The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1904-04-22
BATTLE OF CnBMULPO
Arthur Dryden Tells of Naval
Fight in Eastern Waters.
Writer is the Son OF John Bryden
of Colfax and is Aboard the
u. ). Cruiser Vicksburg,

| Arthur Dryden, son of John Dryden OF
| COlfaX, who is with the United States
| cruiser Nickshurg in far eastern waters,
| was an eye witness of the battle of Che
mulpo, which occurred February 8,
| 1904. In letter he gives vivid de-
| scriptiOn of the fight. Mr. Brvden =
time will be up on December IL, 1904,
! when he expects to visit COlfax. Miss
Esther Dryden, sister of the young
man, teaches in the Colfax schools. A
portion of the letter follows:
| Chemulpo, Korea, Feb. IL. 1904
War has at last struck the Orient
On the 9th of February the Pompey, a
| U. 5. collier, arrived with 1900 tons Of
coal and enough stores to last us and
the legation guard at Seoul for six
months.
There were in the harbOr then the fol
lowing men-ofw war: L. s. gunboat
| Vicksburg, British cruiser Talbot, French
| cruiser Pascal, Italian cruiser Elba, two
| Jap cruisers, Russian gunbOat korietz
| and Russian commerce destroyer Nariag.
a four-stack, 5000 ton ship built by
| Cramps shipyard, Philadelphia, in 300
At 11:15 p. m. on the 7th, the ,Japs
left the harbOr with lights out The
| next morning the KOrietz left also, but
| returned at 4 D. m. At the same time u
| fleet of two battleships, six cruisers,
| eight torpedo boats and four transports
steamed in and anchored.
That night the transports landed
troops on shore. On the morning of
the 9th the Jap fleet moved out to the
entrance of the harbOr. We were coaling
the ship that morning, and at Il. m.
word was sent to all the ships in the
harbOr that war had been declared and
that the Russians were given until II IN.
to leave the harbor. They left at 11:30.
The first shot was fired by the Japs at
11:55 and returned by the korietz, fol-
lowed by broadside from the Variag.
At the first shot we ali climbed up into
the riggings to get a good view Of the
scrap.
The range they fought at was four
miles. A fearful cross fire was rained on
the Variag, penetra ting her at the water
line, killing her gun crews, tearing away
half OF her bridge and Kidding the third
after smoke stack.
The range was TOO far for the Variag's
six inch guns, 80 they we're forced to run
back into harbOr The kOrietz was un-
harmed.
At p. m. they abandoned their ships,
ttiI Lu6 neutEdl SuI JS d5SiSIluS ln6ln, anu
taking them on board, The Variag was
a gruesome sight with the dead and
wounded strewn around the deck.
Medical aid was sent to her. When
they first came in there were 80 dead
and so wounded as near as they could
tell.
The captain was the last man to leave
the ship Except one man partly crazy(.
He kissed his sword, then threw it on
the deck. Before leaving they opened
the food cocks to sink her.
At D. IN. the KOreitZ was blown up
with time fuse about 500 yards from
Us. We couldn't see anything but a
cloud of smoke and flying splinters.
When the smoke cleared away, all there
was to be seen were the smoke stack and
few twisted ribs showing above the
water.
The fire broke out again on the Var
iag's quarter deck and from then until 6
a. m. loose shells kept exploding, when
she turned over on her side with a
great kissing sound, as the hot plates
struck the water.