The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-26
OFFICIAL NAVAL REPORT.

Admiral KempR Gives His Reasons
| for Not Joining I'm the Attack
ON the Taku Forts.
| WASHINGTON, July 25.-The navy de-
| partment today made public the mail re-
| ports of Real Admiral Kempn, explain
l with ms Se SHIPS hso ~ the other powers IN the
| attack on the Taku forts. and giving an
| account of the attack. which includes
| ADMIRAL Kenipfr also encioses the report
| II Commander Wise. OF the Monoeacy.
| giving a graphic account OF the aeu9n on.
| refusing to participate In the attack OF
the Notifications of power with which
| we were at peace Is Warmly commsnae 60
n~port Of Admiral KempR.
~. $. Flagship Newark, Taku, China
June II, 1860. , A..
| ."Sr--I would stat. what follows n
regard to the happenings previous 10 the
| resolve yesterday by other senior ioreisn
naval officers here to get possession OF
ION Thursday. June IA, Admiral Bruce
| called and asked what j thought OF the
matter. and | informed him that was
not authorized TO initiate any act OF wat
with which my country was at peace;
that my limit was TO protect American
interests, both by regulations ana unoer
recent instructions from BON me a ne
chief Of the United States naval force
on the Asiatic station.
the 18TH sy a. assrs i was a az
| toaf the railroad station at Tongku should
be taken fthe railway is under chinese
government controD' ana IN cas s,a; nmx
the force OF any foreign nation, ali should
be involved and act unitedly. unoer my
c S9na not Sn en- props
crty, and did not care TO become a pa,.y
to such an agreement without speciai
aJune te the same foreign naval officers
signed compact that 1t was necessary
to take Temporary possession OF the Iaku
forts and notice WAS served on the vice.
ROY at Tientsin, and on the cornmandant
az the forts Consuls at Tients'n were
Informed of what was contemplated 1
aid not join In the attack on the ioris.
| Capt. wise, of the Monocacy. had orders
| TO protect American interests. based up
| on department orders, but In case cf
| he was 70 consider II was a declaration
| Of war and act accordingly, very LISP se'-
fully. LOUIS kEMpFe
Report Of succeeding Day.
TT. s. Flagship Newark. Taku. June Is,
''Tc the Secretary Of the Navy. WASH
| ington. D. C,-sir: l have the honor to
.sThe commanding officers of the gun
| boats In the river met on the afternoon
| 81 June. ls and agreed Tor the senior OF
| ment. This officer happened to be Rus-
| sian. The positions for the various gun
! tons in the second reach OF the river
| above the north fort The gunboats
| participating were the Kortez, Guiiak,
| Bohr. Russian; Hits. German; Lion,
| French; Aigerine, English. The English
| torpedo boat destroycrs Fame and Whit
| ing Joined In the latter part, after SEE
| curing the captured torpedo boat near
I rronpk, The JnDanese gunboat claimed
| that her engines were disabled, SO she
moored near Tongku and was assigned
charge of the railroad station at that
| place The United States steamer Monoc-
| acy being under orders, remained moored
at Tongka and took no part In the &C,
| fion. Many foreigners were afforded
| shelter and protection during the night.
| A copy of tho report OF the commanding
officer OF the Monocacy is herewith en-
ssrhe vessels. except the Iltis. took their
assigned positions early in the evening
O. The 18th snd aesa, iS ~ hs ,ime 2ne
| IT. all the forts guns which could be
trained on the ships, fired simultaneously.
many shot striking the Koreetz. The yes
! gsls returned the IRE with rapid firs
1 TRIM their guns which, with the nxcep-
ton Of the guns of siN-lneh caliber were
/ Of small rapid-flre type
THE gums on the north forts were
! chiefly Z inch while the south fort has
number % guns from 10 inches In
serhs Alrerine, having aboard landing
/ party 81 some 40 men Immediately pat
Them ashore. portion q them advanced
4 ny surprise four new modern torpedo
I boats carrying two tubes and six =
F5ame ana wh,ting, took them 10 Tong
4 ku. the other landing psrties and the
remainder n the English. aggresa;ing
sSf ,S assault ns The ~ arh S0r eenhnsd
I with more or less spirit until daylight.
( when Il became very rApid and active.
I chinese About 40 a she'll entered the
I magazine OF the Guilak blowing II up.
( causing her 90 take water and burning
( She ges over an awning as collision
mat, and after Few hours WORK was
] At about a, m, the gunho0ts having
! siIenced the northwest fort. a landing
! farce charged and occupied a. Nhsrest
hotsuus the aaE. casualties occurred, no
tebly ~ captain q the japanese land
I ting party and one English orficsr Killed
I and several wounded The Chinese then
Z abandoned the north fort, which 10 Joined
/ Ia tire northwest fort ~ protected pas
/ sage After about two hours more the
I south forts we're taken after the cxpso-
eupants aes. hu, were not pursued. some
thirty ar forty were found hiding in va
! riaus parts 81 toe fort The various ma
tions participating hgtstsa their Tags on
thick rnud and grass adobe were but
/ little damaged ny the KUN fire, although
AfEN FEFHAhfsf titta& Rk tfNlfIiAkGA lhf
guns ard guushfe3gn "a rale were not
Z damAEed, Two or three % the modern
guns werH Disabled
The dead Chlpese were not counted. but
IL IS estimated IS cye witnesses that
some 20 Gsad were left IN the fort The
trsS On the size % the alned forces was
- nearly as possible fellows.
"Nigerine, ore aiiicer badly iaiared,
eight meE wounded
Hts CAPTAIN badly Injured three or
four r1en killed. SIX or eight wounded
koFestG two officers badly wounded
| eight nen eeAd. twelve wounded
| 'Guslak. one officer badly wounded
eight men killed. forty-seven burned BY
explosion % powder room
I@iea. one man killed. cue ha6ly WeanA-