BOMBARDMENT OF FOOCHOW.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1180, 10 October 1884, Page 3

BOMBARDMENT OF FOOCHOW.

The following particulars of Ole bombardment of Foochow, published in the China Mail , Were received by the Woosuap, which arrived at Brisbane last week. i'avtieuiars were also furnished by the captain of the Woosung and a passenger o ; board of th“ lighting that took place in the inline.-, iliate vicinity of the Wuosu g: .

The hostilities took place off" Pagoda Point, a litr.lo higher up the river than where the merchmt vessels anchor, a ni nearer the foreign settlement. t the nn« of the engagement the following vessels were at anchorage t The British steamers Gleufiiilas, Woostrng, Lake, and .vary Austin, and the sailing vessels Sin Rolen, Batavia, and Guiding Stir. Glenfinlas was the me chant vessel nearest to the scene of operations, and had one or two narrow e capes from serious damage or destruction. The foreign men of war oilier than French at the anchorage were the British corvettes Sapphire and Champion, the Bnti-h despatch boat-Vigilant, the United Stages car vette Enterprise, and the German corvette Prin2 Chert. which arrived at anchorage on Sunday morning in time to witness the bombardment of tr.e arsenal, which was effected on the second day of the operations. Admiral Dowell was on hoard the Vigilant. Most of the ineu-ot war were not so ne..r the belligerent vessels as the merchant steame: s. The French mon-ot-war which took part in tire fight were the ironclad Tri unphante, the cruise.s Wolta, Dcateiae, innmay Trouin, Vi liars, tiro gunboats Vipere, Lynx, Aspi", and tw > torpedo lioats. There were other French vessels in the river, but they did not go up to take part in the fighting on Saturday and Sunday. The Chine e war vessels were the corvette Yang woo, the alphabetical gunboats Hook Ling and Hung Ling, five other gunboats, and three vessels which had been used as transports—eleven vessels in all—also a la ge number of war junks. Tnose on board the merchant steamers had heard that fighting was to Commence early on Saturday morning. The morning passed, however, without a gun being fired, and the hlca that fighting would take place was almost abandoned. gvt two o’clock a signal gun Wat fired,and instantly cannonading began, the Chinese replying to the gnu, followed almost immediately by a tremendous roar of fie • vy cannon The attention of those on board the merchant steamers was directed to the fight and the proceedings of the belligerents. Shortly after the firing was commenced tho merchant steamers were startled by hearing the deadly crackling roll of machine guns, It seemed ovei their heads On looking around they saw tho iro ’dad Triomphaate steaming up the river throndi the nie’chau. vesssels to tho scene ol the light, tho sailors firing mid'uuo j gnns front her teps as she advanced. ' They were firing at some Chinese ves- | sols across a piece of iow lying Und, j ho Chinese made a most miserable fight. It is Slid tint those on Imard oa*y fired one round and then j moped into the Water. The river was full of men soon after the action commenced. all swimming for their live . The English meu-of-ifrar sent Btea. a

launches and boats to pick tlieio poor wretches up, and nU übmls were saved in this way. One of the Chinem gUnbnats, however. was observed to make. ' a pretty go<vl ti'lit. The men Ware too fright* it d 'oh int 'h> vir th iV tffrs which ware seen fl.-i .g an hour forwards when the ves-mt Wis d--8‘ rted and on lire. They dusted doW \ the river past the merchant shipping. Soon after the ac ion commenced our of the French torp ido b latsekplode I a to* pedo against a Chinese, vessel, rendering her a perfect wreck. She sank immediately. The smoke omsed by these explosions and the firing almost obscured the see e from the spec'atoi s The c irvetle Yung "too almost met her tare from a torpedo boat. She took fire after the explosion and went as lore where she continued burning. As the fire reached the guns nr gat to the ammunition a serious of explosions occurred, sending clouds of smoke into the air. All the Chinese vessels, with the.exception of two. were sunk or set on fire. The French continued firing into the burning vessels in order to sink them. One of the Chinese gunboats (not the alphabetical) escaped up the river, and another went ashore some distance in endeavoring to escape in the same diieC ion Tire Chinese f >rts hardly showed more fi -ht than the vessels. When a shell came auvwayuetr, the soldiers could he seen running aWayin crowds On’y two or tlnee rounds are believed to have fired from tiie fons altogether, and from raanv of the "tins only one round was fired. The French wmit on bombarding •he forts and the vessel until half past live, when the particular fdrts at" tacked were in ruins, and ihe Chinese war vessels were on fire or at the bottom of the river.

Another uproar began, however, about half past seven, Wnen the French commenced fire at seveial burning vessels for the purpose of sinking them eVoral came down the river past the in rcimntmen, and the fxleutinlas lr>d a narrow escape, as one of the burning Vessels drifted down on her, and sank right across her bows, t-he sank so close to the bows tint the steamer lost boh her unchots, the burning vessel having dr-.ft«d on to the anchor chains. Another burning vessel, one of the alpha etical gunboats, drifted down fo the Crlentinlas. The French tired at her until she had approached so close to the G'enfinlas that they had to cease firing, for fear of hit ing the neutral vessels, Th ■ Glenfinlas was anchored near the blue-funnel buov, and was the vessel nearest to the belligerents. 'I he barque Sin Kolga also had a narrow escape, a burning vessel having drifted oown and got entangled in her yards. The British admiral immediately sent some men and apparatus for the purpose of aiding her iu geiting rid oftlio dangerous visitors, and the burning vessel was j intimately towed clear of Sin Kolga. ! The merchant vessels also had one or two narrow e cape, from being struck i by the shot which camli U ipleasnmly ; near. An alphabetical gunboat was 1 the delinquent on one occasion, when an euonn ms pnj-otile came aero s the spit of laud, and nearly struck the Woosung. At 4 a.tn. next morning the Chinese 1 sent down n launch with two torpedoes to endeavour to do some damage to the French vessels. The French commenced firing at it, tracing its couv.-e with the electric light, and hunting it down wiih tneir torpedo boats. The launch was destroyed, and presumably the occupants also. A French launch was unset in the chase after this dark and ug y visitor. It is douotf.il if anyo iO remained on board tbe Chinese launch when its presence was detected on ctinday morning. At about half-past ten the French commenced shelling the arsenal, and they • v ero at this work when the Woosung left shortly afternoon ye-teiday (Monday) It was understood that tin* French vessels were to proceed down the river and destroy the forts at Kimpd Fa-s and other places. A shell almost struck he stem of the Woosu >g when -he was heaving up her anchor on -Miiiday. [t is not believed t v at the French vessels suffered any serious dam ige. An Endish pilot named Thomas was killed On coat'd oi c of the French vessels. Hu received a grape shot in his stomach. The French said that they had four killed, but another account says that they had ssvea killed and twelve wounded

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