Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-08-26

""Vie 1hloS WAS an inferno. The
japanese fired melnite from their
largest guns and lyddite from the
next caliber. The results were terri
Tying. 1t is now known the Rus
sian gunners failed almost entirely
to damage the Japanese ships. lie is
feit there must be something wrong
either with the guns and Smmupi.
ton or training of the men,
The frightful execution done by
Admiral kamimura's gunners upon
the two Russian cruisers that have
Just returned to Vladivostok seems
to indicate that the "man behind the
gun" is of more Importance than the
gun itself or its platform. Ship for
ship the three leading Russian YES
sells in the recent fight near Korea
were superior in guns, size and armor
to the japanese, but one of the three
was sunk and the survivors were
badly mauled and limped back to
port In an almost disabled condition.
Neither can be considered fit for
further action until repairs are
made. What surprises the world is
the fact that the victory was won by
Jap vessels which, from the physical
point of view, were much less capable
OF offense and much more vulnerable.
The Japanese in this case it appears.
as IN many others during the war.
attacked with great impetuosity ana
kept down the enemy's fire 6y the
rapidity of their own shooting. "Pil.
ing IN" on the Russians with more
numerous, if inferior, ships, thev got
and kept control of the situation.
But 1T is not to be supposed that the
russians were idle al this time. If
the japanese were not so reticent
about their casualties it would doubt
less appear that their victory cost
them dear. Their "uuprotected"
ships, after the action, must have
been like shambles. In fact, on sea
ana land the war seems to be a
specially uncanny one.
NOvIK LOST TO RUSSIA,
The Japanese cruisers Chitose and
Isushima defeated the Russian
cruiser Novik, and after a running
light forced her ashore near Korsa,
kovsk, Sakhalin Island, $50 miles
northeast of Vladivostok, for which
port she was evidently making. The
Novik gave the Japanese a long
chase, having escaped from Admiral
logo after the fight of August 10th.
wher the Czarevitch was sunk and
the other Russian ships scattered.
The Novik was the fastest vessel
In the Russian navy and was called
the greyhound" Evidently injuries
received at Port Arthur prevented
her escape from the untiring Japs
who were securing the seas tor her
and her companion ships. The
Noyik was dangerous as commerce
destroyer. She has been splendidly
handle, and bravely fought through.
out the war, and japanese naval
officers and the public generally have
frequently expressed admiration for
the cruiser, her commander and her
crew. A severe storm occurring Mt
the time of the sinking of the Noyik
prevented the japanese from rescu-
ing the crew. Her complement was
334 men.
The harbor of Korsakovsk, Island
of Sakhalien, off which the battle
between the Novik and the two
vessels of Admiral Kamimura's
squadron took place, is noted for
sunken rocks. 1t is believed that
the Novik, driven ashore in sinking
condition by the Japanese fire, COM
pleted her destruction by striking
one of these rocks.
For picturesqueness possibly no
naval fight in the worlds history can
compare with this. A most fearful
storm was raging the night of the
battle and the lurid glare of the
lightning and the peals of natur's
thunder were accen tuated by the
destructive belches from the three
greyhaunds of the eastern seas. The
awful drama was closed by magnifl.
cent ships being literally pelted
ashore by the force of the enemy's
balls and crashed asunder by the
pltllesS rocks on the wild coast fiy
hundred miles from civilization.
TROUBLE IN CHINA.
Because the Russian gunboat Rye
shltelni, which fled to Che Foo. a
port of China, would not come out
and fight or else disarm and Law M
until the war was over, a japanese
boat went in and took her by force
and lowed her to Japanese harbor,
The Russian Minister has sent TO
the Chinese Government a strong
note charging it with completely in
the kyeshitelni affair, charging the
Chinese Commodore with cowardice
or treason, and demanding full ex-
PLANTATION, the restoration of the
destroyer and severe punishment of
the Commodore. The Chinese Gov
ernMent has demanded from the
Japanese the restoration of the RIVE
shltelni. Japan refuses to undo the
act, and international complications
may result, bringing China into the
war.
Britain and America insist upon
China's remaining neutral. Further
complications, however, have arisen,
and 1T is feared that the world, al
most, will yet become involved in
war. A Japanese torpedo boat
steamed into the harbor of Shan ghai,
China, cleared for action, and came
to anchor near the Russian cruiser
Askold. which is in dock next to a
Standard Oil Company warehouse.
The American destroyer Chaupoey,
which had gone out to meet the
japanese boat, slipped in between