The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-10-29
The BALTIC SQUADRON
FIRES UPON A FLEET OF BRITISH
FISHING BOATS.
SAILORS DECAPITATED By SHRAPsEL

situation-Enslsnd May Send Vii
matum to Russia Within Twenty,
four Hours.
London, Oct. M.--The country Is In
q turmoil OF excitement and rage to
day over the outrage committed on
Saturday morning In British waters by
vessels Of the Baltic feet, which bids
fair to bring the ire Of the British gov
eminent down upon RussIa's head.
A TRAVELLING fleet from Hull was fired
upon 200 miles from Spurn Head by
the Russian warships and despite the
display of green flares, the rain Of
shrapnel from the Russian vessels con.
tinued for fully twenty minutes.
One OF the trawlers, the Crane, was
struck below the water line and her
skipper, Smith, and o sailor named
Leggott were killed by their heads be.
ing blown of. Several of the other
vessels were riddled and badly dam
aged.
The amazing news was brought to
Huh late last night by several Of the
trawlers. Ono OF them had the bodies
OF the victims on board and Smiths
son, who acted as spokesman for his
comrades, Is now On his way here to
lay the case before the admiralty. Ac-
cording TO his story, the TRAVELLING
feet, consisting Of some fifty vessels,
was stationed 200 miles from Spurn
Head, which Ia on the eastern coast,
twenty miles southeast of Hull.
The Russian ships appeared with
great ~suddenness and in a moment the
entire area was dipped in a food of
light from the searahlights of the war.
ships, A second later a charge Of
s~hrspnel struck the trawlers, Imme.
diately the fishermen burned green
flares, indicating the nature of their
vessels. Young Smith says that these
signals, though they could not be mis-
taken, and are accepted by every 10,
going vessel, were disregarded and the
first charge was followed by a rain of
shrapnel, which wrought havoc among
the trawlers. The Crane and Mino
were struck In the beginning OF the
bombardment.
One shot felled Smith and another
Leggott and then the ship having been
hit below the water line began to sink.
The rest of the crew, bearing the
corpses OF the two victims, sought
refuge ON another vessel.
Sixteen shots hit the Mino's hull, Il
large number Of other trawlers were
also damaged, and Smith says that he
blieyes a large liner, which he thought
belonged to the Wilson line, was also
struck. Smith says that another
trawler, the Wren, Is missing, and that
he believes she was sunk with her en-
tire crew. More than thirty Of the
sailors were injured and have been
taken from the vessels and lodged In
Hull hospitals.
1t appears that the fishermen first
became aware Of the presence of the
Russian ships when the latter were a
mile off, The crews of the trawlers
were OF the opinion that they we're
British warships engaged In a demon
stration to deal with, and went right
with their work of cleaning fish.
They believed that the Russian search
lights, which were turned upon them,
must have shown them to be engaged
In that occupation, especially as acety-
lene lights were burning brightly on
board the trawlers. The next thing
the fishermen knew was when the war.
ships steamed right into their midst,
and right after that came the first
shot, which whizzed by their heads.
Signals Disreaarded.
The skipper of the trawler Mino was
the first one to realize the impending
catastrophe. He cried out at the top
of his voice:
Good God, men, this Is no demon
.stration. It's the Russian feet. All
lie low"
In feverish haste the men displayed
showing that they merely
fishermen. Those who stood up to at.
tend to the signaling were knocked
down like targets. Others took their
and in frantic appeal they held
up big fish into the binding wedges of
light blazing from the reflectors. The
Russian fire continued, however. then
the fishermen fell fiat on their backs
In the hope of escaping the carnage.
Two trawlers were struck so heavily
they began to founder and both,
Ii Is now believed, sank with all hands
On board. The survivors say that at
one time the Russians were so near
that their officers could be distin.
guished on their decks.
They add that the night was fine and
that only a slight haze hung over the
water. One OF the survivors claims to
have observed the Russian ships be.
tore they threw their searchlights into
The direction Of the trawlers. He saw
The huge hulks approach and suddenly
flashed from one ship to the
other. Then the refiectors were point.
I'd at the fishing feet and the next mo-
ment n OF the Russians opened fire, |
and a few seconds later the entire
feet followed suit,
All OF the survivors agree that the
Russians, when they had discovered
heir mistake, made no effort TO help
he trawlers, but sailed southwark.
Target Practice, Suggest Russians.
st. Petersburg, Oct. 24.-T a. NIB
has been heard here AZ yet re-
the reported firing on the
British trawlers by the Russian Pa
life feet.
The last news Of the fleet was a
,rief notice published stating that they
lad passed Dover going south.
The only conceivable explanation Of
UGH a story Is the possibility that
iome of the vessels may have been at
arget practice, though this Is not con
idered likely, as the vessels would
lardly be 80 engaged at midnight.
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