Evening star., 1894-12-21
BATTLE SHIPS ARE BEST
The Navy Department Receives Reports
From the Yalu Fight.
The Japanese Fire Had Little Effect
on the Heavily ArmOred Vessels
of the Chinese Navy.

While the Chinese mail, which has just
arrived at the Navy Department, failed to
bring any news of the events which hap
pened at Port Arthur during the occupa
ton Of that stronghold by the japanese,
it did include the first reports which have
yet reached the department from its i'll
tellgence officers at the seat of war touch
ing the great naval engagement off the
mouth of the Yalu river on October 30,
last. The naval officers reports confirm in
every respect the press dispatches publish
ed soon after she battle, and perhaps the
most significant portions relate to the bat
tleships of the Chinese as opposed to the
Japanese cruisers. In substance they show
that the heavily armored vessels were
practically uninjured by the japanese fire,
and this fact tends strongly to bear out
the arguments in favor of the battleship
as against the cruiser, as set out in the re-
port of the Secretary of the Navy to Con-
gress, without doubt the reports will be
exhibited to the House naval committee In
connection with the pending proposition
for the construction of three more battle
ships.
japanese Worked With Discipline.
These reports describe the formation of
the opposing ships in line of battle. 1t Is
said that after the action commenced the
count of the shooting away of halliards,
&c, and, therefore, no tactical evolutions
were performed by them, each vessel ma
neuverlng Independently. The Japanese,
however, signaled throughout the action
and maneuvered in concert. The Japanese
opened fire at 3 600 yards, using their rapid
fire guns to great advantage and keeping
up true, rapid fire.. The fire Of the Chinese
throughout the action was rDuch slower
and their shooting high. The Japanese fire
directed against the two battle ships is said
to have been terrific, the Chen Yuen being
hit about 400 times and catching fire sew
eral times, while the Ting Yuen was badly
set on fire forward, which was extinguished
with difficulty. The Chen Yuen gallantly
placed herself between the Japanese vessels
and the Ting Yuen, taking the fire of the
feet while the flagship extinguished the
flames.
Missiles No Match for Thick ArmOr.
The main Japanese squadron continued
the action with the battle ships, but, al
though their projectiles hit time and again,
the fourteen-inch armor was more than a
match for the Japanese light guns The
Japanese loss consisted of 10 officers and go
men killed and 100 of all ranks wounded.
No vessels were lost, the MatSuShima,
Hiyei and Akagt sustaining the most Sc
we're damages. The Chinese loss consisted
of the following namei vessels sunk or de-
stroyed Lai Yuen, belted cruiser of $500
tons; Chih Tor CHM Yuen, protected
cruiser of 1900 tons; Yang Wei, protected
cruiser of 800 TONS and Chao Yuen, her
sister ship. The Ping Yuen, Chin Yuen and
Ting Yuen suffered much from fire. The
Chinese loss in officers and men is un-
known, but II is not thought that any were
picked up from the three ships that sunk in
action. None of the Japanese vessels uses
torpedoeS in action.