Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-24

| W lille the crew were watching the war
| ships searchligh;s were flashed on them.
| in the glare of " hich the Monuments crew
observed what they took to be torpedo
boats approaching, apparently with the in
! tention OF boarding the Moulmein.
Round Shot Apparently Used.
They steamed away, however, and soon
the fishermen We're Mortified to find they
We're being fired upon First one and then
! another uawle- was struck by flying shot.
| What seemed to be round shot went
through the Monuments galley. The Mino.
| lying nearby, also struck by many
| shcts. but fortunately the damage was
| above the water line and of her crew
was struck.
| The bonbardment lasted about twenty
| minutes When it had ceased the fleet
| sailed southwark and some of the trawlers
sent up rockets The Moulmen Steered in
| the direction of the rocket.
Soon cries were heard, and the Crane was
| found sinking with another trawler taking
| off some of her crew. Those seriously in
| jured were removed to mission ship and
| the bodies of Smith and Leggott were
| placed aboard the Moulmein.
The only survivor of the Crane who has
reached Hull is J. A. Smith, son of the
dead skipper, and who. with the captains
| of the Moumein and Mino is going to Lon
don to consult with the authorities. Young
Smith was asleep In his bunk when the
| firing aroused him. Just as he was getting
| up a shot struck the starboard and pene-
| trated to the forecastle, smashing a lamp
near which he was standing He rushed on
| deck where the searchlights revealed the
| horrible sight of his father and Leggott
| lying headless and the deck strewn with
| the injured. 1t was soon found that the
vessel sinking and signals for assist
| ance were sent up.
Smith and others concur in the details of
the firing that have already been given.
No motive can be assigned for the ex-
traordjnary procedure of the Russian war
ships.
Story of Capt. Peaker.
The steam cutter Maybe belonging to the
Gamecock trawler fleet, which was fired on
| by the Russian Baltic fleet, arrived in the
| Thames tonight. Her captain, Peaker, con-
| firmed the details of the story received
| from Hull He says:
Friday night there We're about thirty
vessels of the Gamecock fleet fishing in
latitude 55 degrees Is minutes. and longi-
| tude ) degrees minutes. 1t a misty
driZzly night We spread over an area of
! some miles Our admiral had just previous
| ly signaled by rockets and colored lights
| the fishing direction for the night. Wheth-
| er that had anything to do with what fol-
| lowed, ] do not know; the whole thing is a
| mystery.
| Presently through the mist there APP
| peared the lights of many vessels, big and
| email. Knowing that the Baltic fleet was
I<l route. we naturally assumed that they
Z ere Russians, but l cannot say SO for GER
| tam. lHey were SlRDaflHS one dnOCner anu
| with powerful searchlights spied out every
| one of our feet
| Suddenly some of the warships started
| firing at about twenty boats, which We're
| nearest to them. We at first supposed they
| We're blank shots, and the boatswain of the
| Tomtit, which was close in, held two big
| fish out at arms length. Some say he was
| Offering them to the Russians in fun, and
others that he meant to acquaint the Rus
| slams with the fact that were peaceful
| fishermen and not disguised enemies. In
| any case, there was no mistaking our occu-
patton, for we were close enough for the
Russians to see that our men were all en-
gagged in cutting fish. When we realized
| that the Russians were firing shot and that
men were being wounded. all became terror
| and confusion. Nets were cut away, steam
| was gotten up and the trawlers hurried
away as fast as possible.
A Half Hour of Firing.
| Judging by the rapidity of the shots,
| they were from quick-firing guns. l have
! seen some of the shots embedded in
| boats They are about the diameter, but
| not the length of big cucumber, and
| with brass heads.
| What with the darkness, the rain and
glare of searchlights we were unable to
| identify the warshtps After about half
| an hour the firing suddenly ceased and
| the fleet steamed away speedily In the
| direction OF the English channel"
Indignant at Russians Conduct.
| Capt. Peaker confirms the details of
| the fate of the trawler Crane and her
| crew and speaks with intense indigna-
| ton of the conduct of the Russians. He
says:
| 1T is impossible that we could have
| been taken for anything but trawlers I
| can only imagine that the Russians lost
( their heads and blazed away in con-
| fusion, and when they discovered their
mistake steamed off,
From interviews at Hull with members
of trawler crews, 1t appears that the ad-
miral of the fishing feet burned green
flares to show that they were harmless fish
| ermen, but these signals were ignored
There were many distressing scenes at
| Hull during the day and night, relatives
| inquiring after friends.
| There is a rumor that the Great North
ern fishing fleet was also chased by the
Russians. This report has not yet been
confirmed.
Fleet in the English Channel.
! The attack occurred early Saturday
| morning and today the Russian feet. COM
posed of seven battieships and four cruis-
| ers. passed Dover in three sections be-
| tween 6 o'clock this morning and o'clock
| this afternoon, and later passed East
bourne. They were watched by large
| crowds from shore. Nothing has been seen
| Of the torpedo fiotilla, which, however,
may have passed during the night, as
| pedo boats passing St. Catharine's Point,
/ east"
| This report is confirmed at Portsmouth.
dispatch from Cherb0urg reports that
seven Russian torpedo boats. escorted by