The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-02-08
The japanese Sink the Two
Great Battle Ships
AND WILL CAPTURE THE OTHERS.
Island Forts at weihaiwei Abont q
Be Taken by storm.
The Japanese Again show the sapessee-
isy Of swift Craasere Over Heavy
Battle ships--A Furious Naval Fight
In Which the sapAness Seem 90 Hasa
sansred No Damage.

| fsendon. Feb. IA cabisgrayn From Wei
i haiwef. dated February s. says the Chi.
nese fleet mas practically ceased 10 exist. :
| The ironelad Chen Yusn and her sister
ship. the Ting Nuen. have been sunk. ami
| the other vessels Of the Chinese tteet arc
within the grasp or the japanese.
At oasbreak Saasiay the japanese
| fleet opened iirc on the I.sulalngtao farts
whsrh replied vigorously. The honshsgsi-
nssnt becsTae terrific. The firss Japanese
division. Including the fisgslasp. sszrsytst
It's force against the eastern island bat~
teries. while the second DIVISION sheiled
Fort Seh4r. The Chinese tsset soon came
10 the assistance OF the forts. The TEng
Ysaen used her guns wi,ssaut effect. bat
succeeded In diyeriing some of the Jap
anese fire from the forts 10 hersesf. rno
La Yuen, a smalssr shSp, also fought
we'll. 7aere were many casualties. Two
Chinese gaIsoats also assisted. bat were
not badly damaged. These four vessels
fought desperately until dark. when the
firing ceased on boih sides.
The Chinese forts. especially Fort SsSir.
suffered Immense damage. The Chinese
fire toward evening indicated t.aat the
guns were disabled. thas the gun,sess were
killed. or that ammunition WAS hec1nssng
scarce.
The sea wes rough Sunday, but. tearing
that the Chinese would ensseavor 10 cs-
cape the Japanese fleet did not seek shell
Ger. remaining to block the exits from taa.
hafoor.
During the night the Japanese learned
from a prisoner who had been captured
ashore that Admiral Tins. the Chinese
naval commander. had ordered the cape
tains OF the various ships TO remain tn
side the harbor. even II the Islands should
be captured and endeavor to destroy tha
Japanese fleet. Every ofticer was ordered
TO remain at his post until the last. urdew
pain of disnonor or death. The bou1barsl-
mena was resumed today. Sundays opera-
tions being repeated. The tire from Fort
Sehip continued weakly The Chinese
men-of-war were 50 repeatedly and badly
hit that their guns we're hsAndMd waln
difficulty and with less spirit.
Toward the close OF the fighs the great
battle ships Ting Yuen and Chen Yuen
were disabled. They gradually sesties1
down and foanderei. amid the shouts of
Japanese both on the land and sea< Th9
other chinese vessels were IN dastress.
The dispatch couciudsa with t1ae stat'e-
nent that the Japanese are preparing "a
carry Iankungtao by storm.
The Chen Yuen and Ting Yucn wera
built at the Vulcan works, Stetsins Ger
many The former WAS launched IN De-
cember. 1852. and che latter In Dccemhers
1881. They are armored battle ships o.
the barbette type. with citadel amid
ships. Rising above are two others psassed
en- essheion. in each OF which are mounted
two twedve-Incf fifty-ton krupp gums,
while on the bow and stern one oe
4 q aeA f1
The Ting Yuen was the flagship Of 1ha
Chinese fleet. and she and her sister. the
Chen Yucn, were among the fsncst war;
ships In the world. nothing In the JaGass-
ese feet equaling thefn They were %
7.seo tons displacement and 6.o0o horse
power. had speed OF is knots. with y
central ssrsisored belt OF IL inches. Their
armament consisted OF four 30.5 pentts
nlster u2i-inch) Krupp guns, In twin
mounting on barbetse, with Il inches of
armor protection. The steel projectlzea
for Ihesse guns weigh rs pounds and the
charge uf powder is 30 pounds Of slow
burning cocoa. their perforation power -
Inuzzle Is tarongh 20 i-2 inches of arf,for.
Two i5-centin1eter t5.s snchesD krupp guns
were carried ore in the bows and tha
other at the stern. wttff II incnes peffor-z~
,s.n power There were three tprtesto
tubes and nusneruus machine gsina on
deck aud In tho tops. Tasy carried 40
men each, and had numerous Euro32au
officers.
washSngton City. Feb. 7s--No news
whatever has been received at the state
department concerning either the capture
or Subsequent release Of q hunting p1rty
from the United States steamship con-
cord by enraged ChHuese near Ching
kisug. The officials are therefore In
elsned to think the Whole affair appeared
In America sn - more serious light than
at the place cf it's occurrence Assuming
that the published reports have been ac-
curate, they tnirk thar II any cniness
were shot II is quite likely the chine<o
followed their ussiai custoni OF merely
creating more or legs disturbance In order
to get pecufaary reparas.cn for the In
Jury done, afIi this vas capable Of adj
j1stmens on easy terfsas.
London. Feb. THE report thst SONS
Of the officers Of the United states wars
snap Concord had been captured by Chin-
ese while hunting near chingkiaag wax
received here by a LoTaion news agency
from the agency at Shanghai.
1hs same agency today prsnts
q asspaacs1 saying the captured
officers had been released. The fact tfaE
nothing at all concerning the capture or
reieass cams through any other agency.
s.aas to belief that the story IN untrue.
Paris. Feb. 1.-The Russian envoy saaa
resolved instructions as 10 ths Atgfudu
Russia, England and France. ana.
fssrough Eassn.s intervention. the United
States. intend TO take on the questions
raised by the war between China and ia
pan. II has been decided that the inttr-
yenfion OF sfese powers al the proper
moment shall be shsoEuteIy di1iaterest-
ed s-htna will he asked, in her own in.
tere~ss as well as OF me civilized wos7d-
90 open her ports seesfsg that the present.
system fs.s led 20 Cnsna's powesaessness
and ruln, The powers -stn wait untit
China admits herself vanqussfset aEa sir~
ceregy negoisafes for peace IL viii shen
ts pointed ost To Japan that E1rops cam
noe allow hrr 20 annex an inch OF tho
chiress mainland. bat the same lEups,ssf-
| bslssy Does rot exist regarding offer -
| uexatsosx. which shall be open 10 dixcu2-
zion. There VII be TO interventEon CO.'S
cerning vessels. arms ard Other booty
| nor as TO the var Indemnity. Tnfs asse4-
| taen must ~ sseftIed between the conshat~
Azts 10 objsetsons VII be raised 10 -