Admiral Yarnell, Commander-in-chief of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet, had a narrow escape from death or injury yesterday morning when shell fragments, landed on the U.S.S. Augusta, close to where he was standing. An American sailor on the Augusta was injured by one of the shell fragments, which fell during a fierce duel between Japanese warships in the Whangpoo, and Chinese machíne gun units stationed around Pootung Point. Several pieces of high explosive shells fell on the decks of the Augusta, and one of them struck J. P. McMichael, Radio Operator Third Class, causing la slight wound on the left temple.
A protest was sent during the morning by Admiral Yarnelt to Vice-Admiral Hasegawa, and a reply was received expressing regret at the accidental wounding. Fragments were bursting all around the Augusta for a considerable period, and the crew were ordered below decks. A pilot boat, the Hsin Yangtze, anchored near the Augusta on the Pootung side, was. also spattered with shell fragments, and its crew sheltered below decks until the bombardment was over.
One of the crew told the "North-China Daily News" that the shells used by the Japanese contained very high explosives which caused the fragments to burst over a wide area around.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.