The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-08-02
HEARTLESS MASSACRE.
Detailed Report of the Sinking OF
the Kow Shing,
JAPANESE SHOWED NO QUARTER
Chinese Soldiers Died Fighting Bravely.
Japan Apologies to Great Britain-Js
pans Formal Declaration of war-Do.
Mai That the Chen Yusn was Lost.

pans Formal Declaration OF war-De
Mat That the Chen Yusn was Lost.
LONDON, Aug. 2.-The Times has re
ceived the following account of the de |
struction Of the Chinese transport Kow |
Shing from Che Foo China. On July q |
the Japanese admiral, on the cruiser Mat |
Bushima Kan, with two other men-of-wal
In his command, sighted the Kow Shing, |
which was carrying 900 troops for Corea, |
in Corean waters, forty miles off Che. |
mulpo. He signaled the Kow Shing to |
"stop where you are, or take the conse. 1
quences." The transport which was fly. |
ing the British flag, promptly came tc |
anchor. The Chinese man of-war which |
was oonsortinR her steamed away The
kow Shing's captain, trusting to the pro. |
tectlon of the British flag, refused the ad. |
vice Of the commander Of the Chinese |
cruiser to slip anchor and run away.
The Japanese cruiser Naniwa Kan |
steamed up near the Kow Shing and sent |
a boarding party to her with instruc. |
tions to make a strict scrutiny of the |
ships papers. After this had been done |
there was some hesitation on the part OF |
the Japanese commander as TO the action |
to be taken under the circumstances. |
Finally he peremptorily ordered the Kow
Shing's captain to follow with his vessel
Great excitement at once arose amongst
the Chinese troops on board the transport.
They told the English officers of the ship
that they would not surrender. They said. |
1--WE refuse to become prisoners. We
would sooner die here. If you move the
ship except to return to China we will
kill you" Then they posted a guard at
the anchor chains, and allowed no one
else to go near them.
The officers of the Kow Shing signaled
to the Naniwa requesting that another
boat be sent with an officer. When the
boat arrived Colonel Van Hanneken ex.
plaired the situation to the Japanese
boarding officer. He told him that the
Kow Shing had left China in time OF
peace, that there was no declaration OF
war, that the vessel was a British ship
and sailed under British flag. He then
urged the tmpossibility of executing the
o:der of the Naniwa's commander, and
claimed that the flag should be respected
aud the ship escorted back to the Chinese
jast.
The boarding party returned to the
Naniwa, and little later the Kow Shing
was signaled by the cruiser Quit ship as
soon as possible" The Kow Shing re
piled that it was impossible to quit ship.
The Naniwa hereupon flew an answer
/ ing pennant, steamed quickly and lined
! up broadside on, at a distance of about
200 meters from the Kow Shing, and inn
mediately discharged a torpedo at her,
following this with two broadsides with
all her guns.
The excitement aboard the Kow Shing
was awful. The troops had begun fitting
up number of small mountain guns
when the Naniwa threw the torpedo The
missile struck a coal bunker and burst
one of the boilers, the explosiep being
terrific, but not sufficient to sink the yes
sci.
The Chinese troops fired on the Naniwa
I with rifles and small guns and exhibited
the greatest bravery. The Naniwa CON
tinued to fire her ten tonners and soon
had the Kow Shing in a badly disabled
condition. Many of the Chinese soldiers
jumped overheard and on these the Nan
iva rained bullets from her deadly ma
chine guns. The Kow Shing gradually
began to sink, and after fifteen discharges
from the cruisers big guns she went
down in eight fathOms of water. The
troops who remained aboard kept up their
fire to the very last, some of their shots
being fired at their own people who were
swimming away, they being determined
that all should die together. The vessel
sank stern first, flying the red ensign of
the Chinese.
One heavily armed boat was lowered
from the Naniwa, and from this a fire was
directed upon the troops struggling in the
water. There was no attempt to save life.
1t was evident that no quarter was to be
given. Ali were to be massacred.
The Naniwa steamed away to report to
the British consulate or naval officer that
seven Englishmen had been killed. A
number of soldiers reached a rock and
were saved. Colonel Won Hannekin had
J a miraculous escape, and arrived at Che
mulpo in a Corean fishing boat on July
2s. He was sworn to an affidavit before
the British consul in regard to events
above narrated. He bears testimony to
the splendid conduct of the Chinese troops,
who he said, died gloriOusly, fighting to
the last.
The Standards correspondent at Che
j Foo sends a similar account, and says:
The facts may be implicitly accepted as
the truth. The japanese made the most
strenuous attempt to destroy all the sur
vivors who were witnesses to their action.