Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-27


 showing the exact location in little squares of each of the enemy's ships One Russian ship was marked for each torpedo boat. My target was the Cesarevitch, and our orders were to each attend to his ship and pay no at tention to&he others.
 During the day of Monday the fleet had been steaming slowly north along the Korean coast, about seventy miles offshore. Late in the afternoon the squadron stood across toward Port Ar thur, and just before 9 o'clock the flagship signaled to stop and put out all lights. Shortly a torpedo boat which had been on scout duty of Port Arthur arrived alongside the flagship.
 Half an hour later Admiral Togo s1gnaled the ten torpedo boats that had been selected to take up positions in pairs alongside the first five battle ships in the squadron. The other tor pedo boats that were not to be in the action were sent to the rear of the column with orders to keep two miles astern. Each ship was told to burn onel white stern light for the next ship to steer by. At 9:30 the flagship signaled the fleet to start north again at speed of fifteen knots. The col umn proceeded with two torpedo boats hidden on the starboard, or offshore, side of each of the five leading battle ships. wi. <.
 'As the headland light of Port Ar thur came into view all lights on our fleet were ordered out. The ships drew in close to the shore and formed in single file. The leader of the line and the next ship both passed the harbor mouth. and the third ship signaled when she had the channel exactly abeam. Admiral Togo then flashed a red, white and red masthead light, which was the signal to the torpedo boats. Instantly each torpedo boat went full speed astern a few revolu- hons of the propellers, and then. hav- ing cleared the stern of its protecting battleship, turned at right angles and ran full speed in over the mine fields. Each torpedo boat laid direct head-on course for the Russian ship assigned to it. At this moment the searchlight of the Russian harbor guardship dis covered the attack, and calls to station sounded all through the fleet. By the time my boat was within effective tor pedo range of the Cesarevitch the battle ships searchlight was on us, and the watch on deck was working the small rapid fire guns at us. .@
 At the instant our torpedo was launched the Cesarevitch started her en- zines, making sternway, and the ship went backward till her anchors brought her up. Our torpedo was well aimed at her engines, but by the ships back ing water 1t struck and exploded well forward near the bow.
 Putting the helm hard over, we cir cled and passed within view of the Pal lada, anchored nearer, inshore, and saw torpedo explode just aft her engine room. Two other torpedoes struck their marks on the enemy'S ships, but their names I did not hear.
 By this time the Russian fleet was wide awake. The crews were trying to short range the big guns on us, and their rapid fire machine guns were pep pering the water like a hailstorm. The garrisons in the forts on shore had walked up, and the heavy seacoast bat tery guns were throwing shells over our head out at our battleships. As our retreating torpedo boats passed out of range of the rapid fire guns the op- orator on shore exploded dozen or more mines, but without damage to us. Not till we were five miles away from the harbor did the gunners on the ships get their big guns in range, and then shells began to drop near us.
 Admiral Togo moved the fleet thir- ty miles to the northeast and ordered the men to sleep"
 The St Petersburg correspondent of Ing:
 "I learn from official sources the news of a dramatic sequel to the Rus sian disaster at Port Arthur on Feb. 9. After the attack by the Japanese, Vice. roy Alexeieff summoned before him the Russian officers whose negligence was the main cause of the defeat. Aft CT cross examining them as to their conduct Alexeieff was convinced that d AACuLSA1alL dIuOAS tASLu WhS AuSI IuA- pably guilty. ..4e4
 Tt is declared that Alexeiefr drew revolver and shot the young officer dead before his comrades. The lieu tenant had taken a party of officers ashore on q torpedo boat, whereas he should have been on guard outside the harbor." +-f..-
 Dispatches to the New York World stated that Admiral Stark, second in command of the fleet at Port Arthur, was giving ball ill honor of his wtfe's name day when the Japanese attacked, about midnight Feb. 8. Most of the naval officers were at the ball and aft CT the alarm could not reach their ships for one or two hours. When Admiral Stark, at the ball. learned of the attack he tainted.
 Captain Gray of the British steamer Fuping gives the following account of the effects of the bombardment of