The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-05

exchanged ornaments, the true value OF
the battle from the standpoint of naval,
science would have been better demon.
strated Solid shot, such as we used, would
have been vastly more efficient against
our armor and shells such as the Japs.
used would have swept their cruisers off!
the face of the sea
Too much credit has been given the Japs,
for the way they handled and sighted
their guns. They probably fired as fast
as such guns could be served, but their
aim was not unerring by any means. Had
IL been, their victory would have BEEN
more complete. The fact Is that broadside,
uncertain. The recoil of such artillery,
causes the ship to roll violently, with
many oscillations before she finally set
ties upon level keel AS rand firing guns
sides are often delivered without the pos
sibility of correct aim, and many shots
go wild.
layman has no conception of the awful
nature of battle in modern vessels. Even
the cruisers have steel sides, and the air
Of the inclosed spaces Is very confined.
The din made by the impact of a heavy
projectile against these metal sides Is aw-
full beyond description. wore cotton in
my ears, but in spite Of that am still deaf
from that cause. The engineers in the,
Chen-Yuen stuck TO their work even when.
the temperature Of the engine-rooms was
above 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The skin
roasted off. and every man was blinded
for life, the sight being actually scared
out.
Late in the action, after my hair had
been burned off and my eyes so impaired
by injected blood that l could only sea
out of one of them. and then only by lift
ing the lid with my fingers, was DESTROYS
of seeing how the enemy was delivering
his fire. AS ! CROPPED my way around the
protected deck, a hundred-pound shell
pierced the armor about eighteen inches
In front of my hand In a second my
hand, touching the steel, was so burnt
that part of the skin was left upon the
armor. That shows how intense is the
heat engendered by the impact of a shot,
and how rapidly the steel conducts that
heat.
one shell struck an open shield Of the
Chen-Yuen early IN the action, and glanc-
ing thence, passed through the open port.
Seven gunners were killed and fifteen
wounded by that shot. Early in the fight
the Maxim gun in our foretop was si-
fenced. The holes pierced by a shell could
be seen from the deck. After the fight
we found the officer and men on duty
there all dead and frightfuly mangled.
That one shell wrought the havoc
The detonations of the heavy cannon and
the impact of hostile projectles produce
conclusions that actually rend the cloth
ing off The Chinese soldiers deserve
all credit for their courage and obedience
In that action, No duty was too difficult
or dangerous. When the Chem Ynenss
forecaste was ablaze from Jap shells
ordered several officers to cross the she'll
swept place to fight the fire. They shirk-
ed that duty, but when / called upon the
men to volunteer to follow me they did
1t promptly, and the ship was saved II
was while on this duty that a shell pass
ing between my legs threw me aloft and
let me down upon deck with such vio-
lence that became unconscious, and was
out of the fight All of the officers. how
ever. were not towards. On my ship
were several who had been educated IN
this country, and they were as brave ana
devoted as men could be Others, how
fnd smidships.