The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-03-31
FIRST SHOT IN
HARBOR BATTLE
THBTrs LAUNCH CAPTURES SAM
PAN IN BRISK ENGAGE
MENT.
CFrOm Wednesdays Advertiser.l

(From Wednesdays Advertiser.)
''war is helli''
The first shot in the war between the
United States and Japan was fred yes
terday afternoon at three O'Clock, the
battle starting in the channel leading
from the open sea into the harbor Of
Honolulu and directly opposite Fort
Armstrong, 1t was a naval engage
ment and no losses on either side were
recorded. A Japanese vessel was
forced to pull down her cOlors and
hoist a white flag and came alongside
the American ship under her own
power and surrender.
In spite of the excitement in the
harbor and channel after the shot was
fred at the Japanese vessel, few peo-
pie in the city realized that hostilities
had commenced. The engagement was
begun with almost the same precau-
tionary measures on the part of the
American forces as was observed by
the japanese when they suddenly at
tackled Port Arthur, which was almost
unprepared for any hostile demonstra-
tion.
The first shot was fred from the
foredeck of the Revenue Cutter Thetis
launch at power sampan manned by
Japanese which was escaping from the
J harbor to the open sea. Under the
guns of Fort Armstrong the sampan
} sped, outdistancing the launch, and
| when it was seen that the sampan
would not be overtaken the officer
aboard the launch gave the order to
} fire. The shot swept past the bow
and counter of the sampan, whose
crew then realized that the cutter had
the range and the next shot would
{ probably hull her She Immediately
heaved to, and eventually came over to
! the launch and surrendered. She was
boarded by an officer but under the
; circumstances prize crew was not put
5 aboard, and she was placed under
| parole.
This was the battle of Honolulu bay
a and the result showed that the Amer
g lean men behind the guns were still
! the finest marksmen in the world and
!, that they would continue to command
the Hawaiian waters. The battle was
' not witnessed by many spectators, the
e witnesses being principally officers and
/. crew of the revenue cutter Thetis who
|, crowded the rails and watched the pur-
V sued and pursuer with their glasses
i When the puff of smoke was seen and
J. little later the report of the launch Is
|. gun heard, they felt that war was on
n Quarantine Measure.
3 For several weeks, or since the quar-.
is antine was established by the federal
authorities, the officers and crew OF
u the revenue cutter Thetis voluntarily
ia offered their services in assisting the
Is health officials and offered to inspect
p the Japanese fishing sampans. The sam
n pan captains agreed that whenever q
vessel was about to leave the harbol
d on fishing expedition the captain
n would hoist white flag and veer in
G toward the Thetis at anchor in the
n old naval row. The launch of the The
n tbs met the sampan, an officer inspected
d the boat, and then passed her on.
vi About three o. clock yesterday after
IS noon a. sampan swept up the harbol
from the old Hackfeld wharf, past the
Thetis and toward the channel, going
at full speed. She failed to stop oppo
site the Thetis, and at once the alert
men on board decided Instantly whai
: to do. There were a few brief calls
y on the decks, few men tumbled dowr
Is the gangway into the launch at the
IS foot, and the whistle was footed sew
"a eral times to attract the attention Of
'r the sampan crew. The sampan sweot
e on, leaving an overwhelming wake. TIL,
d launch left the side of the revenue cut
IT ter and full speed was turned on, bu
the launch is a slow little craft, ant
the sampan was gaining everyN half
minute. The launch kept on, rockin,
in the foamy wake of the Japanese yes
sci.
Another series of toots aroused tn,
n somnolent denizens of the waterfron
and old-seafarers arose from chair
: whore they had been slumbering an,
waiting for something to turn up. Sue
series of toots meant something un
as usual. They looked toward the ehanDe
m and saw the deep-laden hhlk of tn
!, American barlrentine James johnson i
y tow of the tug Intrepid, coming slowl
u, up the channel on her way to an an
to chorage in naval row. She was the
le opposite the lighthouse corner. Tn
to sampan fed like a scared rabbit aeros
the bows of the hoodoo barkentint
"Toot, toot, toot, toot, tOotin - went tn
st, shril whistle of the launch Then tn
y, barkentine came between pursued an
p- pursuer. The sampan was gaining raj
he idly. The launch finally passed aster
y. of the big vessel and the whistle
throat screeched again. The sampa
ss- sped on. Then came the climax.
p The oannon's Opening Roar.
- - A shot rang out on the still air. onl
% -, a puff of smoke could be seen over I'll
~ launch. The sampan was then passin
~ off the channel lines into shallow wat,
fronting Fort Armstrong, whose tN
glns frOwned upon the speeding Graf
but there was no one in the battery
man them, an opportunity lost TO II
army to participate in the first battl
n Immediately the sampan lost wa
n and she began to heave to, while
III white flag shot up over the vessel. III
launch swung up the channel and Il
GIN was made ready to send anothl