The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-16
The Death of WithOf.
(By the Associated Press.)


st. Petersburg, Aug. 13.-Viceroy
Aleaieff in dispatch to the Emperor
gives the following report from Cap
tain Mateousvitch the late Rear Adj
miral Withoft's chief of staff, under
date of August II:
"At dawn of August 10 our Port Ar
thur squadron began to make for the
open sea and emerged from the port
at 8 o'clock. The squadron consisted
of six battleships. the cruisers AskOld,
Diana. Pallada and Novik, and eight
torpedo boats. The Japanese opposed
us with the following force:
"A first detachment consisting of
the battleships Asahi, Mikasa, Juji,
Yashima and Shikishima and the cruis-
ers Nisshin and Kasuga;a second de-
tachment consisting of the cruisers
Yakumo. Kasagi, Chitose and Takas-
ago; and third detachment consist
ing of the cruisers Akitsushima, ldsu-
mo. Matsushima. Itsukushima and
Hashidate and the battleship Chin Yen
with about thirty torpedo boats.
"Our squadron manoeuvered to gain
a passage through the line of the enc
my's ships. Meantime the Japanese
torpedo boats were laying floating
mines in the way of our squadron, thus
rendering evolutions very difficult.
AT 1 p. IN. our squadron. after
forty minutes fighting, succeeded in eff
fecting a passage and shaped its course
towards Shantung. The enemy, follow
ing at full speed, caught up with us
slowly and at 5 o'clock fighting again
began and continued for, some hours
without either side obtaining any ad-
vantage.
The Commanders Death.
I'm the battle the commander of our
squadron was killed and the captain
nf h. I.@4
wounded and lost consciousness AL
most at the same time the engines and
steering gear of the CZarevitch were
damaged and she was obliged to stop
for forty minutes This forced the
other ships to vancouver around her.
The command of the squadron devei-
oped upon Rear Admiral Prince Ouk-
tomsky and the command of the Gar
eyitch upon the second in command.
After nightfall. the Czarevitch, be-
ing unable to follow the squadron and
losing sight of it, took a southerly d.
rect1on in order 10 attempt to reach
Vlad1vostock under her own steam
She, was attacked by torpedo boats
during the night and at dawn was In
the vicinity of Shantung. The officer
commanding the squadron. having ex-
amined and determined the extent of
the damage to the ship, concluded that
she could not make Vladivostock and
allowed her captain to proceed to
kiaOchou for repairs.
Those killed included Rear Ad-
miral Without, Navigating Flag Lieu
tenant Azarieff, Navigating Lieuten-
ant Draguishivtch. Those slightly
wounded included myself and eight
others. number OF sailors were
killed wounded, but just how many
has not yet been ascertained.
arrived af KiacOcII a <,oIooI> L.
the evening and found there, the
cruiser Noyik and the torpedo boat
BeZehumi.
81 am happy to bear witness to
Your Majesty to the unexampled
bravery of the officers and men during
the desperate encounter"
Damage to Russian Ships.
Toxic, Aug. 1910 a. m.-Ad-
miral Togo reports that five Russian
battleships appear to have been heavily
damaged in the engagement of August
10. The Pobieda lost two masts, and
one of her heavy guns was disabled.
The flagship Retvizan. which was hit
several times at a distance of $500
yards, seems to have sustained the
greatest injury. The damage inflicted
on the Russian cruisers was compare
lively slight. The Bayan has not ap-
peared since the engagement.
The damage sustained by the Jap
anese vessels has been temporarily
repaired.
May Never be Repaired.
Toxic, Aug. 13.-5 p. MT is be-
lieved here that the Russians will
not be able to repair the five battle-
ships reported by Admiral Togo to
have been damaged in the recent sea
fighting at Port Arthur. The Japan
csc land batteries now commanding
the entrance to the harbor could
render this work impossible.
Before the Russian fleet emerged
from Port Arthur August 10 the
Japanese batteries could reach the
warships there with shells and the