The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-10-21
CHINESE TROOPS
CLAIM VICTORY
BATTLE AT HANkoW REGARDED
AS AT LEAST FAVORABLE
TO GOVERNMENT.
ANOTHER BATTLE is EXPECTED
Dragon Forces Hold Trenches, but
re Said to Have Lost Heavily
Revolution Seems to Be
Losing.

Hankow, Oct. 19.-The first battle
since the arrival of the imperial troops
from the north was fought on the
north bank OF the Han river, just west
of this city. 1t was indecisive. how
ever, although the revolutionists tenn
porarily drove the imperial troops
; back from their. position. But in do
ing so, they exhausted their rife am
: munition and We're forced to retire.
The revolutionists, with infantry and
artillery. attacked the government
troops which were reinforced from the
Chinese warships in the river, and
supported by the guns of the fleet.
; While the fighting was in progress
the thirteen foreign vessels in the
river landed joint force under COM
mand of Vice Admiral Sir Alfred l..
Winsloe. commander of the British
eastern fleet. who because of his Sc
niority, has been given the direction of
the men engaged in the protection Of
the foreign concessions.
The Red Cross neutral camp, in
charge of DR.. MacNillie of the Amer,
lean mission, received and cared for
| the rebel wounded
Renewal of Fighting Expected.
About 1000 revOlutionists were pit
ted against an equal number of loyal
soldiers. This evening the imperial
troops are waiting reinforcements,
ing their supplies. A renewal of hos
, tilities may take place soon as it ap-
nears to be the plan of the rebel lead
ers to force the fighting before the i'm
perial troops have been further
strengthened. The latter had intend
ed to delay an attack upon Wu-Chang
until their numbers We're sufficient 10
make victory probable, and it had
been rumored that there would be no
battle before next Saturday.
! The rebels who occupy Wu-Chang.
Hankow and Han Yong, were alive to
the governments purpose and 1000
men crossed the Yang-Tse-Kiang river
from Wu-Chang and at daybreak they
fell upon the imperial camp. Fight
ing was severe, but it is impossible
to estimate the casualties as the cor
respondents were not permitted near
the firing line, and those who wit.
messed the battle from the river were
fired upon.
At the first sound of firing Admiral
Cher-Ping, in command Of the Chinese
warships. ordered men landed to sup
port General Chang Piao. formerly
commander of the troops of the WI
Chang district, who had assumed COM
mand of the imperial troops. The
rebels had anticipated this move by
the fleet and directed a hot fire upon
the warships and the landing parties
from the Wu-Chang bank of the river.
Admiral Sab, in turn. ordered the
warships to fire upon the rebel field
pieces. The warship officers, however,
were seriously handicapped by the
danger to the foreign concessions in
volved in their fire.
The engagement continued for sew
eral hours, while the combined land
and ship forces of the imperials were
driven some distance back, and the
rebels, retiring, recrossed the river to
Wu-Chang.
Some of the rebels applied at the
foreign concessions to learn whether
they would be protected if they en-
tered the contestants. The foreign
forces are, however concerned with
the protection of foreign interests only.
No trouble at present is expected.
Pekin.-The Chinese government
claims to have won great victory
at Hankow and announces that the
troops hold the station, where the
troop trains are arriving rapidly. AL
though this appears to be an exagger-
alton, the feeling prevails here that
the government has really achieved an
important moral victory.
Another battle is expected hourly.
The belief has been held here that
if the first encounter between the rev.
dictionaries and loyal troops proved
decisive, the supremacy would be
settled there and then. Only few
unimportant towns outside of Han.
kow, WI Chang and Han Yang, have
taken part in the rising. Marking,
Chang-Sha, Canton and other cities OF
known revolutionary tendencies have
not responded to the call Of the in.
surgents, 80 far as can be learned.