Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1904-05-06
CHEMULP0's TRAGEDY
How PEcoian Crews Net Thcir
Fate In the Korean E1arbor.
NEUTRAL SHIPS OHEEREp vERogs


RattEii,g with the Japanese Fleet
Described by an Eyewitness.
Ihe first full accounts from witnesses
OF the naval battle of Cilemulpo, the
opening Of the Russo-Japanese war.
Which recently reached New York city
tell OF fight which for dramatic Incl
dents has seldom been equalel, il his
tory, says the New York Globe.
An eyewitness writes that the. Rus
sian accounts admit that the first shot
was 1lred from the gunboat korietz en-
HeD. 8. It was done by accident, the
Russians declare. The vessels in the
harbor at the time Included the United
States gunbOat VickS1urg, collier l'oa-
pey, and transport cairo, the British
cruiser Talbot, the Italian gunboat 81
ba, the French cruiser Pascal. the Rus
sian protected cruiser VariaG, Ameri-
can built; the gunboat Koriet., and the
Russian merchant steamship Sungari.
The cause Of the Korietz leaving the
harbor, it seems, was message de-
spatched from the Russian minister,
M. Pavloff, to Viceroy Alexeieff ut Port
Arthur. 1t was about $50 o'clock in
the Afternoon Of Monday, Feb. 8, that
she started. About fifteen miles from
her anchorage, at the entrance OF the
outer harbor, the Japanese Admiral
Uriu's feet was encountered, composed
Of two battleships, six cruisers, seven
torpedo boats and five dcstroyers, con-
veying transports on which were 1900
troops bound for Chemulpo.
The shot was due to the fact that
one Of tie japanese torpedo Loats
crossed the horietz's bow. In clear
ing ship a gun was set off without
the Russian commanders order. '.At
once five japanese torpedo boats were
detached and circled about the Eorietz
The Russians say they all discharged
torpedoes which missed tie mark The
Korietz ran, full speed, pack to her
anchorage and the Japanese fleet fol-
lowed cautiously, coming to anchor
about $50 o'clock that evening.
It was az O'Clock on the following
morning, Feb. 8, that Uriu gave his
notice to the Russians that they must
surrender or quit the harbor by noon.
During the night the Japanese trans
ports had discharged their troops and
the entire fleet had withdrawn out
side the harbor.
The signal bravery of the Russians,
which was commented on in the early
cable dispatches, elicits the warmest
praise of I'll the correspondents The
keenness. humanity and detailed plans
of the Japanese are the noteworthy
points on their side of the case The
situation Of the two Russian vessels
could scarcely be worse. The Variag,
Of G5G0 tons, had twelve six-inch guns,
and The korietz, Of 1918 tons, two
eight-irch and one six-inch gun. OPP
posed was q feet of twenty vessels
Both weighed anchor and made for
the harbor entrance at 11:30 a. M, Sc
lecting the channel passing to the east
ward by Round island, amid cheers
from tie neutral vessels, the Variag's
band playing national airs.
At Round island, eight miles down
the channel, they met the Japanese
fleet lying under q projecting head
land. The Japanese opened fire. The
Variag steamed back and forth, held
back by the slower korietz. The 10
rietz kept well under the lee and es-
capped the raking fire tbct quickly put
every gun aboard the Var.aG cut of
action. The first shot from the Japa-
nese flagship Mikasa struck the Vari-
ag amidships on the port side ut the