Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-10-26

LONDON Oct Z4.-lne carrier snip swift
arrived at London this evening and re-
ported that all the missing trawlers are
safe. The captain of the Swift was on
the bridge of his vessel at the time the
Russians opened fire. He says four war
vessels did the shooting. They were only
$50 yards distant from the Swift at the
time. She was slightly damaged.
London, Oct. 24-The Russian Baltic
fleet attacked British fishing fleet of
forty traWlers in the North sea, 900
miles east by north of Spurnhead. Fri
day night
Two fishermen were killed and eight
cen or twenty wounded. Four or five
trawers are missing and may have gone
with all on board, bringing the death
list up to forty-fve, as each trawler car
ried nine men.
One Boat Sunk, Others May Be.
The trawler Crane was sunk and 9th
er vessels Of the fishing fleet were badly
damaged. 1t is feared that otnef BOATS
were sunk.
The Russian ships kept up the bonn
bardment for thirty minutes and made
no effort to save the lives of the drown
ing men.
Stopping Merchant Vessels.
The Baltic fleet has passed down the
English channel. At least one merchant
vessel has been stopped, boarded, and
searched It is rEmored that other mer-
chant steamers have been submitted to
search, but this has not been confirmed.
Fired Without Warning
Survivors of the fishing fleet who have
cd ct I13n of hn O oH
and wounded assert that the Russian war
ships fired solid shot without giving any
warning, or even firing the usual prelimi-
nary blank shot.
NO Explanation Offered
Of course. III the absence OF any of the
Russian officers of the fleet, no eXplana-
ton of the incident can be offered, except
one drawn from conjecture.
1t is suggested that the Russian naval
officers for weeks have been haunted by
the fear that European waters are stud
de0 with disguised japanese torpedo boats
and mine laying vessels, bent upon de-
stroying the Baltic feet if it could reach
q fairly open sea.
Rocket Starts Panic.
The Daily Telegraph suggests that
Judging by information supplied by per-
sons who were actually present when the
catastrophe occurred that midnight is the
the fishing fleet signals by rocket to the
boats under his command the direction
they should take on the morrow.
So far as has been ascertained no one
witnessed any such signal. 1t may, how
ever. have been made and the commander
of the Russian fleet may have given way
to panic, and have imagined that the
rockets, supposing them to have been
fired, were signals from some clandestine
fotilla bent upon destroying his squadron.
On this hypothesis, unsubstantial as it
is, can alone be explained this Wanton at
tack upon unarmed boats engaged in a
most innocent pursuit.
Fishermen Are Surprised
When the warships opened fire it was
at first supposed by the men in the trawl-
ers that they were discharging blank
ammunition, and one man held up a fish
which he was cutting in the glare of the
searchlights to show what he was doing.
Then the whistle of shots was heard.
and the trawlers began hurriedly to cut
away their nets and withdraw.
Then 1t was seen that the British
trawler Crane was sinking. Another yes
sci went to its aid to rescue the crew
A horrible sight met their eyes. On the
deck lay the headless corpse of the cap
tain, while the first mate was dead with
half his head blown away. The boat
swain had his hand shot off, and five
other men were grievously wounded
Line RUSSIAN nre was maintained for
twenty minutes to half an hour, and was
apparently delivered from quick firing
guns.
Rescuing the Survivors.
When the warships sailed away several
hand rockets were sent up from one of
the trawlers. The Moulmein steamed in
the direction of the spot indicated and on
getting near cries were heard and it was
found that the trawler Crane had been
SO badly damaged that it was sinking
rAnother trawler of the gamecock fleet
the injured members of the Cranes crew
They included the engineer, who had been
wounded in the chest, and another man
who had his hand shot off. These men
and others were placed on board the
Great Northern mission vessel, where