The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-05-13

The final word regarding the COM
bat at Chemulpo, Korea, has been pro-
nounced by M. Pavloff, the Russian
minister to Korea, whose official re-
port is gazetted in the official messen-
ger this morning. NJ. Pavloff says:
1.-THE commander of the Vicksburg
sent a BOAT with a surgeon to offer
medical help to the wounded on the
cruisers Variag and KorietZ. but the
officer in charge stated, in the name of
his commander. that it was impossible
for him to take any Russians on
board his ship. The commander of
the Variag thereupon declined assis-
tance.
THE commander of the Vicksburg
offered to receive the Imperial mis-
sion, if it was compelled to leave Ko-
rea, but 1 declined the offer. stating
that 1 would go on a French cruiser.
"Twenty-one Russians, who were on
the French cruiser Pascal, were suf-
fering from gangrene, and. fearing
that the disease would be communi-
Gated to the other wounded. the COM
| mander of the Pascal signalled to the
Vicksburg and asked if she would re-
ceive these men, but the American
commander positively refused to do
So"
Mr.. Pavloff insists emphatically that
deception was practiced by the Japa-
nese telegraph officials at Seoul in
failing to transmit his official Dispatch
es, which would have given him time
ly warning from st. Petersburg n
| Port Arthur of the imminencs Of hostil-
tiles. One dispatch dated, February
9Th, reported the current rumor that
diplomatic negotiations had been
| broken , and another, dated February
7th, reported the landing of Japanese
I troops at Masampo, Korea, anS their
| expected landing at Chemulpo.
Washington, May 10.-The. atten-
ton of the Bureau of Navigation of
the Navy Department to-day was
called to the official report of M. Paw
loft, Russian minister to Korea, which
was gazetted in the official meSsenges,
stating hat the commander Of the
Vicksburg refused, after the ngage
ment at Chemulpo, to take aboard this
vessel men from the Russian
warships Variag and KorietZ. NE bu-
reau produced the following extracts
from the report of Commander w. A.
MdTSldl, COMMANDING the NiChSDuTS
at Chemulpo, which the officials re-
gard as a complete rebuttaI:
"About 1890 p. m. Februarv 9th,
both Russian vessels (KorietZ and Va
riag) headed in toward their anchor
age at full speed, and as they ap-
preached, it was seen that the Variag
had a list to port and appeared to be
on fire aft on the port Quarter, a num-
Der of Japanese in pursuit, until about
n rai1n tnci1a of Va nn1inni hrf NOT
firing, as the foreign men-of-war were
directly in inc of fire, when they gave
up the chase and rejoined their squad
ron outside. At 1880, the Variag
anchored about 400 yards to the
northward and westward of the Tai
bot, with the Ell Bau about 600 yards
to the southwark of her. On learning
that she had quite a number of wound-
e. zen, / sent our medical officer on
board to render assistance. The same
was done by the Talbot. Elba and
Pascal. A little later on, on its being
reported that the Variag was in a sink
ing condition, two Of our cutters and
the whaleboat, with boats from the
other cruisers, assisted in taking off
her personnel and putting them on
board the Talbot and EIba. Tw Rus
sian officers (engineers) were brought
on board the VickSburg and taken
care of for some time. and on my Of
fering to have the Zafiro used as tenn
porary quarters. they were taken to
| the Elba and where their captain de-
tanned them and declined my offer
| with thanks"
1t is pointed out by the chief of the
NAVIGATION bureau that the Zafiro.
which was rendered as a hospital
| ship, is a roomy navy transport and
was much more suitable for the &C.
cornmodation of the wounded than
the little Vicksburg with it's cramped
quarters.