El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-04-16
Observation-Disclosures
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An Echo of the g
nm ~ -
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Greatest Modern &
Naval Battle,
:.That of the YaIu E
:
=
River. E

Toe battle OF the Yalu, when for five
hours The Chimes and japanese fleets
of modern irOnclads riddled each other
with hal OF ste l and leaden she'll,
was the first modern conflict OF naval
history. No engagement between the
United States and Spain today could
be more deadly than that terrible
event and all calculations as to the
effectiveness of modern armament and
ordnance are based on the work of the
guns and armOr Of the vessels which
fought on September II, in the mouth
of the Yalu, near Port Arthur.
The great shipbuilders ard gun
makers had supplied both japan and
China with vessels such as the United
for conflict. Monster guns had been
tried. but never in actual conflict such
as this, and the battle of tn, Ya'u will
probably be only equal in our possible
conflict with the Dons.
The war of the Orient had begun
and Cbiua had massed her fleet of
destroyers in the Pei Yang squadron
under Admiral Ting Ju Chang, near
tie Yalu. The two ironclsds Tings
powerful warships of the Celestial
deet The Chen Yuen was modern
cruiser, such "a tho New York, and
was under command of Philo N. Nc
Giffiu, an English commander high in
Chinese favor. The remainder of the
| feet consisted of the Ping Yuen and
the Lai Yuen. armored cruisers; ChO
Yuen and Yang Wei, pro ected cruis-
ers; the covette. Kwau CHA; four gun
| boats and five protected merchant
| vessels.
| This powerful squadron of IL war
ships, four gunboa's. aud six to-p"do
BOATS. conveyed troops to Yalu river,
arriving on Sunday, Septem Is, and
little dreaming that the morrow would
Sc the terrible conflict which almos.
drove the Chinese fleet from the east
ern seas.
The Ping Yuen and Kwang Ping
Yalu, and the remainder lay in the
BE- sin at the mouth, decks cleaning
with fresh pain, flags flying, and
brig ht-cc stunned s.ilors drilling at the
guns that were first to be CHI steel in
actual conflict within few hours
Woodwork had been removed, sand
bags placed to project the guns, and
all was ready.
Shortly after the noon meal the look.
outs in the tops cav SIN * e from vessels
approaching and soon the Japar csc
squadron came silently into sight like
so many War ouds, with only tt dis.
tant murmur of their mighty engines
urging them on to tell audibly of their
approach. 1hcn began the race for
prepa- alton. Snrilly the bugles blow
to quarters in the Chinese ship
Mighty columns of smoke belched
from the tunnels as the stockers below
piled on coal to store the great steam
energy nece -sary to work the mOns:e
ships. Down came the bright flags
and up went the single streamer Of
China at each mast. Then from the
tOpmast of Admiral Changes flagship
| fiuttered the signal for formation and
into q wedge the Chinese squadron
formed, like gigantic football team
wait ng the onslaught of the enemy.
| Ga cam the Mikado's squad -on and
as it passed the left wing of the great
wedge only tie cries of the range find
ers br )ke the silence as they shouted,
give miles-four miles, 5000 yards -
as the ships approached. On board the
| Celestials men sprinkled sand on the
decks of the gunroOms TO prevent the
gunners from slipping in the blood
that would 5000 b3'swash on the floors
Cunt ers and gun crews stood silently
at their posts, while every few fee,
lay me fat on the deck ready to run
with the 80 pound charges of powder
which they guarded for the guns
Down in the stock holes grimy, per-
spring men lab0red with shovels,
heaviug coal into the maws of the
giant boilers, never to know their fate
until she'll burst into their quarters
as the waters poured into Their rooms
as the ship sank.