Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-05-14
sAucY LITTLE PErREL

~
sAucY LITTLE PETREl
She Was Made Sport Of BY British
Cruiser NJ Shanghai-Her Blue Jacketa
Resented the Insult-A HandfuM OF
Them Whipped Score OF British Tarss
Damages ON the British - the Ag-
gressors.
SAN FRANcIsco. May "a morning
paper says:
Fighting with champagne bottles as
beginner and finishing with knives.
dozen or SO of the tars of the United
States gunboat Petrol whipped twice
their weight in Britishers at Shanghai
shortly before that vessel sailed for
This port, where she arrived last week.
The saucy little gunboat was made
the sport of a big British cruiser, and
while marine battle was averted by
prompt apology, the sailors of the two
warships took up the matter ashore. A
handful of the Petrel's men were
tackled by score of the lusty marines
from the British cruiser Spartan, and
blood and champagne flowed like water.
The melee occurred on Washington's
birthday, and the events which led up
to it on 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 manifest from
the start, and the officers were only
polite to each other. Even politeness
was forgotten on the night Of Febru-
airy 81, when the search light OF the
Spartan was turned on the deck OF
the Petrol. Every nook and corner
of the little gunboat was explored
by the powerful rays, and then to add
insult to injury the light was with
drawn. 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 forward
hands of the Petrol and a scene
of excitement on the quarter deck
where the officers were gathered.
Capt. Emory wrote curt note
to the commander of the Spartan and
dispatched it without loss of time.
The searchlight 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 on
the Petrol were satisfied, but
their greetings to the Spar
tan's quarterback thereafter were
sitter than ever. The blue jackets
of the Petrol were far from being sat
isfed, and among themselves they
swore vengeance for the insult. The
men had not long to wait. Eight or
ten of them were seated in an upper
room in saloon on the following day
when about twenty OF, the Spartan's
men entered the barroom. The Yam
KEGS were drinking grog and singing
patriotic songs, when the biggest En-
glishman in the intruding crew sug-
gested 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, an through it came a
shower of glasses, bottles and cases of
champagne, which had been stored in
the little room. When everything that
could be utilized as a weapon was gone
the American sailors came flying down
the stairs and the battle became q hand
to-hand conflict. Knives were 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 Spartan's
crew. It assessed the ship the cost OF
the damage, which amounted to sew.
eral thousand dollars.