The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-03

ever the Chinese were FREE 10 eSr1pe
they disappeared before anything like
severe fighting was attempted ON either
side. But those who found themselves
surrounded at the beginning OF the az
fray seemed animated by a spirit os
defiance wholly os1f OF keeping with
the previous attitude and actions az
tfesr coantryrnen- This change OF con-
duct - attributed by some 10 rhe pres
ence Of few foreigners among the
besseged: by others. To the Wild despe--
alton which faSsened upon the garrsson
when their position was discovered TO
be hopeless and death appeared inevsta-
ble.
The harbor OF w~ihalweg is 10 the
southern entrance 30 the Gulf OF Pc
chill what Port Arthur was % the
ssorfh Its possession was not really e.
serlsias 70 the japanese. whose navy
had free ingress - the gulf. hut its cap
sure was thought desirable. partly as a
brilliant aIlditicn to she prestige OF the
conquerors. aIsd partly 10 set at rest
all anxiety with respect to the stih
powerful fleet commanded by Admiral
Ting
After a successful landing toward the
close Of January. the march inland from
q hay near Yungching began on the
2s1h and Goth OF thar month, and before
evening OF the iast named day the
heights overlooking the harbor wer.
reached and the first group OF forts al
Pcchiyaisu were taken. The contest
at this point was severest In which the
Japanese troops had been engaged.
Their losses were not heavy In number.
being limited to less than 100 killed and
commanding the first brigade of the
Sixth or KumannOto division was a yer
liable calamity. OF fighting leaders the
japanese army has r-ofusion. bur with
skilled students of strategy II is rfot 50
Isberaliy provided. Major General O,ega
was as sagacious in plannsngcampaign
as he was energetic In executing chem
II was he who laid out the movement
against Port Arthur. He was the first
of his high grade to fall IN the war.
The forts seized By the Kumarnoto brs-
gade were four in number Most OF
their guns were In good order and were
Immediately turned upon the Chinese
ships and batteries on the islands in
the bay.
Meanwhile the second grand division
from Sendai proceeded along the range
of bluffs, driving the enemy like sheep
before them. No opposition worth speak
ing OF was offered. and the works on
the opposite or western headland would
have bees, promptly captured but for q
sudden downfall OF binding snow,
which brought military operations To
a standstin The soldiers suffered great
ly from exposure 10 the piercing cold.
and Ii was not until the mornlng of
February that the task allotted to
them was accomplished Not a soul
confronted them as they entered the
Notifications. The gsirrisons had all
flown. but not without leaving some
evidences of ihoughtfulness and eau
ton behind them. The big oannons had
been thrown from the walls or other
wise rendered useless, and the expecta-
tion OF training them upon the comrades
OF their former officers was necessarily
given over. The share of the army in
reducing Weihaawei was practically at
an end.
Small parties Of engineers and arfil-
lerists were set u. work planting NOR
tars and gums az advantageous spots.
and some OF these were afterward serv-
ed with decisive effect. But the main
interest of the proceedings was trans
ferred to the lower level OF the bay.
Admiral Ito's ships had been much
more hardly dealt with by the tempest
than Gen. oyama's soldiers. The latter
had found shelter of some sort. while
the fleet was 50 beaten about by raging
winds that its position outside of Wei
haIwei could not be maintained. and
for three days, from January 81 until
February 2 ii was obliged u taks
refuge in the waters of Yungching,
more than score OF miles away. The
japanese admiral had intended to COM
mence his attack on January 80. At the
outset little could be done with his men,
of-war, owing TO the difficulty of enter
ing the harbor. The island OF LiGl<lung,
several miles long, lies at its mouth,
leaving a channel on either side. That
at the west Is open. but not at al,
places navigable for large vessels. That
at the east is intersected by a small
island. The openings had been block
AIDED by strong barricades OF chain,
cables and spars. forbldding ihgress TO
diTl aiAOWtatE u PdcSy1At tut~
ward only to pilots familiar with the
line OF ohstructions. The Chinese ships
within occupied basin fifteen or more
mile in length 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 Jaaarese
tUops. Their only resource then was
10 torpedo boats. IL a breach could be
made I'm the harricaie. these compact
messengers Of destruction might burst
In among the iron-ciads and all alone
accomplish their errand of annih'lation
Six of them were selected 10 undertake.
this exploit on the night OF January 30.
hus through some unlucky blundarsna
they were met by a heavy fire from
their friends In the Pochiyalsu forts as
they were endeavoring TO force the east
ern channel This compelled postpone
rseut of twenty-four hours, but before
sne newly designated time had come a
snowstor~n was driving the entire body
Of ships. large and small. far away from
the scene. Three days were thus lest,
and nothing was done until the night
renewed their attempt Again they
were UNSUCCESSFUL, the ASiSISsf proving
tn1passabIe for that occasion.
But q good beginning had been made.
ard on the following night the Rock OF
gaantkiliers made an aperture about 100
wards broad, and after carefully psck-
ing their way through, bore down al
tcrsnost speed upon the Chinese flag
ssrp. which, even in the blackneSs az
midnight. was distingu.shable by its
huge hnfk A. q aasfarca OF 400 meters