The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-06-29
FIERCE NAVAL FIGHT
THE wYoMINe's HEROIC BATTLE
WITH THE JAPANESE.


Commander sIcDuEAII FouEh. One Of ths
Most Daring and Successful .nRAge-
laents In the History Of Mars-e warfare.
Strange as il may seem, the Wyo-
rning's oriental battle is an almost IN
recorded chapter Of our naval annals,
though il ranks even higher in point Of
daring and success against overwhelm-
ing odds than the defeat Of the Ala
hama by the Wyoming's sister ship, the
Kearsarge. But the Wyoming never
was il very great luck as a naval star.
She had her part throughout the civil
war ~ all the hardest Of blockading and
cruising service, and fought well when
ever she had the chance, but she did
not have the luck Of getting into the
papers She was sent OF at the same
time as rhe Kearsarge 20 cruise for that
scourge Of the seas, the Alabama, and
just missed her by the merest chance
on two occasions Ia the China secs-
1t was in 1868, toward the end Of the
dual reign Il the tycoon and the mika-
do, when Japan was in the throes Of
civil war. and the forces Of the rebel
princes were resisting to the last the
passing Of the old feudEl system The
Prince cf Nagato was one Of these, and
from has tiny kingdom that fronted ON
the straits Of simonOseh he declared
himself lord paramount Of everything in
sight, including the nsighboring seas,
from which he took generous toll as did
ever the pirate chiefs Of Tarifa be
had laid violent hands and hot shot
upon the vessels of various powers, in
Guiding Great Britain, France, the
Netherlands and the United States
Meantime Prince Nagato thrOve and
flourished by the strait Of Simonoseki,
and failing one day 70 wiring tribute or
blackmail by any other means he fired
on the American merchantmen Penn
broke and killed a couple Of her crew.
There was another diplomatic protest Of
the combined foreign representatives 70
the japanese government and Com
nlander McDugall, who happened TO be
IN port with the Wyoming, suggested
that if the mikado could not take a fall
cut Of his rebellious subject the Wyo-
ming could and would without much
urging. This struck the government as
n good thing and an easy way ont Of the
international difficulty, so McDugal
was given carte blanche TO settle ac-
counts with the Prince Of Nagato in be
half OF al the powers concerned, and
he forthwith sailed AWAY
IL was the middle of July when the
Wyoming found herself in the strait
Of Simonoseli and in sight Of the shore
batteries which were a part OF the
princes defenses to seaward Before
she had time 10 open ON the batteries
two japanese gunboats loomed up, one
ahead and one astern, IN the narrow
strait, and presently a third came cruis-
ing ont from among the neighboring is
lands Il was a nasty place for fight,
McDugall being without charts OF pi-
lots. and the odds were more than
enough for Nielsen himself, being as
gans of the three japanese vessels 70 the
26 Of the old Wyoming, to say nothing
OF the batteries on shore. There was
still chance 70 run, barring some dan
ger of grounding in the narrow channels
among the islands, but the idea does not
seem TO have occurred to any one aboard
the frigate.
Working to windward Of the nearest
japanese. tho Wyoming opened at long
range and worked down On her till,
when close aboard, there was nothing Of
the enemy left standing above decks.
The other two vessels had come up in
the meantime and engaged the Ameri-
can on either side bat she lay 70 and
gave them shot for shot. port and star
board, till her gunners were smoke
blind and the fame of the guns no lon
ger served 10 light the battleclOud that
rolled IN white biilows over the smooth
waters of the strait 1t was desperate
work in the shallow water, but the
Wyoming was the best vessel. and she
outmaneuvered her two opponents from
start TO finish, though twice aground
and once afre, with as many men knock
. cd out from splinters aad heat as from
the enemy's shot
Fighting themselves out Of one
smoke patch into another, the three COM
batants circled around like two crows
and a kingbird till they had drifted
down in range Of the shore batteries.
which eayly took hand in the game
But McDugall ran across the bows Of
one of his enemies. raked her as he
went and left her floating wreck. and
then turned his attention 10 the bat
teries. The Wyoming's men rugged the
smiths forge On deck and tossed hot
shot into the works ashore till they set
them afire and the soldiers fed. and the
other Japs ON the remaining cruiser. de-
Gliding enough was as good as feast,
followed their example.
So McDugal mended his rigging Snd
patched his bulwarks. and meanwhile
sent word 70 the recslcitrant prince TO
come down and settle OF be Nuuld sail
inland and shell the royal palace about
its royal owners ears
The prince. who was no less discreet
than Colonel Crockett's coon, came
down promptly. and Of the resulting in
demnity $500, 000 fell to the lot Of the
United States Il was many years be-
fore this money got into the treasury cf
the United States bat meantime the
State department had charge Of it and
had invested il so well that there was a
very little short Of 81. 600. 600 finally
turned over TO the government which,
after sll. was pretty good pay fox one
days fighting. with a loss Of only i've
killed and six wounded