But A Single Shell

As the principal fequadron circled around us, the range varied from 2,800 meters (nearly two miles) to perhaps 1,000, at times even less, writes Commander McGiffin of Chinese navy in Century magazine. At about 3 o'clock the Matsushima closed upon the Chen Yuen to about 1,700 meters, and we flred at her, from one of our 12.2-inch guns, a steel shell of five calibres' (5x 12.2 inches) length, having a bursting charge of nearly ninety pounds of powder. The Japanese flagship was struck by this missile, and as a burst of llame aróse from her, folio wed by a great cloud of white smoke, hiding her entirely from view, our gun's crew yelled their satisfaction. This shell indeed wrought frightful havoc. From the Japanese report it íotally disabled the big 13-inch Canet gun and swept the decks. Several charges of powder for this gun had been massed on deck, and these, exploding, gave the gunners a true "hoist with their own petard." By this one shell forty-nine officers and men were instantly killed, and over fifty wounded; the gunnery lieutenant was blown into the sea, his cap and telescope being aU trace of him ever found on the ship.