The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-07-26


The other landing parties and the
remainder of the English, aggregating
some 600 men, awaited an oDDortune
time for the assault The airing con-
unued with more or less spirit until
daylight. when it became very rapid
and active, and it is reported very dis
astrOus to the Chinese.
About 4:30 a she'll entered the maya
zine of the Guilak, blowing it up, caus-
ing her to take water and burning
forty-seven men more or less severely.
She got over an awning las a collision
matt. and after few hours work was
floating at her normal height
Forts Charged and Captured
AT about a. m, the gunboats hav-
ing sileneed the northwest fort, land
ing force charged and occupied 1t,
where, hosting the flag. casualties oc-
CURED, notably the captain of the
Japanese landing party and one Eng
lish sailor killed and several wounded
The Chinese then abandoned the north
fort, which is joined TO northwest fort
by protected passage.
After about two hours more the
south forts were taken, after the eX-
plosion of the magazine. Most of the
occupants fled. but We're not pursued
Some thirty or forty were found hiding
in various parts of the fort The var
ious nations participating hOisted their
flags on the various flagstaffs. The
forts being of thick mud and grass
adobe, were but little damaged by the
gun fire, although they received host
of projectiles. The guns and gunshields,
as rule, were not damaged. Two or
three of the modern guns were dis
abled.
The dead Chinese were not counted.
* tod hv n
that some 200 dead were left in the
fort
"The loss on the side of the allied
forces was. as nearly as possible, as
follows:
''Algerine. one officer badly injured.
eight men wounded.
Tits, captain badly injured, three or
four men killed. six or eight wounded.
'Kernetz, two officers badly wounded,
eight men dead, twell e wounded.
'Guilak, one officer badly wounded,
eight men killed, ten wounded, forty
seven burned by explosion of powder
ROOM
Lion, one man killed, one badly
wounded.
Other vessels engaged, injuries of
minor Importance.
THE above is an account cleaned
with conversations of officers engaged,
but may contain minor inaccuracies.
During the engagement guns were
turned on the Monocacy, which was
out of the line of fire. She was struck
(no casualties), and was forced to
withdraw I'D the river. Very respect
fully. LOUIS KEMPFF,
Rear Admiral, U. S. N"
To the Secretary of the Navy, Wash
ington. D. c."
Wise's Version of the Story.
Following is the report of the action
taken by Commander Wise of the
Monocacy to Rear Admiral Kempff:
u. 5. 5. Monocacy, Tong Ku, China,
June II, 1900:
'Sir-I have the honor to report upon
the occurrences since yesterday noon.
L attended meeting of officers at
p. m on board the Borbora. l was
shown the protocol and ultimatum as
to the Taku forts The signatures to
the document We're autographs and as
yours was not appended, I informed
the senior officer that he would have
to leave the Monocacy out of the plans
and places for vessels of the attacking
forces.
''2. The first gun was fired at 12:45,
and with the simultaneous discharge
that followed two of the shots passed
over the Monocacy, although she was
out of the line of fire between the forts
and vessels attacking
%. The Tits did not leave her berth,
which was a short distance from mine,
until 1880. and the Japanese did not
leave hers during the bombardment
Shell Hits the Vessel.
a. The fire was well sustained on
both sides and although shells continued
at intervals to pass near me or burst
short or beyond, 1 attributed it to
wild firing by the forts. About $50
1 was standing on top of pilot house
by the Calling. I had mounted there
when | heard shell approaching and
Immediately crash. The second cut
ter, hanging at her davits a few feet
below and behind me, had been struck
by shell. 1t entered her stern. tore
out the bottom and, ranging diagonally
across the ship, out after fall of the /
steam launch, smashing port forecastle /
ladder and passed through the ships |
side, in which it left a clear cut oval, |
two foot by ten inches. There were
many men on the forward maindeck
and 1t must have gone as close to
some of them as it did to me- It for
funately missed the launch's davit, as
that would have caused it to explode.
- 1t was difficult to make out how
the allies were faring, but they were
evidently closing in, as after 8 a. m.
discharges from guns like Cuttings or
Maxims were heard. AT 4 o'clock there
was a tremendous explosion and a
mass of flame, which 1 attributed to
a magazine in one of the forts.
Steams Away From Firing.
SO. Towards 4 o'clock the bursting
of shells in my near vicinity increased
to such an extent that it occurred to
me that the forts might be directing
some of the fire on the railroad station,
as in this fiat country il was a prom
inent mark and a number of japanese
and Russian troops were encamped
around it. In SUCH case the MOnOcacy
would be in considerable danger from a
fire which / had hitherto considered
bad shooting. Acting upon the thought
L at once cast off everything. / steamed
away from the bank and went two
miles up the river, anchOring in the
first bend This move was made at
APO and at $50. the fire slackening and
a japanese flag floating over one of
Gives Relief to Refugees.
81. / was able to render the fol-
lowing assistance: First, a party OF
thirty-seven ladies and children
refugees from the mission at Taku,
who had fed hurriedly on the notifi-
cation of the bombardment. They
came aboard last night at 8 p m, and
are still with me; also came two Off
GERS of H. NJ. S. Barfeur, who had
come down from Tien Tsin too late to
get to any English ship. AS l was
coming down the river at 6 a. m, met
an English torpedo boat towing a Chi
nese boat prize-I had no small boat
to make landing, so l sent the launch
to run her line ashore, for which
thanks have been returned. l have
taken on board and had surgical at
tendance for the following: A Japa-
nese soldier with gunshot wound,