Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-07-17
THE OLD wFoM1Na's BATTLE.
1t Was a Hot One Against Big Odds,
But 1t Yielded $4,000, OoO
(WaShington PoStl III


washington Post.)
Strange as 1t may seem, the Wyon1-
ings Oriental battle is an almost I'M
recorded chapter OF our naval annals.
though 1t ranks even higher in point
of daring and success against over
Whelminy odds than the defeat of the
Alabama by the Wyoming's sister, the
Kearsarge. But the Wyoming never
was in very great luck as naval star
She had her part throughout the civil
war in all the hardest of blockading
and cruising service, and fought we'll
when she had the chance. but she did
not have the luck of getting into the
papers. She was sent off at the same
time as the kearsarge TO cruise for
that scourge of the seas. the Alabama,
and Just missed her by the neares;
chance on two occasions in the China
seas.
1t was in 1868. toward the end of the
dual reign of the Tycoon and the Mix
ado. 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 federal system. The
Prince of Nagato was one of these and
from his tiny kingdom that fronted on
the Straits of Smonoseki he declared
himself lord paramount of everything
in sight including the neigaborins seas
from which he took as generous toll
d,
He had laid violent hands and hot shot
upon the vessels of various powers in
GLIDING Great Britain. France the Ne
therlands and the United States
Meantime Prince Nagato throve and
four!shed by the Straits of Simonoseki
and. failing one day to wiring tribute of
blackmail by any other means he fired
on the American merchantmen Penn
broke and killed couple or her crew
There was another diplomatic protest
of the combined foreign representa-
tives to the Japanese government, and
Commander McDugall. who happened
to be in port with the Wyomng Sug-
gested that if the Mikado could not
take fall out of his rebelious subject
the Wyoming could and would with Jut
much urging. This struck the govern
nent as a good thing aud an easy way
out of the International difficulty: so
McDugall was given carte D!:.Hch. t.
settle accounts With the Prince Of Ma
cato in behalf of all the powers con-
cerned. and he forthwiun soil.d away
1t WAS the middle cf July when the
Wyoming found herself i'll the Straits
OF Simonoscki and in sigh5 ri th- shore
batteries which W'.rs a part NJ ;he
Princes defences to seward. Hs4fuSn
she had time to open Oh the batteries
two Japanese gunboats doomed up. one
ahead and one aSteru, in the narrow
cruising out from the neighboring is
lands. 1t was a nasty place for a
fight. McDugall being without charts
or pilots. and the odds We're more than
enough for Nelson himself. being for
ty-eight guns of the three Japanese
vessels to the twenty-siX of the old
Wyoming. to say nothing of the bat
teries on shore. There was still a
chance TO run, barring some danger Of
grounding in the narrow channels
among the islands. but the idea did not
seem to have occurred to any one
aboard the frigate. .
Working to windward of the nearest
Japanese the Wyoming opened ut long
range and worked down on her till,
when close aboard, there was nothing
of the enemy standing left above
decks. The other two vessels had come
up in the meantime and they lay to and
engaged the American on either side,
but she lay to and gave them shot for
shot. port and starboard, till her gun
ners We're smoke blind and the flame
of the guns no longer served to light
the battle cloud that rolled In white
pillows over the smooth waters OF the
straits. 1t was desperate work in the
shallow water, but the Wyoming was
the best vessel. and she out manouvred
her two opponents from start to finish.
though twice aground and once afire,
WIFI as nldIiN men knocked out from
splinters and heat as from the enemy 8
shots.
Fighting themselves out of one smoke
patch into another, the three combat
ants circled around like two crows and
a kingbird, till they had drifted down
In range of the shore batteries, which
gayly took u hand in the game but
McDuEall ran across the bows of one
of the enemies, raked her as he went,
and left her floating wreck, and then
turned his attention to the batteries
The Wyomings men rugged the smiths
forge on deck and tossed HOT shot into
the works ashore till they set them
afire. and the soldiers fled. and tbs. 9TH
er Japs on the remaining cruiser decid-
ing enough was as good as a feast, fol-
lowed their example.
So McDugall mended his rigging and
patched his bulwarks. and meanwhile
sent word to the recalcitrant Prince to
come down and settle. or he would sail
inland and shell the royal palace alb Jut
Its royal owners ears.
The Priace, who was no less discreet
than Col. Crocketts coon. came down
promptly. and Of the resulting indem-
nifty $500 900 fell to the lot OF the United
States. t was many Years before this
money got into the treasury OF the Uni
ted States but meantime the State De-
partment had charge of it and had in
vested it so Well that there was very
little short of S2,0U0.000 finally turned
over to the government. which, after
all, was pretty good pay for one days
fighting with a loss of only five killed
and six wounded.
pfSn