The times., 1898-05-15

the day. We had now used up all Of
our 6-inch ammunition. There were left
for the 12-inch guns Zone of which was
disabled) only some twenty-five steel
shot, and no she'll. The Ting Yuen was in
a similar plight. We, fired carefully. but
having no shell, comparatively little dam
age was done. 1t was now nearly
o'clock. After about a half-hours eanno-
made the enemy again withdrew, we fir
ing our last shot at them, save three left
in the guns, for the last moment.
We now turned back and gathered up
the surviving ships of the fleet. These
vessels had Jared badly at the hands of
the flying squadron. After covering the
Saikio, Hiyei, and Akagi the van bore
down on the King Yuen, which had been
burning for some time, and the Yoshino
with her next \astern engaged the King
Yuen at close range Qess than 1000 me-
ters). heavy fire from the Yoshino's
three 6-inch quick-firing bow guns told
upon her with terrible effect one after
another of the 100-pound shells tore up
her sides, and after yawning about wildly
as II her steerage gear was useless she
burst into fame and sank
During this time the three crippled
Japanese vessels had withdrawn toward
Ping Yang. After the sinking of the
King Yuen. the flying squadron was re-
called by signal from the principal squad
ron. AS the sun was setting the Iihs
Yuen, with the battered Chen Yuen, the
I.ai Yuen (stiu desperately lighting the
flames that threatened TO devour her)'
the Ching Yuen. Ping Yuen and Kwang
Ping set course for Port Arthur AS
darkness set in the flames from the sun
burning Chao Yung showed luridiy across
the moonlit sea. The Japanese principal
squadron of five vessels kept In sight on
our port beam until darkness set in, but
made no effort to re-engage. In fact'
both fleets had fought themselves to
standstill
About the middle of the fight Lai Yuen
caught fire aft and burned fiercely. The
broadside guns could not be manned be-
ing surrounded by flames; Dut the bow
guns were worked steadily, while the
crew persistently fought the flames on
the quarterback. Below. in the engine
rooms with the yentilatorS stopped on
account of fire overhead, and, in dark
ness. receiving orders only by voice-tube
transmitted from the deck through the
stokehole. the engineers stood to their
duty hour after hour in a temperature
bordering on 200 degrees. After several
hours the fire was eXtinguiShed, but these
brave men were in several cases blinded
for life. and in every instance horribly
burned and dishgured.
When the Chen Yuen was desperately
made for volunteers to accompany an
officer to eXtinguish il. although the gun
fire from three japanese ships was sweep
ing the place in question, men responded
heartily and went to what seemed to
them almost certain death. Not one
came back unscathed.
The battle being over. there was time
to look about, and indeed the ships were
found to be in a sorry plight. On the
Chen Yuen there had long been no sign
of life in the military foretop, where rve
men and an officer had been stationed. the
/ former to work the two One-pound Hotch-
kiss guns, and the latter TO find the
eneny's range. TWO gaping holes in the
ton gave an ominOus meaning 10 the
silence, and on investigation IL was found
that a shell had penetrated and had killed
| every one OF the six.
| AS may be imagined. study OF fhe
hattie teens with lessons TO the naval
architect and the seaman. 1t establshed
the value OF high-power Tapid-nTlhS guns
of 4.7-inch caliber and upward, ana the
| destructive effect of shells with large
/ bursters. The value of quick-hfinS guns
smaller than the three-pounder Is ques-
tionable little if any damage Delng uoile
| nv s,lch guns In the opinion OF tue
| writer they have no place on any sAip u
war except torpedo vessels
! On the other hand, with regard 70 the
| ching defensive armament, superiority
| may he claimed for the Chlnese LFo!-
| cIods These vessels were struck poth
! an the I4-inch belt and the lo-lnch con
| ming tower by dozens of armor-pieFclhs
| prc{acti,es from the enemy's l3-lnch "a
la, pao go ffor which thirty inches of pen
| otra ZION is claimed). as well as from their
| f0-inch Armstrong guns and from srnaIeT
| puns hut not single shot penetrated
| more than four inches With TINS SUI
| cess for thick armor comes the IaliuIe {
| of minor steel protection. Ihe gun
| shields and conningtowers or one anu
| two inches of steel were Simply iiiai
| trans. AS 1 have said, by removing the
| shields from the heavy guns on the TWO
| ironclads. many lives were saved Al
| 30 600 meters range, on July To- the Isl
| Yuar's conning-tower was pierced from
| eida m side by a 47-inch projectile, shat-
] tering its inmates into shapeless mass.
| The need of a protection of four lncheS
| ar least. or none, would seem 10 De the
| lesson taught. =,
| The important part played by nre IN
this action is well known. the con
| vapient disposition and protection OF hfe
| -. in hattie are shown TO be impera-
| tive on the Chen Yuen the ships NE
| vas several times saved by the fact that
| the lines of hose We're coupled Up ana
! tba fire pumps were working continually
Thus ready, our fires were eXtingulSned'
as a rule. before they had attained large
proportions. which, in action, they do IN
a marvelously short time. Every line OF
hose. however was cut by shot through
and through before the close OF the bat
| tie. II 9a a
| Another question introduced by our ex-
periences is, What should be the situa-
| ton of the conning-tower? Between ris-
ing above and dominating the two par
| bettes in which lay the ships main pat
tery. that on the Chen Yuen was struck
| bv many proiectiles. which, breaking up
| or bursting rebounded into the gun pits
! in a deadly shower. Two-thirds of the
casualties at these guns were caused by
| rebounding missiles
From the beginning nearly all the signal
| halyards were shot or burned away. The
Chen Yuen's were nearly all gone. and she
| entered Port Arthur next day with a
board signal yardarm on the foremast
! There should be an armored place tor
signaImen in full view of the coming
tower. from which signal numbers could
be shown, chalked on slate for example
and its signal halyards should be rove
I'D part of the way through the steel
mast.