The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-10
RUSSIANS SHOW LITTLE SKILL IN MANEUvERING UNDER FIRE

SPECIAL. BY CABLE TO THE NEW YORK
HERALD AND THE ST LOUIS REPUBIIc.
| Chefoo. Tuesday. 7:30 p. m. Eastern
| time-(Copyright. 19A)-I was lying on
! Monday night quarantined In the Indu-
| China steamer Columbia between the
| entrance to Port Arthur and the Russian
! feet and very close to the latter.
Only one of the Russian warships was
| using searchights. In a leisurely fashion
| three torpedo boats were patroliing the
! outskirts of the fleet. All the other tor
| pedo boats were inside the Basin.
/ Everything was tranquil. and Russian
| official told us he expected the Japanese
| feet in three or four days. The lighthouse
| was already lighted, and guiding lights
| were also burning.
| About o'clock the Russian sailors
| chanted their evening prayers. The hymn
rolled out irnpressiveiy along the water.
The weather was perfect II was not
cold and the sky was clear. There was
light southerly breeze and a hazy hor!-
zor Then deep silence settled down.
EXPLOSIONS HEARD.
I was going TO bed about half past il.
| when I heard three distinct but muffled,
explosions. one after another. Apparently
Columbia vibrated.
Instantly firing with l2-pounders and 3
FOUNDERS began. Searchlights were placed,
but without method. l watched the opera
tions, thinking they were only maneuvers.
till midnight, when the firing had almost
ceased, entirely ceasins at in the morn
| ing.
About o'clock three warships, probably
the Retvisan and the Czarevitch. and one
| large cruiser passed us. coming toward the
harbor entrance. The battleships then lay
across the narrows at the entrance, where
both are now aground and helpless. They
are very close together, and are not block
| ing the entrance except for ships of heavy
| draft. The Retvisan had been torpedoed
| forward. the CZarevitch aft.
A cruiser listed to port is aground out
| side the entrance of the hOrbor. She was
also torpedoed.
RUSSIANS FRANTIC.
At 2:io O'Clock some Russian naval Of
fcers came to the Columbia in state OF
great excitement, saying the Viceroy had
ordered US not to attempt TO sail. their
object apparently being to prevent Is
from giving infornsa ton to the japanese
concerning the extent Of the damage.
Up 10 this time we thought the opera
tions were only maneuvers. or n scare.
but row we began to suspect something
serious, especially when, at daybreak. we
saw the strange. pathetic appearance of
the two torpetoed battleships. We sus-
pecten collision, but soon learned that
these hattieships and the cruiser were
certainly torpedoed
1t seems strange for though the fash
lights were whirling wildly. and the light
house light was now extinct no firing
took place after 5. The moon was shin
ing. but no enemy was visible.
The sun rose very red. disclosing the
presence on the horizon of three two
funnel cruisers on whose masts We af-
terward distinguished the flag of the ris-
within long-distance range and remained
watching for two hours after daybreak.
RUSSIANS APATHETIC.
A strange apathy seemed to possess the
Russians. The crew of white-faced, gap
ing men crowded the forward decks of
the damaged vessels.
l saw through a glass the cook of the
Retviscan calmly throwing out slops and
men In the other vessels carefully wash
ing the anchor cham. while weighing the
anchor. For a long time after the anchor
was weighed no vessel showed disposi-
ton to chase the japanese or to fire a
single shot. Finally the japanese de-
parted. tbs was at twenty minutes
after S.
They were pursued by the Russian Beet.