The record-union., 1898-04-25

the most vivid and important contribu-
tion made to the literature of the sub
iect. He was second in command Of
the Chen Yuen, and was caught in the
seething volcano of flame and fire when
the japanese doubled on the line.
Ensign Frank Marble also wrote
most interesting account of the battle
and these excerpts are taken from It,
Admiral Ting" writes Mr. Marble,
was wounded twenty minutes after
the fight began, in the following pecu-
liar manner: He is reported to have
been standing on the bridge, and to
have been warned that he was in a
dangerous places, but refused to move.
One of the barbette guns when trained
across came under the bridge: the
Admiral was thrown in the air, his rlSht
leg hit by the splinters, and his race
burnt. Commodore Liu Tai Tsan then
took command Of the fleet. All four
or possibly only tWo-Of the Chen
Yuens heavy guns-which are mounted
in pairs. covered only by seven -eiShths
inch hoods, within an regular shaped
barbette redoubt-Were knocked out
of service early in the fight, apparently
by a single lucky shot and she was re-
duced to the two six-inch guns in the
bow and stern.
AT half-past 3, when the two 1laS-
ships were in close range, the Matsu-
shirla's turret was struck by a twelve
inch shell, which did great damage anu
set the deck on fire, though apparently
if did not nenetrate the armor An
other shell exploded aboard the Matsu-
shima, dsmounting the forward ~
inch rapid-fire gun and killing a mum
Der of men. The gun was hurled Vlo-
lentIy across the ship. The Japanese
flagship had been from the first the oD-
ject Of the Chinese's special attentions.
Her Commander and First Lieutenant
were killed and 120 men either killed or
wounded Admiral Ito then, like COM
modore Perry at Lake Erie, transferred
his flag to the Hashidate.
STRUCK BY 200 PROJECTILES.
''The Ting Yuen is reported to have
been struck by no fewer than 200 pro-
jectiles, but her armor was not serious
ly damaged. The deepest dents We're
about three inches. Her upper deck
was entirely destroyed by fire; two of
the secondary battery guns were dis
abled, and all the signal halliards were
shot away Strange to say, her engines
were uninjured.
THE Chen Yuen was hit fewer times
-12G-but her injuries were even more
serious than the fagship's. Her main
battery was crippled, and she is re-
ported to have reached the anchorage
almost sinking, about three feet down
by the head The Lai Yuen suffered
most from fire She was gutted fore
and aft. and the deck and bulkheads
about the magazine became red hot.
''Of the entire fleet only three not
counting the Ting Yuen-escaped with
uot very serious injury-namely, the
Ching Yuen, Chi Yuen and kuang
Ting. And of these three. two-the
last named-had run away; as did at
least one other. The Captains Of the
Chi Yuen and Kuang Ki were after
ward, in consequence. beheaded.
with regard to the loss of life. there
is the same appalling inequality. The
Chinese casualties are variously stat
ed. from 700 killed and go wounded to
800 altogether, including the men lest
in the ships sunk. Several of the for
eigners serving in the Chinese feet
were killed. The Japanese loss accord
ing to the highest figures in any of the
reports was ten officers and eighty four
wounded-total 253. The greatest loss
was aboard the flagship Matsushima"
The immediate result of the engage
nent was by no means decisive. for
the Japanese fleet hauled off for re-