The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-22
TIE BATTLE OF TIE YALu.
It's American Hero Is Wreck for Life

Il Cant. Philo n. McGiffin, the young
American naval officer gwho Iioined the
Chinese navy at the breaking out Of the
japan China war, who distinguished
himself by extraordinary bravery while
in command Of the battle ship Chen
Yuen at the battle of the Yalu. aud who
Is now In the New York post graduate
hospital for the purpose of having piece
of Japanese shell extracted from his head
deniesEthatshe issinsane and the doctors
agree with him.
ne Is simply nervous and will remain
inltLe hospi5a1 for reouperation before
having the operation per formed.
The mistress of the boarding house
where Capt. McGiffin has been living
says that he had fits of violent insanity
But Capt. McGiffin's particular friend,
z. B. Robertson of New York, says that
his trouble was directly the result of the
wounds he received. in the battle of the
Yalu. He took great quantities of
cocaine to relieve the pain he suffered.
With proper treatm rent, Mr.. Robertson
says, he will fully recover In three or
four months Mt the outside.
The captains friends say he has 20
woundssin various parts of his body
madegby splinters and bullets. sand that
the wonder is that he is alive at all. The
wound that is the most Troublesome is
on his right hip. That is an open sore
several inches long. To was caused by a
splinter, and Ii never healed. He carries
a bullet inshis head and several bullets
in his body.
Capt. Meg iffin was in the service of
with Japan was begun. He had estab-
lished and was at the head of the only
naval school inEthe country, and he had
modelled it somewhat after the plan of
the Annapolis academy, from which he
had been graduated in 1882. He was in
poor health and had obtained leave of
absence. and was about to start for this
country when the war talk started. He
had left this cnuntry's service because
there was little schanee for promotion,
and he saw in a warssbetween China and
Japan chance to earn honor and rank.
So he offered his services and was made
'tfghting commander Of the Chen
Yuen.
THE AWFUL BATTLE OF THE
YALU.
Tho story of the battle of the Yalu has
been told many times. 1t was chiefly in
teresting to civilized countries because it
was the first time that modern warships
had been in actual engagement. The
ChensYue was one of the few Chinese
ships that survived the battle She was
his more than 400 times, but she was
still able to fight when the Japanese feet
withdrew. Every man on board of her
had been wounded and many had been
killed. McGiffin himself had been
wounded many times, his most serious
injury coming from one of his own guns.
The ship was on fire on the port side.
The Japs kept their guns pounding on
the part of the vessel that was burning,
SO that tbs men on board would not be
Athletic put the fire out.
Capt M cGiffin called for volunteers to
face the bulletssand the shells of the Japs.
None of the seamen would go without
an officer. and tine Chinese officers were
NOT in that line of business. McGifln
himself stepped into the breech and led
had been at 1t a little while when a shell
from one of the Japanese ships struck
the crew of one Of the Chen Yuen'a big
guns and killed the gun crew, but did
not damage the gun. The next man
who took command of that gun did not
know that Me5i ffin and his men were
working at the fire and he had the gun
swung around to port. A moment be-
fore it;was fired Capt. MoGlfin saw its
muzzle pointing almost at the nen at
work. He leaped back. The gun went
off. Most of the men at work on the
fire were killed by the shock and the
fire and smoke that belched out. Nc
Giffin WAS knocked down. Ills hair and
eyebrows were burned off. The sight of
one .eyeswas almost destroyed and both
ear drums Wers fractured. The moment
he recovered from the shcck he was up
and fighting again.
Zen minutes later a she'll struck lad
der near him, and a splinter of the ladder
was driven deep into his hip. he probed
for III with pair Of pincers and got 1t
out and went on fighting. Later he was
shot in the head and in dozen or more
places in the body; but he kept on fight
ing until the battle ended.
At the conclusion of the War with
japan, Capt. MoGiffin got a leave Of alb
senoe for an indefinite time, and he came
back to America to try and recover his
health. He was received here as hero.
He spent some time visiting, and then
he wrote several articles on the war,
among them description of the battle OF
the Yalu which was printed in the Gen.
fury for August. 1895.
He went to live at the New York board
ing house four months ago He had a
large front room on the second floor.
The mistress Of the house said Thursday
that up to three weeks ago the captain
was ali right. Then he began having
"spells. . He would be out Of his head
for IN hour or two alta time, and then
would be himself again. rs kind and
gentle and as sane an ANYBODY could be-
But in his "spells'' she said he was very
yiolsnt.
"Hs imagined, she said, "that doctors
were after him who wanted to treat him,
and he said he wasghis own doctor. He
had six reviewers Of all sizes. He kept
three on the table here and the other
three over by the window. He imagined
the ueople were Watching him from the
street. Then again he would think that