The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-04

Ting Yuen. having been engaged ty the
Chih yuen on our fsagship's left. Her DIS
tance from her next in line ahead was m
creassng, ard her captain. presumably
seeing that his slow old ship could nor
keep up with the rest, and. being already
on fire. fearing 10 continue on and re-
ceive the Gre OF both ironclais and CT the
King yuea I-zi Yuen and Ching Tuen,
boldly decided 10 make q short cut be-
tween the two ironclads and re5oin mis-
comrades On the other side This was
spiendidly done. As his ship passed be
tween our two big ships we fired into her
point blank II was impossible 10 miss.
and flying material showed that we did
not The smoke increased in volume AMI
rolled I'D from the Hiyei's quarter deck
and poop as high as the rSzzenton. the
ship yawi1g wildly at the same time. We
considered her done for''-as doubtless
she would have been had we used she'll
one shot, for instance, passing diagonaily
through the ship from one bow 20 the D.
posite quarter. doing various manor dam
ages. Had = been a live shell tie result
may be imagined
From this time / regret 10 say. the Chi
nese formation was broken into an irregu-
lar group. Bearing down on the one hand
were the ships OF the principal squadron.
in line ahead, Keeping perfect station.
while on the opposite side were those of
the flying squadron. We were thus be-
tween two fires. AS the principal squad
ron turned and altered course the two
Chinese ironelads turned also, keeping
bows on 10 their van, the Chen Yuen pre-
serving her station and distance from the
flagship. as indeed she continued TO do
throughout the battle. The Japanese will
ingly bear witness that the two ironclads
preserved their formation. and that the
Chen Yuan by her mc1ements and gun
practice covered the Ting Yuen when IN
straits, and in fact prevented the fleet
from suffering humiliation instead of It's
actual heavy loss.
The principal squadron now seemed to
ignore the four smaller Chinese vessels.
and its five ships steamed around our two
ironclads, pouring in storm OF shell.
Time and again fires broke out, ut, with
one notable exception, the flames were
subdued without much trouble. Some If
the enemy's ships used melinite shells. the
noxious fumes from which could at once
be distinguished from those of powder
One ship, for a time. practiced broad
side firing by director'-i. e, each gun is
laid by its crew on the object, and the
entire battery. joined in one electric cir
cult is fired by pressing key. This sys-
tenn, though doubtless hard on the struc-
ture of the ship using ii. was most ef-
fective--the result of SO many shot strik-
ing at once, and producing perhaps sew
eral fires, being very annoying.
Chipa's fleet is now thing of the past,
and many gallant men have persisted with
it. striving bravely to save their country
credit with fate against them and han6i-
capped with corruption. treachery and III
competency on shore. Chief among those
who have died for their country is Ad-
miral Ting Ju Chang, a gallant soldier
and true gentleman. Betrayed by his
countrymen, fighting against odds. almost
his last official act was to stipulate for
the lives OF his officers and mer.. 6ls own
he scorned to save. we'll knowing that his
ungrateful country would prove less mer-
ciful than his honorable foe. Bitter, IN