The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-09-16
Ieted. and 1T would be unnecessary


to coal.
The United States inspector of huls
and boilers has been ordered to make
examination, and on this will largely
depend the stay of the vessel If it is
decided that repairs are required they
will be made as rapidly as possible,
and 1t is generally anticipated that
this is what will be done.
Collector Stratton wired a full state
ment of the affair The collector. in
view of the fact that repairs are said
to be imperative. has refused to order
the Lena from the harbor within sew
ehty-our hours without investigation.
The Lena is anchored about 500 yards
from the big guns of the batt!eship
Ohio. which was accepted by the gov
ernment Saturday.
Navigation officer speckneff, who
spoke excellent English, said
Merely Troop Ship.
I'VE We're sent to Vladivostoh to
transfer the troops home when the war
should be over. The Lena is not a war
ship. We cannot fight.
Needing repairs. we were first or
dercd back to the Baltic Afterwards
come here as the nearest port in whicl:
we could get new boilers.
We expect orders from our naval
representative at Washington, : 40 has
just been advised of our arrival. II is
probable he will ask the American gov
ernment for permission to remove, the
guns and allow the vessel to remain
here until the repairs can be finished.
The Lena will probably remain here
until the war is over. We expect she
officers and crew will be sent home by
way of New York
On the deck We're between two and
three hundred sailors. Among them
was a priest of the Russian Greek
church with long hair and uncut beard,
like gray kimona. Silently he stood
at the rail counting his beads and look
ing at the tall buildings of tl.e strange
city.
An inspection of the decks of the con-
Verted cruiser to which no objection
was made. revealed the fact that she
had mounted twenty-five guns.
Speaking with another of the officers
the question of the safety &c the Pa
cific mail steamers and the matter of
contraband was brought up.
"Ah that is a thing of tke past. We
cannot fight" he said, as he looked at
the guns of the Ohio. But he
added IF the government will not let
us dismantle the ship we will have to
make hasty repairs and put 10 sea.
Japanese Are Suspicious.
Manager p. A. Harnett of the Jap
anese steamship line. who was prompt
ly warned of the arrival of Russian
cruiser, cabled to his company in Yo-
kohama to hold the American Maru
until the cruiser departs. The Ann Il
ca Maru is now between Shanghai and
Nagasali on its way to this city. Har-
nett's theory is the Russian cruiser was
sent out from Nladivostok on a rowing
commission to see if it could capture
any Japanese vessels. He regards the
trouble with the boiler as a ruse to per-
nit the vessel to stay here and dis
mantle. Then at a days notice it
would resume it's guns and sail out
ready to hold up any japanese ship.
This theory is born out by the fact
that it ordinarily makes nineteen knots
but at a pinch can steau :, ,senty-three
knots, which would alloNe (, to over
haul any vessels of the Japanese line
as We'll as most o fthe Pacific mail and
occidental and oriental steamers. 1t is
of 5000 tons and 4sO feet long OF its
twenty-four guns three are eight inch,
twelve six inch. eight four inch, and
one three inch.
Those who boarded the ship late yes
terday afternoon say everything is in
good order and that the guns all looked
effective. 1t was formerly i'm passenger
| traffic between Odessa and Cronstadt
and six months ago was converted into
a cruiser.