
the Liss III Than promoatory light moving
west northwest quarter west aud tn. ship
heAding south seven eiRhths east, steam
ninety-tWo. aud making fitiy-th GO and
six-tenths revolutions. The forts csassd
firing at gig y. m, three minutes after VS.
began to steam out. The forts shelled tho
torpedo boats q period OF twSnty- seven
minutes. but did not suocsed in hitting
them 80 far ss We could ace. All this tim
tho Baltimore was In the very center Of the
japanese fleet of torpedo boats. On nc.
count OF the great elevation Of the forts
the Chinese were enabled to fire Of the tor
psdo boats over our heads, though II would
have been impossible to do 30 from 4 bat
tsry looated At sea level. This oontin nous
whir and whistle OF the shells as they sped
over aud past rs, the sheets OF flame from
the muzsles Of the big siege guns upon tho
hills. and the rssouuding 70. orts schoine
through the hills aud mountsins. the
splash aud the explosion when the shells
struck the water, the phosphof us in the
water leaving the spot luminous for some
seconds after. and the tor edo boats dart
ing swiftly around rs combined to form an
inte eating. novel, and thrilling scene.
The experience 10 one that i would not
have missed for any consideration. Nay
We have more of them.
up. S.-Ons philosopher and sootbsayer
was a, the life buoy when one OF the shells
passed owe us. He deols sred the she'll was
as large as the state OF Texas"
The Baltimore did not 90 back 10 Port
Arthur. She proceeded TO Chssfoo, and
she was prscticinR target shooting there
when this letter was written.