The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-24

get under way, and while the neces-
sary preparations were being made 1
noticed bright flash from the side of
one of the Japanese vessels, and, pull
ing out my watch, saw that it was ex-
actly HIS. The report came some
seconds after. and about the same
time a big shell, which 1 should say
was tWelve-inch one, dropped into
the small space Of sea intervening be-
tween the tOrpedoed battleships and
the group of frightened looking torpe-
do boat destrOyers.
This shell was evidently intended for
the battleships, and it went so near it's
mark that it must have splashed them
With spray from the big liquid column
that shot from the sea at the point
where the prOjectile touched the water.
All the japanese ships now opened fire
while running southwest in fine order,
and the Russian vessels returned the
compliment.
The Novik and some other cruisers
made a fine show, but the war ships
simply revOlved without changing their
position and seemed to be placed at a
disadvantage by reason of the cramped
space and of the consequent danger of
running ashore.
In the Midst of Battle.
Before the engagement began I had
been rejecting with exultation that
there was chance Of my getting to
Chifu before any other war CORE
spondent, but when the shells began
to sing through the air and raise huge
pillars of water before, behind and
close to both sides of the ship l forgo
all about that matter, or if l reflected
on it at all it was only to curse my
! luck at falling in a fight which was
not mine.
Between the cabins aft and those
forward there is an open space, and
1 suddenly took it into my head to
traverse this space in order to join
the other officers, who were all gath
cred together at the other extremity
of the boat. l did so, running as quick
~ as my legs could carry me, as If
I were running from one certain shell
ter to another and might be caught
half way across is 1 did not hurry. OF
course [ did not reason about the mat
ter. My legs simply ran off with me.
We ran between two lines Of
shells, the shells intended for the Rus
sion fleet, which went too far, and the
shells intended for the forts, which fell
short.
One of the Shells knocked off fun
mel Of the Askold, leaving that vessel
with four tunnels; another hit the Sc
vastOpol at the base of one of the fun
nels, covering that vessel with dense
cloud of black smoke, from which, how
ever, she seemed to emerge uninjured.
Several other Russian vessels were
struck but none seemed to sustain
| any serious damage. So much for the
first line of japanese shells.
AS for the second line-that intended
for the forts-a good many shells fell
short, as 1 have already remarked,
many bursting in the sea close to the
shore and many striking the hillside
md 1~aic oil 0T vol n
smoke Two or three fell on the very
| summit of the forts. One explodedsa
magazine on Gold Hill fort raising an
| enormous column of smoke.
While pouring in these generally
| well directed shells the Japanese YES
| sells kept advancing southwest, after
ward wheeling round and returning
along parallel to that by which they
| had come.
Both Sides on Board.
For some time after we had got out
| Of reach Of the shells we still felt I'M
easy, for a shot from the forts or a
! Russian torpedo boat might still over
| take us; but when a considerable in
| terval had elapsed and nothing of the
| kind had happened we began to pluck
up courage to think that we were very
! fine fellows after all.
When I found myself in quarantine
| IN the Columbia sent d message 10
| Chifu by another boat which was leaV-
| ing.
All these things came under my own
| observation on Feb. 8. I have since,
! however, heard other things that might
be given place here. 1 have just seen
a man who was on board the Petro-
pavlovsk when the torpedoing took
| place. He heard the submarine ex-
| plosion, W mt on deck, and was laughed
at by the officers when he asked what
| had happened. TITS only practice"
! they said. He told me that the Japa-
nese in the torpedo boats cheered as
! they went away. They had good rea-
| son to do so. Francis McCullagh.