I am amazed by the profuse moustaches! They are quite the accessory.

Mr Mel said, "Interestingly, the Marine detachment appears to be racially integrated."

USS Newark (C-1) was deployed to the Far East in 1900 which accounts for the Asian gentleman who does not appear to be in any uniform. The African-American next to him is US Navy not US Marines.

Has anyone else noticed the sailor on the left catching a little snooze during the action.

The blades would not be sabres as those are used by cavalry. The enlisted man in the Navy would use cutlasses. Officers would have swords.

It looks like the gentleman to the left was a Marine and the one to the right is a Chief Petty Officer. The Marine kepis are a new touch to me.

I believe the fencers are Marines. Amongst the Navy Men there are a few more. Interestingly, the Marine detachment appears to be racially integrated.

The "swords," evidently with wooden blades, seem to represent sabres according to the sailors' stance. However, even a wooden blade can poke out an eye -- even though the sabre is mostly meant to be used as an edged weapon rather than for stabbing, today's sabre fencers wouldn't dream of starting a bout without their face masks.

The ship was an early cruiser with guns mounted in broadside and an auxiliary barque rig; see
http://www.hazegray.org/features/nara/ships103.jpg
Compared to foreign cruisers she was obsolete when commmissioned in 1890.

Those are fencing sabres, which involves stylized fighting for points, no good for battle.

Score with the point, the bottom of the blade or the top third of the blade, must hit at the belt or above.

An attack once started must be parried before a counterattack can count, even if the counterattack lands first. I seem to recall an exception is a cut to the hand or arm on the attack if the attack is sloppy enough to expose them.