The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-08-09

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Indemnity for the deaths by drowning
of the soldiers on the transport hoW
Shung, because the latter waa flying
the British flag.
MAY BE EITHER.
YOKOHAMA, Japan, July 81, p. III
"A dispatch has been received mere
which is supposed to refer to the hoW
Shung, but which may refer TO the
Chen Yuen. 1t says that Chlnese
warship and q transport, having Oh
board 1900 troops, have been sunk by
Japanese warships and that Chinese
gunboat has been captured by the
Japanese. The government of Japan
has been informed that Chinese rein
forcements have been sent to Corea
which fact Japan considers as
menace. Messages between japanese
officials have been stopped by emma
REPORT NOT CONFIRMED.
LONDON, Aug. 1.-The Chinese lie
cation today received a dispatch from
lien Teien dated Aug. l, IL a. m but
no mention was made in this message
of second naval battle having taken
place between China and Japan and
no mention Yves made of cJnhlct
having taken place between their
al mics on land.
JAPAN APOLOGIES TO GREAT
BRITAIN.
! TOXIC, Aug. 1.-The japanese gov
eminent has instructed it's minister III
London to apologize to Great Britain
for firing upon and sinking the trans
port KOw Sung while she was Tying
the British flag. The Japanese min
lister has been instructed to inform
Great Britain that the commander OF
Japanese cruiser did not know that
Kow Sung was q British vessel until
after the fight. Captain GabwOrthy
of the KoW Sung and other persons on
board the transport were TeFcued by
the boats Of the japanese war ship
Nanani.
MORE ABOUT THE KOW SHUNG.
LONDON, Aug. 1.-The Times has re,
ceived this news of the sinking of the
transport Kow ShunG: On July %
the Japanese admiral, on the cruiser
Ma Schuima Kan, with two other men
of war in his command sighted the
Kow Shung, which was carrying 1900
Chinese troops for Corea, in Corean
waters, 40 miles off Chemulpo. He
signalled the Kow Shung to stop
where you are, or take the conse-
quences,"
The transport, which was flying the
British ensign completely came to an
Choir. The Chinese men ct war, which
were consorting her, steamed away.
The Kow Shung's captain, trusting to
l.. Is l. 49, tgl va
fused the advice of the commander of
the Chinese cruiser to slip her anchor
and run. The japanese cruiser Naniwa
Kan steamed up near the Kow Shung
and sent a boarding party to her, with
instructions to make q strict survey of
the ships apartments. After this had
been done there was some hesitation
on the part of the japanese comman>
der to take the ship under the ciro
cumstances. Finally he peremptorily
ordered the Kow Shung's captain to
follow with his vessel. Great excite
nent arose among the Chinese troops
when the order was given, and they
told the English officers of the ship
that they would not surrender, and
said: eve refuse to become prisoners,
We would sooner die here. If you re-
move the ship except to return to
China we will kill YOU They posted
a guard at the anchor chains and al
lowed no one else to go in. The officers
of the Kow Shung signalled to the
Naniwa, requesting that another
boat be sent with an officer
When the boat arrived Col. Hannike
Won Hannelin explained the situation
to the japanese board officers
He told him the Kow Shung had
left China in time of peace, that there
had been no declaration of war; that
the vessel was a British ship and sailed
under British flag. He then urged
the impossibiity of executing the or
der of the Naniwas commander and
claimed the flag should be respect ed
The ship started back to the China
coast.
The boarding party returned to the
Naniwa and little later the Kow
Shung was signa!ed by the cruiser,
quit ship as soon as possible" The
kow Shung replied that it
was impossible TO quit ship.
The Naniwa thereupon threw an an-
swerng pennant, steamed quickly
and lined up, broadside on, at a dis
tance of about 200 meters from the
Kow Shung and Immediately dis
charged torpedo at her, following
with two broadsides from all her guns,
com uprising two of % tons aud seven
10 tons The excitement aboard toe
Kow Shung was awful. The troops
had begun setting up q number of
small mountain guns when the Naniwa
threw the torpedo. The missile struck
coal bunker and bursted one of
the boilers, the explosion being terrific,
but not sufficient to sink the
vessel. The Chinese fired on the
Naniwa with small guns and exhibited
the greatest bravery. The Naniwa
continued to fire her l0-tonners and
soon had the Kow Shung in badly
disabled condition. Many of the
Chinese soldiers jumped overheard,
and those on tue Naniwa rained bull
lets from her deadly machine guns.
The Kow Shung gradually began to
sink, and after 10 discharges from the
cruisers big guns she went down in
eight faith Jms Of water The troops
who remained aboard kept up theil
fire to the last, all their shots being
aimed at people who were swimming
away, they being determined that al
should die together. The vessel sank