Finding and Order of a Naval Court, held at H.B.M. Consulate, Nagasaki,
on August 7, 1894.
The S.S. Kow-shing was an iron vessel, schooner rigged, of 1355 tons
registered tonnage, official number 87000, built at Barrow-in-Furness,
and belonging to the port of London. It appears from evidence given
before this court that she sailed from Taku on or about the 23rd day of
July, 1894, bound for Gasan, in Korea, with no cargo but 1100 Chinese
troops on board, that everything went well until the morning of the
25th July, when about 9 a.m. the Naniwa-kan, a Japanese man-of-war,
signalled to her to stop and to anchor, with the island of Sho-pei-oul
bearing about N. by E., distant 1¼ miles. That after communicating
with the Kow-shing twice by boat, and ordering the officers to quit
the vessel, which they were prevented doing by the Chinese troops, the
Naniwa-kan, about 1 p.m., discharged a torpedo at the Kow-shing, and
this not striking her the Naniwa-kan fired a broadside of five heavy
guns at her and continued firing both heavy and machine guns from
deck and tops until she sank, about an hour later. That when firing
commenced a number of the crew and Chinese troops jumped overboard,
amongst them the master, Thomas Ryder Galsworthy, the first mate, Lewis
Henry Tamplin, and a quartermaster, Lucas Evangelista (a Manilla man),
who are the only members of the crew at present known to be saved.
The court, having regard to the circumstances above stated, find as
follows:—
1. That the ship was sufficiently seaworthy and
found well in all necessary respects.
2. That the conduct of the officers and crew before
and up to the time of the sinking of the vessel was
satisfactory and free from blame.
3. That the cause of the sinking was due to her
having been repeatedly struck by heavy cannon shots
from the Naniwa-kan, a Japanese man-of-war.
4. That no efforts on the part of the master or crew
would have availed to avert the catastrophe.
5. That the court attaches no blame whatever to
the master, Thomas Ryder Galsworthy, or any of the
officers or crew.