Show JAPANS WAR YOKOHAMA sept 30 long lang before the rejoicing over the capture of chyong yang had bad begun to subside japan was excited to fresh enthusiasm toy the news new of a naval victory of even greater significance in the northeastern inlet of the yellow sea aea on the of september admiral ito corn com jm zm anding the squadron stationed at the mouth of the or daido river was notified that a large chinese flet fleet had arrived at the balu river in charge of transports conveying reinforcements for cements to thearty the army on the frontier Us he set sail on the following morning with all tho men dfwar that could be lia immediately mediately summoned namely the matsushima flagship lau itsu kus kushima himat Yo yoshinob takachiyo hibo abit Nan iwai chinoda Ch Chi iyoda fuso akagi and hoyei clyal accompanying abisi hew eleven was the a war mer chant steamer taken in the national ervice isiace the war began of no sus strength nath th and not intended for heavy work in action she bhe would not have joined the expedition but the desire oi of viscount t kabayama Kao ayama the naval chief of the staff who being on a visit of inspection at the could not resist te temptation to witness the expected engagement between 12 and 1 fourteen chinese ships and alx lx torpedo boats were viere discovered little south ot of a harbor called taiko san an in japanese pronunciation and mut east of kaiyomo island the ships were the ting yuen flage flagship hil chen chan yuen lai yuen king Y uen eibing yuen chib yuen ping yuen chao yuen yang wei kwang kah kab wel wei yuen kwang ping ping and two others whose abos a names are still unknown of these a Us the first two carried krupp guns of thirty centimeter and fifteen centimeter the next four carried twenty one centimeter and fifteen centimeter krupps and the next two had twenty five ton armstrongs contrary to anticipations they advanced unhesitatingly ta and fire when meters distant from the japanese who reserved their first discharge until another thousand meters had bad been covered the serious fighting began between the vessels at the chinese fight and abe japanese left the flag ships hips on either side leading the onset jay one the contest was general both lines maintained their position steadily tea dily for over an hour when the chinese showed kigns of wavering three ol of either by accident or design had bad for some time been noda special oto objects of attack and though they contended vigorously to thil UK were sunk one after another the crews climbing th in theft riggings biggings rigg ings as each descended and sig nailed wildly for help to both their companions sad aad assailants these were the lai yuen chih yuen and chao yuen As ae soon eoon as they were disposed of the foremost japanese ships directed their assault against the immense german bulls built vessels at the head bead of the chinese column but lor for a long time without effect upon the heavy steel plating which protected them at last however a lucky shell struck the ting yuen a little above the water and seemed to the japanese observers to pierce the armor throng and through their belief that this feat had been achieved was increased when a thick body of smoke was seen rising from the and although no DO diminution of activity on board was perceptible they were convinced that she had act been set on fire and remained burning up to the hour of her hasty departure whatever her condition she succeeded in inflicting heavy pun upon her chief adversary the matsushima Mateus bima was struck by two shells the first of which upsel and battered out of shape one of her bar large guns while the second exploded an ammunition box dealing dreadful havoc among the crew and starting a fire which was subdued only with great difficulty in consequence of these mishaps the matsushima with drew draw from abi scene and moved to ward the waitong tatting Tai Tat tong admiral ito transferring his flag to the Hashi hashitate date meanwhile three other japanese TO vessels had under undergone undergo gour nr extremely rough treatment the which viscount kabayama persisted in keeping in the he thick of the fight notwithstanding her bar obvious unsuitability for such duty lost control of her rudder and aid found herself in much closer proximity than was desirable deal rable to the ting yuen and chen yuen As she could not avoid them she made directly for them misleading WOM them it to is supposed into the belief that she was about to ram them the japanese are of the opinion that it was under this illusion that the two huge ships se prated rated allowing the baikin a passage about forty fathoms fathom wide through watch to escape torpedoes were discharged at her bar as she went by but without avail avat the hiyet having been unable ty by reason of her slowness to keep pace with the rest of the fleet became a conspicuous object to the chinese and was so deluged deluded with missiles that she was set on fire before the afternoon was half over her small crew was greatly reduced and as aa the surgeon was among the wounded the sufferers could not net be properly cared for when she had lost twenty killed stud and thirty four wounded she ehe fell out of line and turned toward the Tai Tal tong but meeting a transport on the way she ehe obtained assistance aaa latance in quenching the flames handed over the wounded and returned with all the opted aped she could make not waiting for a doctor to take up her work where she ehe had bed left off in ID this thie hope she ebe was waa disappointed for the enemy had flown and nd the battle was over it to la recorded that when steaming away in flames she he was thrice in id great danger from torpedoes but skillfully fully toy FLAX a device to GO sort bled to in A recent account of bf an imaginary naval fight in south america to most moet readers ot of that sketch the expedient of stopping a projectile by turning upon it a converging fire 11 roof of shot all and nd shell seemed purely fictitious yet this is ia precisely what the hiyet to ie said to have done in at least one instance the akagi a small gun boat was badly overmatched over matched from the outset on account of being brought under the fire ot of no less leea than six of the enemy at once the commander was struck down and killed while she was thus hotly engaged yet she would still have kept up a determined resistance but for the loss lose of a mast which rendered her unmanageable she also found it necessary nece to retire to the tattone Tal Tat tong about the time when admiral ito left the matsushima the disorder in the chinese fleet plainly indicated that the contest could not be prolonged on their aide three ships had bad been sunk and a fourth the yang well had bad been half destroyed and abandoned besides the ting yuen two others were 1 on fire and aad the entire force was thoroughly demoralized A little litte after 6 5 the flagship took the lead in retreat toward the home stations pour four fast steaming japan japanese a cruisers were detailed to follow and it if possible to cut off their escape but the torpedoes had bad to be reckoned and the possibility of belog being struck by one of them in the night made it imperative pera tive that the japanese should exercise exer olse caution merul morning n g found them at the mouth of the gult gulf of bechill Pe chill with no ship of the enemy in sight eight they steamed back to kaiyomo island keeping a keen lookout on the way but she he chinese had bad evidently reached a safe place of refuge the gi eater part of the japanese squadron had reconvened near tat tal kosan koman harbor on the chance of getting another fight bringing this time some torpedo boats to cooperate ope the need of them was so greatly felt on the previous oua day that it isaace is safe to say no large body of japanese ships will ever again sail without essential adjuncts one of thorn them was now put to a practical it if somewhat lu inglorious glorious use in id breaking up the yang wei deserted and unfit for further service the loss of life was largest on the matsushima Maisu shima her complement was NA four and thirty three men were killed and seventy officers and men wounded the total lose josa were ten officers and sixty nine men killed and one hundred and sixty officers and men wounded the empress always active in move ments menta ol of has called the me of the court to asciol her as patroness patro neu of the red bed cross association la in collecting hospital supplies aupp liea and preparing lit bandages etc for the needs needa of the wounded in cores corea by her maje express desire all articles arti olea ibus provided and sent from the palace are to be used for japanese chinese and coreaux alike in ft a similar IlD acirit irit a notification has been issued by the minister mi of war calling atten alten tion to the principles of the geneva convention to which japan became ft a party in 1886 and adino admon lehing the army that however cruel and vindictive we the enemy way may show himself he be must be treated in with the acknowledged rul of his bin disabled succored and his bis captured kindly and considerately protected protect oil also that gen tle tie treatment Is dub du to those who offer no resistance to our arms arma and that events event even the hs body of a dead foe should receive respect the ex exO dacimo almo of mito one of the great family of the sito ate commemorated the victory of of yang by a gift ot of ton ten thousand yen to the war fund his younger brother gave at the same time three thousand yen large contributions to the same object continue to be received from various the theatrical managers being especially con for their liberality warnings ot of punishment in store for li hung chang in consequence of the repeated defeats suffered eufie red by the chinese army and navy have several times been sent forth from pekin but the foreign public has been slow to credit the possibility of so ill lil advised a I 1 proceeding that the rules of a ays tern am which condemns every official to disgrace in the event of failure in his bis enterprises should be applied to the chief subject of the enterprise or that the imperial authority could be so injudiciously exercised as to fasten ignominy upon a statesman and soldier to whom the reigning house owes all the power it possesses teemed too great ft a departure from propriety for the dourt court to sanction but the wrath of the emperor has been kindled and bis bin d displeasure manifests manifesto itself in a decree I 1 proclaimed r on the seventeenth seventeen th of september sept t and published in shanghai the next day |