Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1911-10-18
ARMY And DNAVY PARTICIPATE
kTHE ROYAL TROOPS ARE AIDED
r. BY BIG FLEET OF wARsHIPs =
IN THE RIVER
THE REvOLUTIONIsTs ATTACK
THEY ENDEAvoR TO ANNlHILATE
LOYAL SOLDIERS BEFORE RE-
IMPROVEMENTS ARRIVE

Hankow, Oct. 18.-The first baths
since the arrival of imperial troops
from the north was fought today on
the north bank of the Han river. inst
west of this city.
1t was indecisive. The revolution
lists temporarily drove the imperial
troops back from their position but n
doing so they exhausted their rifle
ammunition and were compelled to re-
tire on their base at Wu Chang.
The revolutionists, with iiantry and
artillery, attacked the government
troops, which were reinforced from the
Chinese warships in the river and sup
ported by the guns Of the fleet.
While the fighting was 10 progress
the 13 foreign vessels in the rivef.
landed joint force under command
of Vice Admiral Sir Alfred L. Win
sloe, commander of the British ezsst-
ern fleet, who, because of his senior
ity, has been given the direction OF
the men engaged in the protection
OF the foreign concessions. --a
The Red Cross neutral cafp i,
charge Of DR.. MacWillie. Of sheIAmeti-
can mission, received and cared. for
the rebel wounded.
About 1000 revolutionists We're pit-
ted against an equal number of LOYAL
soldiers, and it was fair fight. Ear
ly reports that the rebels outnun-
bered the enemy five to one were in
correct. Only part of the revyNs 4
tionary army participated and they
are claiming tonight that they would
have routed completely the soldiers
from the north if their ammunition
had held out.
This evening the imperial troops
are waiting reinforcements while the.
revolutionists are replenishing their
supplies. A renewal of hostilities may,
begin soon, as it apepars to be the
plan of the rebel leaders to force the
fighting before the imperial troopa
have been further strengthened. The
latter had intended to delay an attack
on WI Chang until their members
were sufficient to make victory prob
able and 1T had been rumored thaE
there would be no battle before nerE
Saturday.
The rebels, who occupy WI Chang
Hankow and Han Yang, were alive 10
the governments purpose and. during
last night, 1000 men crossed the Yang
Use Kiang river from Wu Chang and
at daybreak they fell on the imperial
camp. They attacked with dash, and
the government troops, taken some
what at a disadvantages. responder
Loyalty.
The fighting was severe but it -
impossible to estimate the casualties.
as the correspondents were not per-
mitted near the firing line and those
who witnessed the battle from the
river were fired on.
At the first sound of firing Admiral
Sab Chen Ping, in command OF thG
Chinese warships, ordered men land
ed to support General Chang Pho, foss
merly commander Of the troops OF the
WI Chang district, who had assumed
command of the imperial troops. Th6
rebels had anticipated this move bE
the fleet and directed a hot fire ~
the warships and the landing parties
from the wu Chang bank Of the river
Admiral Sab Chen Ping in turn on
dered the warship to fire on tAs reS-
els and for a time shells fell thick
among the rebels gunners. The war
ship officers howev~r, were seriously
handicapped by the danger to the forr
eign concessions i''Votved in their fire
Two foreign newspaper correspond
ents narrowly cscaped with their
a