Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1904-05-25
Plucky JapS Meet With Another Dis.
aSter On Sea
SUNK BY MINE AND COLLISION
sian Mine and the Cruiser Yoshino
was Ramred During a Fog by the
kasuga.

has reported ~ follows:
"A report from Rear Admiral Dewa
says that the cruiser Kasuga and Yo-
shine collidcd during a fog off Port
Arthur on May H. The'Yoshino sank,
only 80 of her crew being saved.
On the same day the battleship Hat
.suse struck . Russian mine and
sank"
Giving details OF the disaster. Vice
Admiral Togo soys:
AT IA minutes past in the after
noon OF May 10. in a deep fog off Port
Arthur. tho Kasuga rammed the Yo-
shino. sinking the latter in few min
utes. Ninety OF her crew were saved.
The same morning the Hatsuse.
while cruising off Port Arthur. covering
the landing of the soldiers, struck
mine ten knots southeast of the harbor
entrance. She sgnaled for help. and
instantly struck another mine She
sank n half an hour. Three hundred
of her crew were saved by torpedo
boats
The Yoshinu vas a cruiser OF 4.1S0
tons displacement and $1,000 indicated
horsepower. She was built in Eng
land. was launched in 1892, was $50 feet
long. had 4GH feet beam. and her daft
vas lT feet The armament OF the Yo-
shino consisted OF four 6-inch guns,
eight 4.7-inch guns and twenty-threc s
Founders. She rad five torpedo tubes.
her arlnored deck was AZ inches thick
and her gun positions were protected
by shields. The cruisers speed was
estimated to be 23 knots. her coal ca
pacity was 1000 tons, and her crew
numbered 300 men.
The Hatsuse was battlcship of 49,
400 tons displacement and of the latest
model She was only completed In
1900, was built in England. was 400 feet
long. had 76h feet beam, drew 81 feet
of water. had 1890 indicated horse
power. and was fitted with water tube
boilers. She was completely armored
with steel. Her armament consisted OF
Tour 12-inch guns, fourteen 6-inch guns.
twenty 12-poundsrs. eight 3-pounders.
and four 2MrouHders. She had four
torpedo tubes. her estimated speed was
18Th knots. Ter crew numbered 74l
men.
ST. Petersburg. BY Cable The loss
@! at least two Japanese warships is
officially confirmed. \ message dated
Fort Arthur, received by carrier pigeon
1T Mukden, was transmitted to the
Emperor early yesterday morning. say
ing that two Japanese warships had
been lost off that port The message
followed the Emperor TO Koursk. and
40 one here knew its contents until
late last night. when foreign telegrams
brought full details of the Japanese
loss.
Early in the afternoon. reports of
ihe sinking of the Shikshima and the
Fuji, on the authority of Russian ref
Ggees from Dalny. began to circulate
and aroused the most intense interest.
When, later. confirmation came of the
sinking of the Japanese warshps. the
greatest enthusiasm was manifested.
without reference to its effect on the
campaign, the people attribute the en-
cmy's disaster to divine interposition
in the Russian cause.
In naval circles the Japanese catas-
tIophe is matter for rejoicing. though
leGrets are expressed that brave men
lave lost their lives But this feeling
OF sympa by is swallowed m in tho
greater Thanksgiving for the blow in
;iicted on the sea power OF the enemy.
1t Is poined out that the Hatsuse was
oue OF Japan's finest battleships and
tfat the ioss OF two. and possibly four
Narships at intervals Of a few days
cGnnot fa.l to deeply affect Japan and
tO influence the course of the cam
raign. The general staff tonight is
without direct news of the sinking of
the Japanese ships. but there is an i'm
preston that It may be true. The re-
ports. at any rate. have infused fresh
life and enthusiasm in official circles
where IL Is believed the tide has turned
No surprise IS expressed by the ad-
riraIity at the Japanese vessels strik-
ing Russian mines. the admiralty ex-
pecting that such a mishap to Vice
Admiral Togo, particularly since the
laval commanders at Port Arthur have
faithfully duplicated his plan. which
resulted in the sinking OF the Petro-
paylovsk.