The herald., 1895-03-13
SUICIDE OF AN ADMIRAL
Surrender of the Chinese Fleet Preceded
by Death
A Story of How Brave Officer When He Saw
He Could Not Win Killed
Himself

Yokohama, March /, via Victoria, B.
c., March 12.-The news of the surrender
OF the Ping Yang squadron by Admiral
Ting and the Admiral's suicide before
the japanese took possession of the ves-
sells has been repeatedly told, but interest
ing details of the surrender have just be-
come known. The japanese officers
urged Admiral Ting to seek an asylum in
Japan until the end of the war. This
avor Ting politely declined on the ground
that the enmity between the two nations
forbade him to accept such a courtesy,
although he appreciated the spirit in
which it was rendered. On the morning
of February 18th messenger came on
board the flagship and announced that
his leader had committed suicide immedi-
ately after writing a response to Ad-
miral lto's letter offering asylum. The
two principal military officers on Liu
Kiung island had likewise destroyed
themselves. In his final dispatch Ting
expressed thanks for the promise that his
followers should be spared, and asked
that possession should not be taken of the
forts, ships and other property before
February 10th. This request was granted
in a communication addressed by Ito to
the officer commanding the Pei Yang
squadron" The determination of the
Japanese to recognize no Europeans as
holding authortyso on behalf of China was
at once asserted in stipulation, several
times repeated that no foreigner must
be assigned to the duty of arranging the
details of the transfer of the ships. Any
Chinese officer would be cordieally re-
ceived but not of any other race.
On February 18th the surrendered ves-
sells were delivered to their new owners
with the exception of the Kwang Chi,
which Admiral Ito gave back in order
that the remains OF the late Chinese COM
mander should be taken away in a man.
of-war belonging to his own country. The
body was carried on board with respect
full ceremony and salutes were given as
the vessel departed for Chez Foo. On the
18th the garrison OF Liu Kung, number
ing 2000, and 1000 sailors of the Ping Yang
squadron, were sent to the mainland es-
corted to the japanese outposts, some
twenty miles from Chez Foo, and set at
liberty. 1t is reported that among the
foreign prisoners the two perlurers, HOWE
and Wilde, were found, and as these men
had abused the confidence and generosity
of the japanese Government, having
given pledges at Kobe that they would
not serve in China and accepted money
for their travelling expenses to America,
they were detained for trial by court
martial.
The loss OF the japanese in taking Wei
Hal Wei is not fully known. Among the
Chinese 1900 are believed to have been
killed, POO by drowning when the Ii Yuen
capsized and sank. OF the Japanese tor
pedo crews nine were instantly killed, two
MORALLY wounded, five frozen or drowned
and thirty-one injured. All these casu-
allies as well as the loss of the two boats,
occurred on the first night.
During the two weeks of constant can
nonading Admiral Ito's men-of- war
suffered scarcely any material damage.
Twenty men were killed and thirty
eight injured. The captured ships requir-
ing slight repairing to make them thor
oughly serviceable, are the Chen Yuen,
Ping Yuen, Chi Yuen, Kwang Ping and
four gunboats. The Wei Yuen can per-
haps be tioated and made fit for duty. The
lai Iuen lies bottom upward and the big
Ting Yuen is said to be utterly ruined.