The San Francisco call., 1904-06-28
Togo's Graphic Ac-
count of Sea
Battle.
alling Tide Cuts
Off Retreat of
Russians.

! TOXIC, June 27.-Togo's detailed re-
port Of his attack on Port Arthur last
Thursday night has reached Toxic 1t
confirms the reported destruction of a
| Russian battleship of the Peresviet
type, the disabling of a battleship Of
the SevastopoI class and a protected
cruiser resembling the Diana and the
damaging of a torpedo destroyer, but
! throws no. light upon the Russian plan.
| The entire Russian fleet steamed out
to sea in line of battle Suddenly when
within 14,0O0 meters of the japanese fleet
! the Russians refused battle and steamed
back to an anchorage outside the har-
/ bor. where during the night the Japanese
destroyers and torpedo-boats made
eight desperate attacks upon it. The
Russian vessels re-entered the harbor
on Friday. since which time it has
| failed to appear In his report Admiral
Togo says:
The exit of the Russian fleet from
| Port Arthur harbor began early Thurs
day. The battleships Peresviet, Pol
tava and Sevastopol, the armored
cruiser Bayan and the protected cruis-
ers Pellada, Diana, Askold and Novik
came first, a steamship leading them,
clearing mines.
"A warning flashed by wireless tele-
graph by the Japanese patrol brought
up Admiral Togo's fleet at full speed
to a series of prearranged stations.
Three flotillas of Japanese destroyers
and torpedo-boats steamed close to the
harbor entrance and watched the Rus
sian vessels. At IL o'clock the Russian
battleships Cesarevitch, Retvizan and
Pobieda joined the other Russian ships
outside the harbor. Several steamships
and boats were engaged in clearing
and exploding mines, in order to make
a passage seaward.
RUSSIAN DESTROYER HIT.
Captain Asai, commanding the Jap
anese torpedo flotilla, attacked the ves-
sells engaged in clearing out the mines
and haInpered the work. At 3 o'clock
seven Russian destroyers appeared and
the Japanese vigorously attacked them.
One of the Russian destroyers which
was hit and set on fire, retreated to
the harbor burning. The Nov;k at
tackled the Japanese, who scurried
away.
THE vessels engaged in clearing the
harbor finally made a passage and the
Novik led the Russian fleet seaward.
In the meantime Admiral Togo con-
cealed the positions of his ships and
at o'clock sent the third squadron out
into the vision of the Russians, with
the object of drawing them seaward.
The Russian fleet stood southeastward
and then southwark. During this time
Admiral Togo concealed his first
squadron south of Gugan rock. AS
the Russians approached Admiral
Togo assembled his fleet and prepared
to attack. At 6;15 D. m. the Russians
were in plain sight eight miles north
west of Gugan rock. The Cesarevitch
led and the nine others followed in a
single line. The Novik and seven de-
stroyers were placed at the right of
the line Admiral Togo waited, with
battle flags flying from all the tops.
The Japanese fleet formation repre-
sented the first letter of the Japanese
alphabet, inverted
"At 1880 p. m. the Russians headed
for the Japanese and Admiral Togo
veered slightly to the right, in order
the Russian formation. At s p. m. the
Russians changed their course and
headed northward. Admiral Togo fol-
lowed in a long single line, ordering
the destroyers and torpedo boats to
prepare for an attack after sundown.
SMALL FLOTILLAS ATTACK.
"At 1922 D. m. the small flotillas
swung around the rear of the Japan
ese fleet and headed toward the Rus
slams at full speed.
AT $3.50 D. m. the fourteenth fiotilla
delivered the first attack on the Rus
sian fleet. now in the rear of point
five miles outside the entrance to Port
Arthur Immediately afterRard the
fifth flotilla delivered a second attack
The Russian fleet was confused and it
was impossible for it to retreat quickly
into the harbor on. account of the mar
rowness of the channel and, possibly,
the low tide.
anchored in a single line extending
from the foot of Wantsucing fort TO
the base of Chentaorhan. During the
night the torpedo fiotillas Kept up con-
stant attacks on the Russian fleet, go
ing in eight times.
"The most effective attack was that
of the sixteenth fiotilla, which, at 1:30
D. m, caught the Russians rounding
Shenshen. The first class torpedo boat
Shirataka, Commander Wakabayashi
sent two torpedoes into a battleship
of the Peresviet class. She was seen
to sink in volume of smoke and fire.
Other effects of the attack were not
observed, on account of the heavy fir
ing which cast volumes of water over
the fiotilla and the heavy cannonading
which rent the air. The searchlights
from the ships and forts also blinded
| the japanese.
RUSSIAN LOSS CONFIRMED.
| "At dawn on Friday a. reconnais-
sance of the entrance was made by the
fourth and fifth flotillas.' whose report
confirmed that of the patrol ships as
| to the Russian loss"
%I,n oh an