The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-05-09
THE BATTLE OF THE YALU
"A DESCRIPTION BY PHILO N.
M'GRLFFIN,

Commander of the Chinese Iron-Ciad
Chen Yeun-Scenes After the Battle
The Important Part Played by Fire.
About 10 O'clock on the morning Of
September 49, 1894, the Pei Yang squad
ron, commanded by Admiral Ting Ju
Chang, arrived at Ta-Lien Wan. Here
we found four Alphabetical gun
boats and four torpedo boats, besides
five chartered merchant vessels which
were busily embarking troops. The
day was spent in coaling the fleet. To-
ward dark another chartered steamer
arrived from Port Arthur with so
Krupp field guns, 400 ponies and 500
artillerymen. About midnight the en-
barkation was completed, and shortly
before l a. m. Sunday, the 16th) the
fleet, consisting of eleven warships,
four gun-boats and six torpedo boats
weighed anchor, and proceeded to con-
voy the transports to the Yalu, arriv-
ing off the mouth of that river with
out incident in the afternoon. The
convoy, escorted by the four gun-boats
and four smallest torpedo boats, With
the Ping Yuen and Kwang Ping, cross
ed the bar, and went up the river some
fifteen miles, where the disen1barka-
tion was begun and carried on all
night.
The next morning (Monday), the
memorable September II, was beauti-
! full day, light breeze gently ruffling
the surface of the water. The forenoon
was passed as usual. At 9:15 each ship
went to general quarters, cleared for
action, and for an hour exercised the
crew at the guns, no one dreaming that
the results OF our training were so soon
to be tested.
The Chen Zuen's forenoon routine,
drills and exercises, had been carried
out, and the cooks were preparing the
midday meal when the smoke from the
enemys ships was sighted by the look
out men at the masthead. They were
made out almost simultaneously from
several vessels, and before even sig
nal could be made from the flagship
the bugles throughout the fleet were
sounding merrily the Officers call''
and action" Columns of dense black
smoke shooting upward from our fun
nels told that in the depth of each yes
sci the stokers were spreading fires,
and, using forced drAught with closed
stokeholes, were storing up energy i'll
the boilers that breath might not fail
when most needed in the coming fight.
These black pillars of smoke must have
signaIled our presence to the enemy;
for their Smokes now increased in
volume and height, showing that they
\ also had put on forced draught, and,
like ourselves, were preparing for the
contest. For weeks we had anticipated
an engagement, and had had daily ex-
ercise at general quarters, etc, and lit
tie remained to be done. There were
woful defects in our ammunition sup
plies, as will be seen; but had we kept
the seas for year longer before fight
inc, there would have been no improve
ment in that respect, since the respon-
sibility for the neglect lay in Tien-
Tsin. So the fleet went into action as
well prepared as it was humanity POS
sibly for it to be with the same officers
and men, handicapped as they were
by official corruption and treachery
ashore.
In far less time than is taken to read
these lines signal had been made from
the Ting Yuen to weigh Immediately, =
\ and never were cables shortened In and
anchors weighed more speedily. The
\ old Chao Yung and Yang Wei, being
always longer in weighing anchor, were
left astern, and afterward, pushing on
to gain station, probably gave to the
fleet a seeming wedge-shsped forma-
ton for short time, thereby giving
+ rise to the report, widely circulated
that we used that formation in advanc-
ing to the attack. Our actual forma-
tfon, which has justly been criticised
was an intended or zigzag line, the two
ironclads in the center. Our fleet con-
sists now of ten ships, VIZ: Ting Yuen
n (f1agship), Chih Yuen, Isl Yuen and
Kwan CHA, forming the left wing; and
\ Chen Yuen, Lai Yuen, King Yuen
Ching Yuen, Chao Young and YANG
Wei, forming the right wing. 1t will
be noticed that the right wing, as such
was stronger than the left, or adinirai's
But the enemy, approaching from left
10 right, would thus receive the fire
of our eight best ships before they
could attack the Chao Young and Yang
Wei, Justly considered our 'lame
ducks" The Ping Yuen and Kwane
Ping, with the two torpedo boats Foe
Lung and Tso Yih, did not join us I'M
TIL the fight was well under way. The
gunboats and the other torpedo boats
! did not appear at all.
4 The Japanese formed into two squad.
rons: The Flying Squadron, consist
ing of the Yoshino (fag), Takachiho
Naniwa and Akitsushima, led, followed
by the principal squadron composed OF
the Matsushima alag of Admiral Ito
commander-in-c chief Itsukushima, Has
isdate, Chiyoda, Fusco and Hiyei. Or
the unengaged side were the Akagi anG
Saikio.
These twelve Japanese ships, forming
apparently single line and preserv.
ing station and speed throughout mos
beautifully, could not but excite feel
ing of admiration. Our fleet must also
have presented an imposing appear.
ance to the enemy.
The fleet closed on each other rapid.
ly. MY crew was silent. The sub.
lieutenant foretop was taking sextan
angles and announcing the range, ant
exhibiting an appropriate small sigma
flag. AS each range was called the
men at the guns would lower the sight
bars, each gun captain, lanyard il
hand, keeping his gun trained on thu
enemy. Through the ventilators coul(
be heard the beats of the steam pumps
for all the lines of hose were joined VI