The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-03
Efforts of Japanss Land and Sea
mt First Opposed with yigor.
HARBOR FINALLY ENTERED
AND GREAT HAVOC WROUGHT by
THE INVADERS TORPEDO BoATs.
Mnny of the Latter's Crews Killed
and Some Frozen TO Death-Inci-
dents os n Great Battle.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 1.-The steamer
City of Peking which arrived to-day from
Oriental ports. brought the following letter
from the Associated Press correspondent at
Toxic. dated Feb. IS:
Wei-Hai-We will be remembered in the
history of this war the first spot at which
the easy progress of the japanese was in
rerrupted by serious and prolonged resist
ance on the part Of the enemy. The town
itself, from which the naval station derives
its name. together with its formidable and
elaborate chain of land defenses, was cap
tured with the usual facility, and whenever
the Chinese were free to escape they dis
appeared before anything like severe fight
ing was attempted on either side. But
those who found themselves surrounded at
the beginning of the fight seemed animated
by a spirit of defiance wholly out of keep
ing with the previous attitude OF their
countrymen. This change of bearing is at
trbuted by some to the presence of few
foreigners among the besieged; by others to
the wild desperation which fastened on the
defenders OF the garrison when their posi-
ton was discovered to be hopeless and death
appeared inevitable.
The harbor of Wei-Hai-Wei is to the
southern entrance of the Gulf of Pe-Chi-Li
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 conquerers and partly to set
at rest all anxieties with respect to the still
powerful fleet commanded by Admiral Ting.
After a successful landing In January. the
march inland from the the, bay me. near Yn ,a
month, and before the evening of the last
named day the heights overlooking the har-
Dor were reached and the group or forts at
EiOchi-Hai-Su were taken. The contest at
this point was the severest in which the
japanese troops were engaged. Their losses
were not heavy in number, being. limited to
less than one hundred killed and wounded,
but the death of the general commanding
alto, division was a calmity. OF lighting
leaders the Japanese army has profusion:
80 literally provided Major General Otera
was IS sagacious in planning campaigns as
ne was energetic in executing them. 1t was
he who laid out the movement against Port
Arthur He was the first OF his grade TO
fall in the war. The forts seized by the ku-
rnamato Brigade were four in number. Most
of their guns were in good order, and were
Immediately turned on the Chinese ships
and batteries on the islands in the bay.
DRIVEN LIKE SHEEP.
Meanwhile the second grand division from
Sendai proceeded along range of bluffs
.arfvina the enemy like sheep before Them
No opposition worth speaking of was Of
fered, and the works on the opposite or
western headland would have been prompt
" captured but for sudden snow, which
brought military operations to q standstill.
sure to the piercing cold, and it was not
until the morning of Feb. that the task
soul confronted them as they entered the
fortifcation. The defenders of the garri-
sons had all flown, but not without leaving
ton behind them The big cannon had been
thrown from the walls or otherwise rem
dered useless, and the expectation of train
owners was necessarily given up.
Hai-Wei was practicaiiy at an end. Small
bodies of engineers and artilierists were
set to work planting mortars and guns at
advantageous spots, and some of these were
afterwards used with decisive effect, but
the main interest of the proceedings was
Admiral Ito's ships had been much more
harshly dealt with by the tempest than
General Oyama,s soldiers me latter tier f had
that its position outside of Wei-Hai-Wei
days. days. from pa Jan. 81 until Feb q it was
obliged to take refuge in the waters of
YungCheng, more than score of miles
The Japanese admiral had intended to
commence his attack on Jan: 30 At the
e the harSor All the as q had
bles and spars. forhidding ingress to stran-
gers and allowing passage outward only to
Hons The Chinese ships within occupied a
space fifteen or more miles long by five or
six in depth. With this space at their dispo-
tery from any point held by the Japanese
troops. The only resource. then, was the
torpedo boats. III breach could be made
In the barrier these compact messengers of
destruction might burst in among the IRON
s and al alone fx &c hs her
TO undertake this exploit on the night of
jan 30, but. through some unlucky blunder-
tine flrnxy af hxf hnoxr fire frnrx
their friends In the Pochi-Hai-Su forts as
they were endeavoring to force the eastern
twenty-four hours. but before the newly
designated time had come the snowstorm
anS small Far 1"s away from The - scene Three
days were thus lost.
WORK OF THE GIANT KILLERS
Nothing was done till the night of Feb. 3,
when the torpedo boats renewed their at
tempt. Again they We're unsuccessful, the
barrier proving impossible for that occa-
sion. But good beginning had been made.
and on the following night flock of giant
killers made an aperture about. one hun
dred yards broad, and, after carefully max
ing their way through. bore down at top
most speed on the Chinese flagship which.
even in the blackness of midnight, was dis
tinguishable by its huge hulk. AT dis
lance of 400 meters they sent their torpedos
until the supply was exhausted The Big
iron-clad was not Immediately sunk, but it
away, and the injury inflicted was so ruin
GUS that Admiral Ting is said TO have lost
no time in transferring his quarters to the
Chen-Yuen, the second of the Pei-Yang
squadron, which. though. recently badly
damaged by running upon rock. had been
sufficiently repaired to take her place in
line Other Chinese vessels were struck
and one, supposed to be gunboat, was
sent TO the bottom. Four of the torpedo
boats returned to their station outside the
harbor. though one of them had been hit
forty-seven times. and all were pretty badly
knocked out. The other two were destroyed
and many of their crews were killed by the
fire OF the enemy or frozen to death after
having swum ashore.
On the night OF Feb. 8 a fresh torpedo
squadron was sent to continue the work
They made an end of two IL not more OF
the Chinese cruisers, without themselves
suffering severely as their predecessors
1t was afterwards learned that the little
crafts had been Instrumental in sinking the
Wei-Yuen and Using Yuen. together with
several smaller vessels. On the morning of
the 9Th only four ships of the once redoubt-
able Pei-Yang division OF the navy re-
manned fit for service The large ships OF
Admiral Ito's feet had thus far done little
but shell the forts on the two islands. On
the 9Th they rested, beginning anew and
with redoubled energy the 7th BY this
time the gunners ON shore were able to CO.
operate effectively, and especially at the
eastern edge the harbor Soon after