The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-06-02
ISg And YALl
First and Latest Of NsSal Battles
withMoaern Ships Fopsh BY
Japancse Comp arison. ~

z With N odetn Ships Ecu ut BY the
Japanese a Comp arison. n,
II WAS the Jap who fough the first
battle with mod rn ships and 81 issthe
Japs who have fought the latest by
curious coincidence lheir posltloniI
in botls cases was very much the.
same-d defeat meant the loss OF the
command Of the sea, and loss Of com.
rand of the sea meant ruin. In each!
case they We're lighting d more power:
mi feet. but In each case dash. Skill
and bravery came out triumphant
says o wrttersin the Detroit News. ! As
. mater Of fact, the Russians didn't
make nearly as good a. showing
against the fleets Of Japan as the Chi.
Iese did In the war that broke out
August 3 3, 1894 To be sure, the Jap |
snese navy has Improved since thpt
time but so has naval construction
generally. Russia is considered one
Of the war powers Of the globe, wlt.,o
poor old China Is looked upon merely
as q negligible quantity.
The horror n which the British
steamer Rows hing, transporting Chi;
tlese troops 10 Korea, was sunk was
he ffst hostile counter in which
any mod Japanese ship Of war ever
appeared On July s25, 1884, the Nan.
iva, said have been in command OF
Admiral Togo at that time, met the
Kog;shing and ordered her surrender,
which order was not obeyed, as 70
declaration % war had yet been
matte. The Nanl&a fred a torpedo,
az the helples transport, which miss!
ed; and then sank her with broadsldc
tire. The apanese continued oitlng
at the mass of struggling humanity IN
The water and an armed cutter sert;
put % sink those who had taken TO tho
transp boats. OF 1900 aboard
only 200 eseap ped. IN II
Armed fleets of the two Eastern
Po@ers first met on Monday morning.
septembe 1891. Twelve Chinese
naval vessels under Admiral Ting,
with auxiliary craft, were guarding
transp orts from which troops ,were3h he.
ms disembark ed lat the mouth Of tho
now famous YaluE river. This fleet
was acked by II Japanese war! ra-'
sells under Admiral slto. Only eight
81 the Japanes vessels had any sort
% armor protection and only one OF
these had sid armor, while 10 of the
Chine vessels had protection, six o!
stcls had sid 3ar:nor. Five, in :aci,
n the Chinese Sshipsswere battleshir-
3 but 81 course, old.fashioned battle
slips, whose superiority over ordi
nary nnarmored craft was much less
than that Of the battleships of the
PRESENT. Int onnage too, the Chinese
had the advantage but in the impnr
ssnt matters tof speed and Of guns
ne snperior crested with the japan,
IS: on per the efficiency Of the
Chinese was the greater, but not Ii,
greater degree than the pager efficten
cysof5 the Rod estycnsky fleet over the
Togo fleet.
The 2alu naval battle began at a
rang Of s, 06syards, and then, as now
HE most conspicuous features of Tx
Iapansse tactics were rapldity Of ma
neuyering and great accuracy of fire
The Chinese, on the other hand, wee,
slow and were almost as poor marl:7
men as the Russians have since prove,
themselves Ebe.7 What is regarde,
as d characteristic bit Of Chinese in
snhordination took place during til
afternoons fighting when the cruise
chihs Yuen, in 8disobedience Of orders
left her place in the line and, ldisrc
garding all signals to return, ramme
. Japanese] ship, which presently sanl
the Chin uen being also severel
damaged. On the Japanese side, /
addition to the one vessel sunk, fou
were set on fire and burned furiousl!
N fact; was the lesson of this Sc
g
night that resulted in the total elm
nation Of wood in any form in tn
construction Of war vessels OF toda.
This naval battle is put down as
drawn battle. The Japanese fleet wa
oSsinjured It was glad to WITHDRAW
but OF course, It later captured til
remaining vessels of the Chinese
the investment Of Port Arthur an
Wei-Hai,Wei. A study of this bait
at the mouth Of the Yalu is real
needed for a full appreciation Of Il
exact measure OF Russia's humiliatio