Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1904-03-18
vi>ih Stony OF VhrmuIp" battle.

wines: ed the naval tight between the
kussian> and japanese AT uipo ant
wildly describes the clash in IL letter tt
the Cincinnati Post.
The bishop left Shanghai on Febru,
ar! 9Th or Il Russian liner which anchor
ell om the morning Of the Sth at Chem
Ill u lea the Russian cruisers Variar
AMI koIiciz. Not II Jupanesc ship WI!
III sight then. but mt 1 o'clock next da,
twelve Japanese ships steamed III and
anchored and three thousand Iruups
wcr" landed. Six cruisers and torpedo
boats tlrcE withdrew to a dist lnce OF
ci- hi miles and formed a line across the
channel.
On the 9th the japanese consul mott.
He'd the russians to leave the harbor
and h ships stripped for action anG at
noune sail, j out.
Shortly after says the bishop, ~thc
roar OF battle began. Fifteen minutes
We thought would suffice To end the I'M
equal combat, but the earth and sea
shook under the awful thunder OF the
guns for nearly mn hour when the Rus.
sian ships, unable to break through but
scorniug surrender. swung around and
steamed back to anchorage with flags
flying.
sure of their prey the japanese re-
sumed their station in the roadstc cad.
blocking tin" only channel. Tho tnur.
%funneled Nariag WIS evidently badly
damaged and Ii: ted to port. The Kor.
ieiz WAS apparently unlnjured We
hastened to row ont To the KOrietZ but
saw no sears though the sailors were
putting pant on the hull as il to "on.
cenl them. We asked an officer with n
bnndaged head how he had Jared and he
replied that they had no chance; TINT at
1 o'clock the ship would 60 up. The
Variag was evidently sinking. The ship
was mortally wounded amiJships, with
Il huge ent i'll the upper works. two
tunnels riddled and the bridge n mass
of twisted iron. y lieutenant on the
bridge was torn to pieces and his right
arm was found holding the signal flag.
The beats OF other ships i'll the harbor
began removing the wounded. n hund.
red OF whom were moro dead than alive.
|: was pathetic, the tenderness and ven.
Grafton with which the NEE handed
down the czar's portrait. The United
States wnrslIip VIcksburg alone gave no
sanctuary to the wounded Russian sail.
ors, though her ifeboat helped 10 re-
move them.
We had the first officer Of the
steamer Snngari Oh which we came and
he indicated that all was lost. Shortly
after we could see men hurrying below
ms il to %scuttlc the ship and them men
hastcncd to leave the Koric,z. We
were within a few yards of her rs the
last two boats put of. 1t WIS twenty
minutes to four o'clock and We recalled
the captains words and FASTENED to our
rowers. There was an island eurmount.
ed by Il revolving light six hundred
yards away and we landed and climbed
its summit.
As the hands Of the watch marked 4
o'clock Il terrific explosion broke out in
the stern and almost simultaneously an.
other forward. The malignant volume
OF emokc and debris leaped writing and
twisting upwards rs though two mon
stcrs were in mortal combat. As their
black bodies pulled apart for a moment
the sinking sun shone through the filmy
haze. And listen, through the black.
ness Of the falling fragments Of their
ruined ship came stately and grand from
tho French ship where they had nm asy-
lum, her crews majestic chant OF the
Russian national hymn. Mt nee their
new oath Of allegiance To the Car and n
requiem for their lest ship. Now n
fierce fire ragged in the bunkcrs Of the
Nariag ms she more and moro lists to
port. She had ouIlivcd the sun but at 6
o'clock with Il great shuddcr, the huge
lc fiathinn turned on her side and died.
Only the Stuttgart remained md ehc too
sank slowly, a burning roaring furnace.
Ii such scenes IA the 90 are witnessed
before, what shall wo SEQ when war 10
actually dcclarcd?-