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BATTLE HOTLY FOUGHT.
JAPANESE OFFICER DESCRIBES THE TWO DAYS CON
FLICT.
T,£ *»»«*• Uhm Thl. Ac
“*• CI.M4-Ium.lM Shis. Pin4 PItM-Sm* I»
cImH *■ All S14.s aa4 Bwua. B.I.I.m.
ntuutwijr, a«y j*.—
A Japanese officer who ha* re
turned to Sasebo gives the fol
lowing account of the sea fight
off the Tan Islands:
"At 5:30 Saturday morning
» wireless message reading,
The enemy’s squadron ia in
sight,’ reached the naval base.
This message was transmitted
to all our ships by the flagship,
with instruction* to get ready
for action. Our squadron left
their rendezvous and headed for
the eastern channel ofi Tsushi
ma. Our men seemed to be
filled with new inspiration sud
were eager for the long-delayed
fight to begin.
"When Tsushima was sighted
to the southwest the aea was
rough, and the torpedo boats
were forced to run for the shel
ter of the island. Our third
fighting squadron,. with the
Takasbiho to port, rcconnoiter
cd the Russian course, and at
11:30 a- m. informed the main
squadron by wireless telegraph
that the Russian ships were
passing into the east channel,
whereupon our main squadron,
changing its course somewhat
to the southward, came in sight
of Okinahiiha at 1 o’clock in
the afternoon. The third di
vision arrived later and joined
the main squadron. The first
and second divisions, accom
panied by the destroyer flotilla,
changed to a westerly course,
while the third division and the
fourth destroyer flotilla beaded
•lightly eastward.
SIONAL TO THR FLKRT.
"During the ‘ maneuver the
Russian flagship appeared to
the southward at 1:45 oclock.
The Russians steamed up in
double column. The fleet was
nnmrmtt, hnl An llinni,
was visible. The Rnsaiso ships
seemed to be in good order.
Our ships hoisted the flag of
action, the Mikasa signaling;
" The destiny of our -empire
depends upon this action. Yon
are all expected to do your
utmost, ’
"Our area seemed to silently
weigh the significance of this
signal.
"Our first and second divis
ions turned to the Russian's
starboard, while the third di
vision kept in dose touch with
the preceding two divisions.
With the Japanese abipe pro
ceeding in this order it was
2:13 o'clock when the Russians
opened fire. The first two
shots fell short of oar line, and
it was some minutes later be
fore wa commenced firing.
Then the battle was on, with
tbs firing from both sides. Out
destroyer kept on the port side
of the main squadron and in
this formation we pressed the
Russians against tbs coast of
Kiushiu and they were obliged
to change their course to the
east.
"We so maneuvered our sbipe
M to have their bows paralleled
to the north side of the Russian
Him. The llikaae, of our first
division, which bad been leed
' i, changed to the rear of tbs
a. white the Kaluga beaded
MM*. T^e engagement now
i very fierce. The Boro
• ansa to ha on fire. A
» ~?d we,U3EUd“£J
ssjsattsSisS
g{Sa.TOr£Kss
against the bead of the Russian
line our division veered to the
Russian rear, thus enveloping
their ships.
PAiAu.m wrrn Tat kubsianb.
, “The engagement proceeded
hotljr. Our second division fol
lowed a course parallel with the
northern side of the Russians,
and this move completed the
envelopment. The Rum inn
snips were seen trying to break
through and our destroyer
flotilla intercepted their new
course. This state of cnvelop
meut continued until the follow
ing day, with the ships at vary
ing distances. Tbn* inclosed
°D •]! «des, the Russians were
helpless and powerless to es
cape the cycle.
"Previous instructions had
been given the destroyers and
torpedo boats to attack the
Russian ships. Following in
strati on*, the fifth destroyer
flotilla advanced against a Rns
*‘aa »^!Pj . upon which the
second division had been con
centrating its fire, signaling:
We are going to give the last
thrust at them.’
"The Russian ship continued
to fight, and, seeing the ap
proaching torpedo boats, di
rected its fire upon them. Un
daunted, our destroyers pressed
forward, the Chitose meantime
continuing its fire. The torpe
do flotilla arrived within 200
meters Of the Russian ship, and
the Shiranus fired the first shot.
Two other torpedo boats fired,
on,e «*ch- .The Shiranus re
ceived two shells, but the other
boats were not damaged. The
Russian ship was completely
sank.
"Sundown saw the battle rag
ing fiercely. Our *h»ll«
evidently telling on the Rus
sians, who showed signs of con
fusion. Our fifth torpedo
flotilla, after destroying the
Borodino, followed ia the wake
of our second division, the
lignal reeding: ‘Something
like the Russian’s submarines
Iwve been sighted. Attack
"Tha flotilla followed and
located tha object, which
proved to be a sinking ship
with its overturned bottom show
ing. Thirty survivors clang to
the wreck, crying for assistance.
Firing cessed with the approach
of darkness.
TOKMtDO ATTACKS AFTKB DABX.
"According to orders previ
ously given for a torpedo attack
after dark, all the destroyer
flotilla, dividing ioto taro squad*
rods, proceeded to attack the
d2**B* *!»• whole
iHght. The Russians frustrated
the first aad second attacks
with search lights. A third
e*«‘nI1r mad*,
and the Vaglri sank a ship of
the Borodino type aad also hit
othen. Dating the night the
Russians continued to move,
sad we preserved our envelop
ing movement some distance
from the Russian position. The
Russian ships banded north*
hoping to
reach Vladivostok, par officers
“d SMn were determined that
not a ship should escape, and
rawilva^ pot to relax their
efforts until they bad succeeded
in either sinking or capturing
petty Russian ship.
"Oar ships always kept ahead
of tha Russians. Tha battle
whs returned st • o’clock Sun
dayatoning, twelve miles east
fared their heaviest losses.
They seemed unprepared to re
pel night attacks. During onr
first night attack the Russians
showed nine searchlights, sod
frustrated the attacks, out clear
ly gave us the location of the
fleet, which broaght success
later."
TOLD by JAVANF.SK SAILORS.
A number of wounded Japan
ese sailors have arrived at the
hospital at Maidburn navy yard.
They describe the battle be
tween the Japanese and Rus
sian fleets as follows:
"At dawn on Saturday our
anuadroo left its rendesvoui and
advanced through the Tsushima
Channel. At 2:08 in the after
noon we sighted the Russian
fleet. Gradually closing in. we
found the Knias Souvaroff lead*
iag the line, with the Borodino,
the Alexander ITT, the Orel, the
Osllabla, and the Nsvarln fol
lowing. in the order named.
The Nicolai I broaght np the
rear. Parallel to this line we
observed five cruisers. After
them came the special ships
and torpedo-boat destroyers.
We counted thirty-two Rus
sian ships in ail.
"Our fleet, with the battle
ship Mikasa leading, proceeded
toward the Russians in vertical
line formation. The Souvaroff
opened fire first and then sud
denly turned, reversing her
coarse. Almost simultaneously
the Mikasa opened fire with her
big guns, and thus the enrtain
rose on the great sea battle.
The hostile fleets gradually
closed in toward each other, ex
e*f«aaamr«SBs» e - -*--- Jt_ tfll_
armored cruiser Asama ap
proached within 3,000 meters of
the Russian fleet sod carefully
observed its actiou.
"After a abort but fierce
fight, the Admiral Onshskofl’s
deck waa observed to be ablaze
and the ship left line. By 4:40
ia the afternoon the Russian
line was disordered and its fire
sleekened. The Boredom and
Kamtchatka had been disabled
and aoon sank. The Boredom
couponed to fire bravely until
the ship was aubmerged.
"The Japanese fleet con
tinned to maintain enveloping
positions from sundown until
dswn. Sunday morning opened
misty, but the weather soon
cleared and the search for the
remnants of the Russian fleet
was begun. Five Russian shins
were discovered la the vicinity
of Lisncourt Island, and they
were immediately surrounded.
One. supposed to be the Izutn
rud, escaped at full speed.
suaagNniQts on liancourt.
"The remaining four offered
no resistance and hoisted the
Japanese flag over the Russian
colors, apparently offering to
surrender.
"Cspt. Yashiro, commanding
the Asama. started in a small
boat to ascertain the real inten
tions of the Russians, when Ad
miral Nebogatoff lowered a
boat and came on board the
Asama, where be formally ant
ic ndered. The prisoners were
distributed among the Japanese
ahipa and prize crews were
■elected to take possession of
. ffRtnred vessels.
About this time we received
a message saying that a portion
of our quadron was hotly engag
ing the remaining Russian
■hips. The Asama hastened to
J: 01 co"id«« ana round
Ine Russian cruiser Dmitri
Donskoi vigorously resisting
tbe Japanese attack. Tbe
Donskoi attempted to escape
and we pursued until after sun
down, resuming torpedo attacks
■t nightfall. On Monday morn
ing the search was resumed by
* portion of the Japanese squad
Km. and it was learned that
the Donskoi had been beached
on UUoun Island. We were
ordered to bring tbe Orel to
Miadsarn.
"On the way tbe captain of
thf Orel died of won ads re
ceived during the battle. While
** ,••» proceeding we were
advised of the capture ol Ro
leatvensky and our men were
greatly cheered by the news."
SCtWES OH BQHQBlBfl.
Tega'y rira Torn ad SUfi lata
Varftable ShataMae.
Tokyo, June 1.—An officer of
the Borodino who in at Sasebo,
in deacribing his experience,
l was la the forward barbette
in charge of one of the IZ-loch
funs when the signal to begin
firing was given. The .Sip
•cntunt to as was the Shiklslma.
whoee projectiles began Jo reach
ua a ft* moment* after tbe be
ginning of the fight. 1 fired (ha
first no at 1:3Q and was over
joyed to tee that (t reached Ra
Sfc&ttfSSSSS
I ' 1 I ■ • I Ul l LA.——
and did not fclutu tbe fire fair at
l«a*t ten minutes. At this early
ataie of the battle Admiral Ho
jnstvnasky came aboard tbe Bo
rodino and directed tbe fighting
from tbe bridge.
"Almost immediately after
ward ■ projectile struck my bar
bette sad rendered every one in
side insensible. Tbe barbette
was filled with smoke. I groped
my way out. Dozens of men
were lying dead or wounded at
every tarn. When the barbette
was dear I re-entered with tbe
crew, but ouly had time to fire
two more- rounds when two pro
jectiles struck simultaneously
and disabled both 12-inch guns,
wrecking the barbette and kill
ing eighteen officers and men.
SHIP BECAME A SHAMBLES.
"1 crawled on deck to one of
tbe 6 inch guns, which wai sur
rounded with dead sad wounded.
Here I remained for on hour,
daring which time tbe Borodino
became s shambles. The ward
room sad steerage were crowded
with wounded. Nearly every
ammunition hoist had been
wrecked sad shells bad to be
passed by baud. A shell struck
the port screw sod another dis
abled tbe steering gear. The
signs! mast was carried away.
* Presently, when everything
seemed worse than confusion, a
auarter* master told me that tka
Admiral waa wounded and was
being taken to aootber shin in a
destroyer, I saw the destroyer
leave amid a bail of small arm
ammunition, but fortunately
none struck her.
"At 4 o’clock tbe Boeodiao
was down by tbe head. 8He had
Men balled several times. There
was no hope of saving her. The
Japanese ships, having suc
ceeded in breaking our battle
formation, came closer sod
brought every available gnn to
bear. Our fighting tops were
particular targets. Not one of
the men stationed there was ap
parently alive, 1 volunteered to
go tip with a lew men, and the
sight there even in the midst of
the desperate battle was so ter
rible that it bss haunted me and
robbed me oi sleep ever since.
The men in the tops had been
hacked to pieces by the ire of
the Japanese. The machine
gnos were hopelessly rained.
"Fite broke out in several
places, and this added to the
horrors of onr already soraly tried
vessel. The fire call sounded,
but so many were dead or
wounded and the falling projec
tiles made it so difficult to oper
ate that there was no chance to
subdue the flames. It waa there
fore resolved to withdraw from
the line of fighting.
VOUOHT, ALTHOUGH HOMtLESS.
"Our steering apparatus bad
been repaired, but eight Japa
nese ships closed round us and
bombarded us from every side.
Our forward guns were useless,
but we did good work with the
after 12-inch guns and those
tt-iocb guns which were not out
of action, though they were
worked with only half their com
plement of men. The Borodi
no sank lower and lower and
was s flue target for the over
whelming superiority of the ene
my, but we fought on desperate
ly sltbough hopelessly.
'Toward evening, after a long
afternoon of terrible exhaustion,
during which there was neither
time to eat or drink, and after
we had lost fully 400 killed or
wounded, we noticed'two Japa
nese destroyers bearing down.
One of them we sunk with a
• Hen trom ao-lncti gen, bat tbe
other came safety sad launched
a torpedo and awn* past our
bow nnbarmed. Tbe torpedo
missed us. Tbe chief englMWT
now came to inform «■ that it
was impossible to kaep tbe men
below. A moment later tba en
gine room crew were driven oat
by the flames.
"Wc expected every moment
to be blown np and were prepar
ing for th# -inevitable when a
whole flotilla of torpedo boats
came down on ns. In tvs min
utes tbe end had coma. An ex
plosion caused her totwrntartlc.
I was drawn down deep and was
•truck by a piece of wreckage,
but a boat from a destroyer
picked me ap and forty others
from tbe Borodino and took ns
to tba Kasagx, from which we
were transferred to the shore."
ClUfMt 1ZUHBU0 BIOWX UP.
ieetroyed by Bar Captain Whan
St. Petersburg, June i.—Offi
cial reporta hearing on fbe naval
battle are beginning to be te*
eased by the Emperor and
Grand Duka Alania, tba Ugh
admiral, fba moot Important of
theee reports revraUag the fata
Of the cruiser I sum red, being «
i —sssaesBEssBgaaaBHBH
Hut be bad Wowu up the cruiser
at the entrance of VI.dimer Be*
■nd brirfly describing the battle.
Bmu Ferzeu’s report eaysi
"1 waa cutoff from the squad
ron, and finding it impossible to
it, resolved to stake for
Vladivostok. 1 put on foil spued
aod tbe enemy's cruisers, came
oe in pursuit Owing to tbe in
•aflicieBcy of uty coal supply
aod tbe certainty of meeting the
enemy’a era leers, I subsequently
altered my course lor Vladimir
bay, where I arrived oa tbe
tdgbt of May 29. At 1:30 o'clock
next morning, in pitch dark
ness, the Ianmrud ran fall on n
reef at tha entrance of the bay.
Haying only ten tons of coal,
and seeing that U would be Im
possible to again loot my vessel,
I ordered the crew ashore aod
blew up the Ixumrod to untat
her falling into the handaWthe
eoemy. Tea of my aailora were
wounded in tbe battle, but tbe
officers and the rum of the crew
are an ssia."
Baron Ferzen's report disposes
W the statement sent from St.
Petersburg, yesterday that tbe
Tsumrud bad arrived at Vlsdi
vottok.
The leumrud was built st the
N«yiky —St. Pctarsbmrg,
and was 1-bed is 1003. Sba
waa of 3.106 tons displacement,
n-OOD indicated boSTSi^r
and 411-2 feet tww god g fact
draught, with a speed of 23 knots
an boor. Her armament cou
ml nr A *9 1m mis _
r>»«. mx 1-8-inch quick-firing
gnus, two L4 machine guns, and
she was equipped with five tor
pedo tubes. Her complement
was 340 men.
MTAllO BEPMT IT TOM.
Tak— Ian—ill and dated at
*k» txtsnt si fhs Victory.
. Tokyo, Ik; 30. p. m. (delayed
in transmiswoo)—Admiral To
go’s supplementary report,
which reached the nsry depart
ment this afternoon, makes the
Ruadmn disaster, unaqaakd in
naval history. Practically every
fighting ship of a once splendid
Beet was either soak or captured
representing alow of tonnage
exceeding 150.000 tons. The te
malning uuha of the fleet, con
sisting largely of auxiliaries and
transports, have been dispersed,
some going to Vladivostok, oth
ers to the China coast. Admiral
Rojestvensky. gravely wounded,
occupies scot m a Japanese hos
pital, a prisooer of war. Togo's
supplemental report follows:
"Later reports from the differ
ent divisions of the fleet engaged
in the battle of May 97 show as
follows:
"The Russian vessel sank was
the battleship Siasoi Veliky.
"The armored cruisers Ad
miral Nakhimofl and Vladimir
Mouomach, after being in the
general engagement daring tha
daytime were still further dam
aged by torpedoes daring at
tacks by night, and were even
tually completely disabled. They
drifted into die vicinity of Tau
islands, where they were dis
covered on Sunday afternoon
(May 28), by the auxiliary crais
ers Sbilano, Yawata, Tainan,
and Sado, which were about
to capture them, but they all
sank.
"The crews of our auxiliary
cruisers rescued 915 of the crews
of tha sunken Russian ships.
TOX KCHORD POVK TOOIS AXD
SUNK.
"The battls-sbip Novxrin was
tnanailuxil fcwnn
down on Saturday, May 27. and
mink, Tbn survfvon of the
Kavarin’a crew confirm the story
Of her destruction.
«TTie ember Niiteka and Ota
wa discovered the HhmUh —
et Svietlana at 9 o'clock on Sun
day morning in the vicinity of
Chappyan B«jr, and immediately
attacked and sank her. The
commander of the Nfftaka re
ports the fact.
, "It b suspected that the Rna
embers Almas sad Amora
were uiek by torpedoes on the
night of May 27.
"The former report loclade*
the statement that the Russian
ember Jsmtcbua*wM soak, bat
u mt this remains unconfirmed,
end the ember’* name has been
•Wluded from the revised list of
Rmaeba vessels destroyed.
"Judging from this sad former
the enemy's mala
SSSShkTSiSSis - •S2
jyS. SwMMBitniiin
time cosst-defenm Skips de
stroyed * “**w*d, wh the
second-clam embers end other
hSabd ***”*•*’ tim •***•
tt
gSoW. ..I.txr.4 J4. JS, Hrf
W. were sank by the enemy's
&c.r*£,j5r*fcK
the above there waa ao daman
worth reporting. Mo warships
STfiJhSSr^
Jmm CucuTiai boo.
"We anticipated a heavy leas
of life, bnt fimdtbat *
" NearlTthe "whole strength of
both combatants met in battle,
aad themes of tbc fighting was
"^*he first day proved foggy,
aad even withoat the amoks aad
teams resulting from the battle,
n.was impoaatUe to see five
miles. Cooseqoeady daring the
day it was impossible to locate or
observe all toe ships nadcr my
command. Moreover the fight
ing having lasted two days aad
the ships of my command being
scattered tor tbc parooac of
pho«'m|g^d tdtiriringtbf f nr myv
•omc having received special oiv
dm after tba battle, it is impos
sible to collect and foam aayde
tailed report covering the wb ole
battle at the same time."
Tokyo, astounded sod elated
at the fimt measure of victory,
sagas noable to clearly grasp tbs
Still greater triumptb that Admi
ral Togo brings to the nation.
Before the combat, sp a r t i.si
victory with operations around
Vladivostok daring the summer
was generally expected. Mb one
dreamed of annihilation at the
first meeting.
Admiral Knipttvonalw aonaasa
to hove boon hopelessly ont
cka^ In mmocry. It is re
M» ««.b,P6v. ItoeiduHni t”
bottle. He laallv took refuge
on the torpedo boot destroyer
where be woe eaptatod.
Admiral Togo's later dipotcbm
give* to the public early this
evralng. crested tbs highest ea
tbpausm. High officers of the
the army end prominent officials
burned to the navy department
and offered congratulations. The
entire saiff of the Bank of Japan,
headed by a band, marched to
the navy departmaot and cheered
Monday’s Washington Pont
says Homing pigeons belonging
to members o( Ac Potomac
Homing Pigeon Chib wen
liberated at 0:90 yesterday morn
ing at Concord. N. C.. 900 mike
from Washington. All of the
two doaea or more birds reached
the city late hi the afternoon,
and so clone was tbfe race, mem
bers of tba dob reported, that
there was omly five mhstn be
tween the arrival of the fast and
last pigeon at the boase loft.
f HOW OEBM DC
People With Weak llemacka I
. Nearly all dkeaae germs that
or thRMgh oar food and drink/'
If tb« stomach and digestive
that the H
waum vaa 2 iaat and 410th. |&§g
soo0!**0 ^SiSSed4 p*Ht^~
fe “
Thadjgrfar exercise* of Uo
«“* .‘^*«4*y *%bt sTSlSo &
F“ de,iv»ed by Prof. F. B.
assAaft
was detained ia Dallas by a legal
caaa. M. J. H. S^afC^f
Gastonia, Bade the an anal ad- .
drees ia the absence of Ifr
Wabb. *r
k Pi.gab are
MWa* and ratting from 40 to 7S-<
?**rt*J*T day. Some are giving
fteai 75 ceata toil par acre. ■■':• V-.
Coca oat itt Pfaarah ia Ilala.
I