Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1898-08-27

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tom, with all on board: but 20 reach
her we must face the missiles AZ ten or
twelve rapid-fre guns. worked by some
Of the best mark smen IA the world
Won kee. our Chinese cook. struck
his little gong for breakfast Then
Captain Wung &c the Sun.paf. a China
man who had been educated In the
United States. Franz Lotze. the Ger
man engineer. and went to the galley.
where we naiea Lastv repast Of canned
beef. ship-bread and tea. When
went on deck. fifteen minutes later.
the sun was Frightening the grim ram
parts OF tie western forts
From the shore q sudden burst Of
martial music reached orr ears. A
mile away could see three light horse
batteries callop along the hillside.
while over Fort koto CA Leu-kunc-tao.
two hundred meters 60 orr right. the
blue DRAGON Of China still waved deh-
autly ou is yellow field
We had orders 60 keep mp steam AZ
the highest possible pressure. Every
boat about rs was blowing of yiciouslv
from her valves The smoke from the
yellow tunnels of the cruisers rose IN
high volumes of dazzling white. The
air was nipping cold.
Our flagship. Chen-yuen. was lying
a few hundred meters of our port
bow. BY their gorgeous uniforms Of
yellow and blue. I could recognize
Admiral Ting and half dozen Of his
officers. as they stood on the after
deck with marine glasses in their
hands 4 group Of sailors were
heave-hoing cheeriiv as they busiiv
bracel the fore-rigcing.
was still gazing upon this martial
panoply when q jet Of white smoke
spurted FROM tie more easterlv fort
and the resonant report of thirty
centimeter gun Doomed across the
harbor. With a crash, the big shell
burst over the island fort 90 our left
one fragment OF 1t came screaming
down 10 the deck of the Eung-pinr
others splashed into the water about
the ships
The japanese hal opened the ball.
In another moment the " hole hue Of
forts along the enclosing heights
belched smoke aud flame Fully fifty
heavy guns had opened fire stimuli
taneously. From the west side of the
Larbor, too. dozen batteries OF NOR
Tar and tield-pieces. skilllully masked
among rocks and shruhbery, chimed
IN with their lighter thunders. The
F Chinese forts on Leu-kung-tao and
Isle Lito began 10 reply. smoke
clouds rolled mp TO hide tie sky. The
noise was deafening.
Imagine a violent thunderstorm
with an almost continuous rafting
crack of thunderbolts. pealing out.
rolling, sverberating from every
quarter of the heavens. Even then
you have little idea Of the avfulness
OF that cannonade.
High and low, over fleets, over
forts, over water. here, there, every.
where, shells flew and broke with thai
ragged vibrant crush peculiar 10 rend
ing iron. White Jets OF water spurteC
up about rs Is the iron fragments
plunged into the sea.
The gong below struck the order Il
quarters. At a signal from the flag
ship, the Sun-pai cast OF from hei
buoy and her screw began to churI
the water. Down IN the torpedo tun
mel / could only sit passive and watcl
the dial. Captain Wung was az hi,
post under the little observation drum
or dome which, well-armored an,
pierced with loopholes, rises two-fee
above the iron-plated decks of thes,
boats
Come up here. il you like, till a.
active order is shown, he called dow
20 me, and FASTENED o take advan
tage of his permission that might Sc,
what was going on outside.
The big cruiser Chen-yuen was com
ing slowly about. So accurate was tn
enemy's fire that six shrapnel shell
from the japanese mortar batter,
burst IN quick succession over he
deck, sending such an iron rain upoi
her armOr as must have cleared tn
deck of men had any beer exposes
there
by nay fathers head. they FIR