Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-09-27
THE WAR IN THE EAST.

| A6ter DETAILS OF the Great Naval Engage
| ment Fought at the Mouth of the Yalu-
Early Reports of the Completeness OF the
| Japanese Victory More Than Borne Out
Losses in the Ping Yang Battle.
LONDON, Sept. 21.-The japanese
legation here received a dispatch from
| Toxic yesterday morning stating that
the japanese fleet at L o'clock in the
afternoon of September 16, met eleven
Chinese war ships and six torpedo
boats 35 miles northeast of Hal Yang
Tao and that in the ensuing battle
four of the Chinese ships were sunk
and one was burned.
According to the Central News adj
vices, at noon on September II, instead
| of l p. IN. on September 16. as stated
in the dispatch to the japanese lega-
ton, nine Japanese war ships, convoy
ing two armed transports. sighted
twelve Chinese war ships and six gun
| boats.
The fighting began by an attack
| upon three Chinese war ships, which
| were sunk. AS the fighting progressed
another Chinese war ship was set on
fire and destroyed, but the remaining
eight, only one of which was unin-
jured, together with the six gunboats,
succeeded in getting away. The
Japanese war ships Matsushima and
Hi Vel were slightly damaged, and one
of the armed transports was seriously
crippled. but none of the Japanese
ships were lost. The Japanese loss
was twenty men known to have been
killed and forty-six wounded.
The big guns Of the battleship Chen
Tuen were disabled, but she continued
to use her smaller guns. The vessels
of both fleets worked very easily under
steam. and the japanese We're con-
stantly maneuvering but the Chinese
held their original position. Suddenly
two Japanese cruisers, believed to
have been the Akitsushima and the
Yoshino, endeavored to break the line.
They were followed by three torpedo
boats AS the japanese ships advanced
at full speed the Chinese ships Chang
Yuen and Chao Yung backed full speed
astern to avoid disaster. The Japanese
torpedo boats fired. but their pro-
jectiles were stopped by nets. The
guns of the other Chinese ships were
quickly trained on the two Japanese
cruisers. and they retired after shor.
time almost helpless. The Chinese de-
clare they were sunk.
The Ching Yuen was several times
pier ced by shells. The Choa Yung run
ashore while retreating, and became
target for the Japanese guns until she
was set on fire. The Ching Yuen was
in a terrible plight. A shell burst
through her decks and she slowly
foundered, while flames burst from all
parts of her. The Isl Yuen withdrew
from the first into the second column.
The Chinese torpedo boats vainly at
tempted to put the japanese on the de-
fensive. but the Japanese remained the
aggressors throughout. although two
or three attempts to break the Chinese
line were repulsed. The cruiser Yang
Wei went ashore stern forlnost, and
met fate similar to that of the Choa
Yung. After the first three hours Of
the engagement the firing was inter
mittent.
The News of the Naval Battle at the jap
anese Legation.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21.-Official in
formation is obtained here of the
United Press report that four Chinese
vessels were sunk and one burned in
the recent naval battle. The state
m ent in the first account of the battle
that three Japanese vessels had gone
down was doubted by the officials of
the Japanese legation, because no YES
sells in the japanese navy had names
such as those given. One of the ships
was called the Saiko and it was
thought that this might mean the Jap
anese vessel Saiko which had been used
hot SI,n~-Hoi
Yokohama.
Naturally elated over the success of
the Japanese fleet, the officials of the
legation predict the ultimate success of
the Mikado's forces, and it will be
easily seen that the claira is not born
merely of enthusiastic belief in the
superiority of the Japanese. China has
lost five of her best war ships. They
were undoubtedly the best she had,
and as good naval vessels are not
built in a day, the chances for aug
menting her naval force are very small
indeed.
1t is safe to assert that by the great
victory off Hal Yang Tao, Japan has
obtained full possession of the gulf of
is the key to an inva-
sion of the Flowery Kingdom. A
strong Japanese fleet stationed there
stands little chance of being ro1ted. |
and Japanese troops can be landed in
China and Corea without serious dan
ger. With the Chinese northern feet |
crippled and the southern fleet of lit
tie use, on account OF the ancient char
acter of its vessels, the Chinese are not |
likely to make any advance on the |
strong force of the enemy in the gulf
of Pechil.
The Losses In the Ping Yang Battle
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21--An official
dispatch received at the Japanese
legation yesterday from the minister
OF foreign affairs at Toxic gives the
following account of the Ping Yang
battle:
Gen. Nodzu, commarader-in-chief,
reports as follows:
I'm Ping Yang fight, as far as ascer--
tanned, our loss was eleven officers and
154 men killed, thirty officers and 521
men wounded, besides forty officers,
whose fate is unknown. Chinese loss
over :, 1000 killed; number of wounded
as vet unknown, but is estimated to
be very large. A number of wounded
Chinese are in our field ambulance"
NIT nEAn