The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1904-03-04


while retreating, but the Japanese re-
Trained from firing. On the approach
Of the Russians the British, French and
Italian vessels cleared for action, but
when the doomed ships had anchored
the British ship Talbot dispatched sur
geons to her In boats. Other warships
and the Holt line steamer also sent aid.
1.-THE scenes on the removal Of the
wounded were indescribable. Most of
the wounded were injured in many
places, but the men showed fortitude.
and there was complete order. Great
difficulty was, however, experienced in
taking the wounded into boats. The
Japanese now left the vessels alone.
and the captain of the Variag declared
his intention of destroying the ships.
The men were accordingly removed to
foreign warships.
"When the Korietz was blown up
there were two sharp explosions, one
forward and one aft. A mass of fame
rose 100 feet high, and then came the
smoke mounting to the hea xns. AS
the noise Of the explosion died away
voices OF Russians were heard across
the waters Of the bay singing the ma
honal anthem.
"The crew having been removed, the
Variag's sea cocks were opened, and
the ship gradually filed. At o'clock
sharp, small explosions were heard.
Fire soon reached the captains cabin,
, causing sharp explosions among the
twelve FOUNDER ammunition. The list
, to port became more marked, the stern
Of the ship heeled gradually over, there
was falling Of gear, and the ship
, finally went under"
James Winslow Horton, the New
I York American and Journals CORE
spondent in Japan, interviewed Lieu
tenant Nakamura Of the Japanese tor
pedo boat fiotilla, who was In COM
mand Of the little torpedo boat which
shot the torpedo that sank the Russian
battleship Cesarevitch at the mouth OF
Port Arthur harbor. Lieutenant Ma
kamura said in part:
admiral Togo was in possession 01
the minuest details of the situation al
Port Arthur. He planned his attack
at high water, which was just after Il
o'clock. There is nine feet rise and
fall Of tide in Port Arthur. Our tor
pedo boats draw from Ave to six feet
This gave the torpedo feet ample mar
gin to run over the field of mines with
out danger of contact, although still
exposed to the risk of being blown III
by the operator in the station on shore
During the evening Of Monday tel
!, 01 onr twenty torpedo boats were CIV
en charts Of Port Arthur roadstead
! showing the exact location In littl
squares of each Of the enemy's ships
One Russian ship was marked for eacl
torpedo boat. My target was tn
Cesarevitch, and our orders were II
each attend to his ship and pay no at
tention to the others.
During the day Of Monday the fee
had been steaming slowly north alon
the Korean coast, about seventy mile
offshore. Late in the afternoon tn
squadron stood across toward Port Al
thur, and just before 8 o'clock tn
flagship signaled to stop and put on
all lights, Shortly a torpedo boa
which had been on scout duty of POI
Arthur arrived alongside the flagship.
"Half an hour later Admiral Tog
signaled the ten torpedo boats that ha
been selected to take up positions l
pairs alongside the first five battle
ships in the squadron. The other to-
pedo boats that were not to be in til
action were sent to the rear Of tn
column with orders to keep two mile
astern. Each ship was told to bur
one white stern light for the ne,
ship to steer by. At $50 the flagshi
signaled the feet to start north agal
at a speed Of fifteen knots. The CO
umn proceeded with two torpedo boa
} hidden on the starboard, or offshor
side of each Of the five leading battl
! ships.
"As the headlnnd light Of Port A
: thur came into view all lights on o.
: fleet were ordered out. The ships Dire
> in close to the shore and formed