The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-07-30
nArrLn DIV TIE YAnu.

bNhNN RNN hAaNN ~ Wv
tury,"
Tho Battle OF the Yalu river between
the japanese and the Chinese fleets has
already taken ils place In history ~ one
oil the most remarkable naval engage'
ments OF modern times, II Will DO in
tCro'tIng, therefore, to read a graphic
description OF tho battle from IN Amer.
lran who was present as commander OF
one OF the Chinese iTon-clads, aud such
a description has been contributed by
Ar. Philo n. MCGilin, Of Washington,
Penn, who has recently returned from
China. The description appears IN the
August Century.
A. Commander MCGiRn was the first
naval oficNr belonging to tho nations oil
European civilization to witness an en-
gagement with modern vessels and guns,
his account has u value entirely apart
from Tia interest. The following is an
extract from his articles
The fleets closed on each other rapid
ly. Ms crow was silent. The sub'llou'
tenant In the iorssop was taking sextant
angles and announcing the range, and
exhibiting al appropriate small signal
flag. As each range was called the men
at tho guns would lower tho slght'bars,
each gun captain, lanyard in hand,
keeping his gun trained on tho enemy.
Through the yentilalora could DO heard
tho beats OF the sleam'pumpsi for all
the lines Of hose were Joined up and
spoutiRg water, 30 that in case oil hIo no
time need DO lost, Tho range was about
four miles, and decreasing fast, "Six
thousand molenl" Five thousand
eight hundred"-"six hundrad"-"fvc
hundred" - "aVs hundredl" give
thousand four hundrOaV"
Tho crisis wal rapidly approaching,
Every mans nerves were Ia a state Of
tension, which was greatly relieved as q
huge cloud Of white smoke, bClchlng
from tho Ting Yuen's starboard bar
bette, ''opeaed the ball" Just as tho
proiectile threw up a column Of white
water a little short OF tho Ho'hino a
roar from tho Chen Yuen'S battery sec
onded the l%ag,ahips' motion. II was
exactly 1890 p. III. The range, rs
found on tho Chen Yuen, vas $500
meters; on tho Ting YuOn Il was
assumed to be- $500. On side the
drlng now became general from tho
main batteries, but II was about five
minutes before the Japanese replied
As they opened fro, the Chine'o
quick.dring Hotchkiss aud Maxim.
NordOuielt, 3 and 6.pounders, Joined
10, and thenceiorward tue conflict wRs
almost inceSsant. Like ours, tho ouo'
my's arat sheta foil short; but with m
oxultant cluckle we noted that a shot
from one Of our l2.inch guns had
struck one Of the Japanese leading
ships.
The bridge OF tho Chen Yucn, al
though some thirty loot above tho
wator. was worry Don soaked, as was, in-
decd, tho entire expoIed surface on the
engaged side, by spray thrown up by
limo shots that struck tho water a little
short. Many Of the men at the guns on
deck we're WOt through, and indeed the
water was flung on board with such vto'
lenCe rs to sting the face aud hands like
hail. Every one in tho conning'tower
had his ears stopped with cotton, yct
tho din made by ps0ieetSles rafting up
against tho outiide OF Its ton.inch ar
moi was a serious annoyance.
During this early part oil the engage
ment tho Chinese ioet rs . whole kept
their indented line and preserved inter.
walls fairly we'll, steaming at about six
knots-the Chao Yung and Yang Wei
being still out Of station on the extreme
right. The Isl Yuen, with her faint.
hearted commander, Fong, had bolied
very o o after the enemy had opened
tire, At l2:45 wo saw this vessel about
three miles astorn on our stnrboard
quarter, heading southwest toward Port
Arthur. She was followed by n string
Of Chinese %anathemas from our men NJ
the guns. She reached Port Arthur at
. n. III. ncxt day seven hours In adj
vance OF the tleetl, spreading there q
wild tale that We had been overwhelmed
bY a vast Japanese armada oic.
Upon our arrival, Captain Fong
claimed that his entire battery had
carly been disabled, and that he had
been Obliged to run to save his defense.
loss shin. But upon M examination OF
his battery by q detail Of line and engi'
neer officers, 1t was found in PERFECT
working order, except tho Six.inch
stcrn.chaser-the one proiectite which
struck his ship having passed beneath
tho trunnlons, lifting the gun from its
seat. But this shot had entered from
the stern, having evidently been received
after tho retreat had bogun-adminis.
tered, it would seem, rs n contomptuous
parting kick from tho enemy.
Captain FoHg's outrageous example
was at once followed by the commander
OF tho Kwan CHA, whose courage was
scarcely exceeded by his knowledge Of
navigation; for. about midnight, he ran
upon Il reei outside OF Ta.Lien.Wan,
which ho said was q most unaccountable
miahap, as hs had laid his course lin a
l0OHnile run ITO clear It By one and a
hall milOIl" This vessel had not boon
struck al all, but some days later was
blown up by her crew upon the az.
proaCh Of some Japanese vessels. Our
force had thus early been reduced to
eight vessels.
IA tho Japanese fleet approached, It
steamed along our front from left TO
right, at perhaps double u speed, and
zach vo,sol thus could exchange shots
with each Of ours in turn. Tho Japan
$50 Principal Squadron kept at closer
range, npon tho whole, than did the
Flying Squadron. Tho lattor, upon
reaching our right flank, turned It aud
poured in a heavy Cross.liro on the OK.
tremc wing, tho Chao Yonng aud Yang
Vol receiving tho iuost OF II. From tho
frat those two old.inshionod c~ruisora
woro doomed. Two passongcwnyu in
each aupOrstructurO connected tho bow
md stern ton.inch guns, on tho out
board slds Of each bOing o%llicora' quar-.
tiers, Otc., tho partitions and bulkhoads
being OF wood highly varnishod and
allied, The ]ye4Rsls were early got on