The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-05-09
BmrIsn SAILORS DEFEATED.
They Proved to be No Match for the Yam
kee Tars.

kee Tars.
San Francisco, May S,-A morning
paper says: Fighting with champagne
bottles as a beginner, and finishing
with knives, a dozen OF so of the tars
of the United States gunboat Petrol
whipped twice their weight in British
ers at Shanghai shortly before that
vessel sailed for this port.
The little gunboat was made the
| sport of British cruiser, and while a
marine battle was averted by prompt
apology, the sailors OF the two war
ships took up the matter ashore. A
handful of Petrel's men were tackled
| by a score of the marines from the
British cruiser Spartan. Blood and
champagne flowed like water.
| The melee occurred on Washingtons $
birthday, and the events which led up
to it occurred the night before. The
Spartan arrived at Shanghai shortly
after the Petrol dropped anchor there.
That there was no love lost between
the crews of the vessels was mani
| fest from the start, and the officers
We're only polite to each other. Even
politeness was forgotten on the night
of February 81, when the search light
of the Spartan was turned on the deck
of the Petrol. Every nook and cor
ner of the little gunboat We're explored
by the powerful aids.
Then to add insult to injury, the light
was withdrawn. leaving all in gloom
and then instantly turned on again as
if those on the Spartan wanted to see
how the Yankees liked the treatment.
There were mutterings among the for
ward hands of the Petrol, and a scene
| of excitement on the quarterback,
where the officers were gathered. Cap
tain Emery wrote a curt note to the
commander OF the Spartan and dis
patched it without loss of time. The
search light was not turned on the
Petrol again that night and a note of
apology for the discourtesy earlier in
the evening was received from the
Spartan's captain. The officers of the
Petrol were satisfied, but their greet
ings to the Spartans quarterback there
after was sitter than ever.
The blue Jackets of the Petrol were
| far from being satisfied. and among
themselves they swore vengeance for
the insult. The men had not long to
wait. Eight or ten of them were seat
ed in an upper room in a saloon on
the following day when about twenty
of the Spartan's men entered the bar
room. The Yankees were drinking
grog and singing patriotic songs, when
the biggest Englishman in the intrud-
ing crew suggested that they throw
the Yankees through the windows.
The British tars started UP the stairs,
| but none of them reached the top. The
door above was suddenly opened and
| through it came shower of glasses,
bottles and cases of champagne which
| had been stored in the room.
When everything that could be util-
lied as a weapon was gone the Amer
lean sailors came flying down the stairs
and the battle became hand to hand
conflict Knives We're drawn and used
freely, and the English forces were
badly cut up. When they were finally
routed, half a dozen of their men lay
| bleeding on the floor.
The British consul subsequently held
an official inquiry into the affair and
the court decided against the Spar
tan's crew. 1t assessed the ship the
cost of the damage, which amounted to
several thousand dollars.