The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-21
NAVAL FORCE IN CHINA.

4
OWE OF THE GREATEST FLEETS
EVER BROUGHT TOGETHER.
Oregon Maintains Her Reputation,
and Even while ON the Rocks
stands on . Russian Cruiser
United States Accepts No Priscs.
Special Correspondence. Post-Intelligencer.
Aboard the U. s. Flagship Brooklyn.
TAKU. China, Sept. 1.-Not only Is
North China at the present time the most
cosmopolitan military community the
world has ever seen. but the warships Of
every leading power now on Taku afford
. view from the decks Of tho Brooklyn Of
what Il the most cosmopolitan naval fleet
ever before brorght together. II would be
impossible toemake = satisfactory pano-
ranic picture Of these great ships as they
lie mcored In plain view of US but badly
scattered in every direction 6ome OF the
ships are two miles from us. The United
States steamship Yorktown IL anchored
quite near the Brooklyn. They are all far
out OF sight OF land, the nearest port be-
ing at tho mouth Of the Peiho. eighteen
miles from here. The country being fiat
ana level. there are no hills in the dis
lance TO give us q glimpse OF land even
on clear day.
Your correspondent has just had . long
tenant shipley. They are very much
amused at some of the Newspaper stories
telling about the allied fleets firing upon
the Tahu forts on June II.
Inc newspapers seemed to think the
neets steamed right up within the range
of the forts. when We cannot get within
eighteen miles or them" said the Admiral.
The fact - that even small lighters have
10 walt for high tide before attempting to
ascend the serpentine and miserable Peiho
from the mouth At Taku. Tongku is al
the terminus OF the railway from Tien.
tsfn. twenty eight miles away. The oldest
ship In the United States navy. a small
side-wheeIed wooden craft. the Monos
cacy. Is stationed 1t Tongku. The Mo.
nocacy has been in China waters for mora
Than twenty years. She Is the only United
States ship that could have taken any
part in the bombardment OF the Taku
forts on June II.
took tifiin on board the Monocacy tho
other day., which was the first real meal
had In China. Capt. Wise took mo out
to show the damage the Monocacy had
received BY shell fired At her from one
Of the forts. 1t demolished one OF tho
small boats. after which It swept across
The deck. but fortunately struck none OF
the crew. II descended AFT and went clear
through the hold just above the water
line. Complete repairs have now been
made: While this was the only shot thai
struck the Monocacy. the IRE at and
around her was hot and furious.
Benbardnent of Forts.
said to Capt. Wise: do yon mean to
convey the idea that you kept your guns
silent because our ships were to take no
mouth Of and all along the river. even
though you were being fred upon and
about to be destroyed?'
such an idea seems 70 have gotten
out said the captain. but let me say
this to you: Had Il not been for the fact
that the Monocacy was crowded with fifty
seven refugees. men. women and children.
We. OF course. would have opened fire; hut
to keep In the safest place with these
and protect them was our first duty"
This 10 all that prevented the Monocacy
forts. As ii was. the British sunboat Al
gerine and the German gunboat ItIis de-
serve all the credit for driving the Chi
cut o. the n 1Sr! along the psno be-
90 Chinese trcops stationed IN these forts.
The action of the two. gunboats named
above IN steamtne boldly down the river
range saved not only themselves but all
the allied marines stationed along the
river. There was no help possible from
The six Russian. one Japanese and one
French torpedo boats for some reason re-
fused to Join the Aigerine and Itiis in
making the bold attack on the river forts.
the conQuering OF which meant much to-
wards capturing the great. long forts
stretehing out along the seashore at the
whiting had her boilers 80 DAMAGED by
shell that she could not take any action,
ana the same u true OF the Russian gun
boat Guillak. which had tho misfortune to
hop nj trtt ,a~u AZ
and blown up. Capt Lang, OF the Ger
man gunboat Itiis. was promoted 10 the
highest merit by cable from the emperor.
place In the admiralty. Had II NOT been
for the action taken by the representa-
tves OF the powers In delivering the ulti-
matum to the Chinese imperial troops in
the peiho forts and bombarding them on
June ~. there would not have been a sin
gle foreigner in Tisntsin or Peking living
riSsr wa,s r ga gun nan, ana sorpsdo boat N the
were mining the river with dynamite pre-
paratory 10 blowing up every gun and tor
peod boat In n.
story of the Oregon.
There Is an interesting story as yet un-
told about the Oregon when she ran on
the rocks In June last. n IA vorched FOR
by an officer on the Yorktown who saw H.
firs, time after having been stuck there
five days For some unexplained reason
the great hsttieship was handled so badly
but push her right hack on the rocks a
second time, where she stuck for two days
more. While thr Oregon was fast on fhr
rocks Chinese cruiser steamed IN along
side. OF her and asked Capt wilAs for
protection. Strange request. wasn't M
70 ask of a disabled ship? Captain Wilde
wanted 70 know what the Chinese esp-
tain was afraid OF.
why" said he, "the Russians are try
Ing 10 capture all our ships
An right" said Capt. Wilde. Il wiz
take your cruiser under the projection af
the American tag. and you can anchor
near us
Presently n big Russian cruiser emma
near the OREGON ard told cant Nfia,.
they. wanted the Chinese cruiser Cart.