Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-02
AROUND WEI-HAI-WEI
Story Of the Japanese Campaign
Against That Place.
DESPERATE RESISTANCE OF CHINESE
Garrisons Had Fled When Forts
Were Finally Occupied.
HARD WORK OF THE FLEET

TOXIC, February 1B, per steamer City of
Peking, via San Francisco. March 2.
Wei-Hai-Wei will be remembered in the
history of this war as the first spot at
which the easy progress Of the japanese
vas interrupted by serious and prolonged
resistance on the part Of their enemy. The
town itself, from which the naval station
derives it's name, together with its for
midable and elaborate. chain of land de-
fenses, was captured with the usual facfl-
ity, and wherever the Chinese were free to
escape they disappeared before anything
like severe fighting was attempted on either
side.
But those who found themselves sur
rounded at the beginning of the affray
seemed animated by spirit of defiance
wholly out of keeping with the previous
attitude and actions of their countrymen.
This change of bearing is attributed by
some to the presence of few foreigners
among the besieged; by others to the wild
desperation which was fastened upon the
garrison when their position was discover
ed to be hopeless and death appeared IN
evitable.
The Aim In Taking Wef-lini-Wef.
The harbor of Wei-Hai-Wei is to the
southern entrance of the Gulf of Pechili
what Port Arthur was at the north. Its
possession was not really essential to the
Japanese, whose navy had free ingress to
the gulf, but its capture was thought de-
sirable, partly as brilliant addition to
the prestige of the conquerors, and partly
to set at rest all anxieties with respect to
the still powerful fleet commanded by Ad-
miral Ting. After a successful landing in
January the march inland from the hay
near Yung Chen began on the 18th and
Both of that month, and before the even
ing Of the last-named day the heights over
looking the harbor were reached and the
first group of forts, at Pochi-Hai-Su, were
taken.
The contest at this point was the severest
In which the Japanese troops were engag
ed. Their losses were not heavy In number
being limited to less than 100 killed and
wounded, but the death of the general
commanding the first brigade Of the SIXTH
or Kumamato division, was a veritaple
calamity.
OF fighting leaders the Japanese army has
a profusion. With skilled students Of
strategy 1t Is not SO literally provided
Maj. Gen. Otera was as sagacious in plan
ming campaigns as energetic In executing
them. 1t was he who laid out the move
ment against Port Arthur. He was the
first of his grade to fall In the war. The
forts seized by the Kumamato brigade
were four in number. Most OF their guns
were in good order and were Immediately
turned upon the Chinese ships and bat
teries on the islands in the bay.
Sudden Snow Storm.
Meanwhile the second grand division
from Sendai proceeded along a range of
bluffs, driving the enemy like sheep before
them. No opposition worth speaking of
was offered and the works on the oppo-
site side Of the western headland would
have been promptly captured but for
sudden downfall of binding snow, which
brought military operations to a standstill.
The soldiers suffered greatly from expo
sure to the piercing cold, and it was not
until the morning of February 2, that the
task allotted to them was accomplished.
Not soul confronted them as they en-
tered the Notifications. The garrisons had
all fled but not without leaving some evil
dences of thoughtfulness and caution be-
hind them. The big cannon had been
thrown from the walls or otherwise rem
dered useless. and the expectation of train
ing them upon the comrades of their for
mer owners was necessarily given over.
The share of the army in reducing Wei
Hai-Wei was practically at an end. Small
bodies Of engineers and artillerists were
set to work planting mortars and guns at
advantageous spots ard some OF these were
afterward served with decisive effect, but
the main interest of the proceedings were
transferred to the lower level of the bay.
The Fleet Suffers.
Admiral Ito's ships had been much more
harshly dealt with by the tempest than
Gen. Oyamas soldiers. The latter had
found shelter of some sort, while the fleet
was SO beaten about by the raging winds
that its position outside of Wei-Hai-Wei
could not be main tain ed and for three days,
from January 81 until February 2, 1t was
obliged to take refuge in the waters of
Yung Chen. more than score of miles
away. The Japanese admiral had intended
to commence his attack on January 80. At
the outset little could be done with his
men-of-war, owing to the difficulty of en-
tering the harbor. All the openings had
been blocked by strong barricades of chain.
The Chinese ships within occupied a
basin, fifteen or more miles long by five
or six in depth. With this space at their
disposal they could not easily be reached
by artillery from any point held by the
Japanese troops. The only resource, then,
was the torpedo boats.
If breach could be made in the barrier
these compact messengers of destruction
alone accomplish their errand of annihila-
ton. Six of them were selected to under
take this exploit on the night of January
3O but through some unlucky laundering
they were met by heavy fire from their
friends in Po-Chi-Yai-Su forts as they
were endeavoring to force the eastern
channel.
This compelled a postponement of twen-
ty-four hours but before the newly desig-
mated time had come a snow storm was
driving the entire body of ships, large and
small, far away from the scene. Three
days were thus lost and nothing was done
until the night of February 3, when the
torpedo boats renewed their attempt.
Attacking the Wnrships.
Again they were unsuccessful, the bar
rier proving impossible for that occasion
But good beginning had been made, and
en- the following night a flock Of giant
killers made an aperture about 100 yards
broad and after carefully pickinp THAR
way through bore down at topnlost speed
on these Chinese f1agships, which even in
the blackness of midnight was distinguish
able by it's huge bulk.
AT a distance of 400 meters they sent
their torpedoes plunging ahead, repeating
discharges until the supply was exhausted.
The big iron clad was not Immediately
sunk, but it was wounded to death. Its
side was torn away. and the injury inflicted
was so ruinous that Admiral Ting is said
to have lost 1iIaaa in ira ar,:i1asx bic