Hankow, Sept. 23.
'The China Merchants' ste. -Kiang-ching limped in here to-day in a) sadly battered condition, bringing news of a disastrous -blow to the Government forces by General Chang Fa-kuei, commander of the famous 4th Division, popularly, Known as the "Ironsides. pears that the steamers Chang On and Fu Yang, loaded with troops from Hankow, were -ne ing Ichang on September -19 when they were heavily shelled from the re and forced to heave to.
About 60 soldiers were killed and some hundreds wounded, while 5,000 Nationalist troops, with a considerable amount of arms, a munition and stores, fell into the; hands of the "Ironsides."
'The Chang, On and Fu Yang' were retained by General Chang Fa-kuei, but the Kiangching. being badly holed, was allowed to return to Hankow.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.