The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-08-13
WHIPPED THREE JAPANESE SHIPS.
United States War ship and Japanese
Barbarians.
(From the Washington Post. J

in 1868, Japanese vessels and an American
war ship met in deadly conflict, and jap
anese batteries, armed in part with
American guns, the gift of our govern
rnent to that of Toxic, fired she'll after
she'll at the gallant old Wyoming, as her
brave captain, David Stockton McDougal.
parried her into an unequal conflict, but
to glorious victory against the forces of
the mikado. All this happened at the
straits of Shimonoseki, the Gibraltar of
the japanese Mediterranean, whittier the
Wyoming had gone to administer lesson
to the Choshic landsmen for their TT each
erous and unwarranted attack on the
American ship Pembroke. The events
which led up to this condition of things
nre necessary to a complete understand
ing of the matter, and are briefly as fol-
lows:
The condition of the Americans, resi-
dents in Japan, in 1868, was far from an
enviable one. Practically cut off from
communication with the United States
by the destruction of American COM
merce, and appalled, by news of disaster
at home, distorted through the European
agencies by which it came, and, in ad-
dition, suffering the suspense of all for
eigners in country even then in the
throes of civil war; the prime object to
which was the sweeping into the sea Of
all "ugly barbarians.
The tycoon, knowing full we'll the
power behind the few foreigners then in
the empire, strove to his utmost to stay
the mikado's edict of expulsion, but his
efforts were in vain and the proclamation
went forth to him: 1.-THE ugly barb ar
ians are watching the empire with greedy
eyes, and you will, in obedience to the
mikado's wishes, perform the task of
sweeping them into the seq, that the holy
empire may return to it's desired soli-
tude.''
This was enough for the clansmen of
Choshiu, who, anxious to embroil the
tycoon with the treaty powers by some
overt act, and thus restore the mikado
to supreme power, at once commenced
erecting batteries after their French and
Dutch teachings, on the promontories
and headlands of the straits.
Under the personal direction of Mort,
lord of Choshiu, seven works were con-
structed, each mounting from two to
seven guns, and situated from so to 100
feet above tide water.
These were mostly 80 Founders, al
though there were some IL and 24-pounders
and in the batteries nearest the town were
mounted the eight-inch Dahlgren guns,
the gift of the United States, which had
been borrowed without permission from
Toxic. "a r
The straits of Shimonoseki form the
western entrance to the inland sea, and
divide the island of Hindo and Kiushiu
They are about three miles long, and
from one-half to one mile wide, but
owing to the swift current, that often
rushes through at the rate of five knots
an hour, are very dangerous to nayiga-
tors, and the frowning bluffs, at the base
which the town of of Shlmonoseki stretch
es in one long street, have looked down
in past centuries on thousands of ship
wrecks and appalling loss of life
Besides the forts above referred to, the
Japs had three ships, purchased from
American firms and fitted as men-of war,
mounting Is guns. They wer the steamer
Lancefeld, the bark Daniel Webster and
the brig Lanrick.
With this strong force and about 1900
well-drilled clansmen, the Choshiu men
were ready for the first foreign devil
ship which might unsuspectingly try to
pass.
They did not have long to wait, for on
June %, the very day fixed in the procla-
nation for the work of expulsion to be-
gin, the Americanssteamer Pembroke, in
the japanese and Chinese trade, hove in
sight and anchored, to await favorable
tide next day.
The captain of the Pembroke, having
no reason for suspicion, thought nothing
of the bark and brig coming out and an
choring near him, and was not aware of
their hostile intentions until shortly after
midnight, when they suddenly opened
a terrific fire on his vessel
Quickly slipping his cable, and with a
full head of steam on, the Pembroke
was backed away in the darkness, leav-
ing the elated Japs under the impression
that she had gone down at her anchors.
On July the French steamer KEN
Chang also anchored in the straits and
was promptly fired on, and when boat
was lowed to ascertain it's cause, it was
sunk by lucky shot and several men
drowned. The Frenchman then made
off in an almost sinking condition, and
on reaching Nagasaki reported the affair
to the captain of the Dutch frigate
Medusa of 16 guns.
Setting out at once to investigate, the
Medusa arrived in the straits on July H.,
and was Immediately fired on by the
ships and forts. The frigate replied gal
lantly with her port battery, but fearing
to get aground and on account of the
tide, was forced to pass on her wa y, hav-
ing been hit thirty one times, and having
four men killed, five wounded, and her
smokestack, long boat and cutter de-
stroyed. The captain on his return to
The Hague was knighted, and the crew
were given medals for their bravery in
this action.
On July 20 the French gunboat Tan
crede, while making an attack, was hit
three times, and shortly before japanese
vessels, mistaken for foreign war ship,
was sunk and her crew drowned
This goes to show that when on the
receipt of news of the Pembroke affair
Capt. MoDougal reached the straits on
July 6, he had an enemy confronting him
worthy of his steel.
No charts or trustworthy pilots having
been procurable, McDougal had been care
full to ascertain the draft Of the Ian ce-
field, and was delighted to discover tn at
where that vessel went the Wyoming
could follow.
With crew full Of fight the American
vessel entered the straits with the men at
quarters, her approach being announced
by signal guns calling the clansmen into
the batteries, but it was not until the
1,roynoDtnr,u of MoDShj had bpnD pacced