Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-24
Russian Squadron En-
route East Makes Fear
full BIunder.
ENGLISHMEN KILLED
Trawlers Apparently Mistaken
for Jap Torpedo Boats
Sent to Bottom.


tic fleet has opened its career as the
second Pacific squadron with an out
rage so amazing that but for the un-
questionable circumstancial evidence it
would be beyond belief.
Part of the fleet, supposed to be the
battleship squadron. after it emerged
| from the Danish straits, steeTed a
course for the English channel.
Soon after midnight Friday night it
came across the Hull fishing fleet,
which either in panic or in inconceiva-
BILE ignorance the Russians must have
mistaken for a Japanese torpedo boat
! fiotiIla This is the only explanation
at present that can be offered for the
| fact that the Russian warships opened
| fire on defenseless fishermen with
shrapnel. maintaining their fusillade,
according to the fishermen who escap-
ed. for 20 minutes. sinking at least one
trawler and scattering death and
wounds among the crews.
No Effort To save Lives.
Not the least disgraceful feature of
the tragedy is the fact that the war
ships continued their course without
even to ascertain the extent of the
damage done.
The only suggestion that is offered
in palliation for this inhumanity is
that the Russians were so overcome by
panic that they did their utmost to
escape the imagined enemy.
The earliest news of the affair was
brought TO Hull last evening by the
trawlers MinO and MOulmein, both of
which were seriously damaged by
shot. The Moulmein has 16 holes in
its hull.
story of the skipper.
Its skipper says the fleet was fish
ing about 200 miles east by north of
| Spurnhead at l o'clock Saturday morn
ing. The weather was hazy, when the
outlines of several large vessels, ap-
parently warships sailing in line, were
sighted. While the fishermen were in
Iterestedly watching the vessels search
lights were flashed on the trawlers, and
those on the Moulmein were enabled
iby the light to see the torpedo boats
| approaching. 1t seemed that they
were going to board the MOulmein, but
they turned and steamed away.
Russian Guns Open Fire.
Within this short space one of the
warships opened fire and the crews re-
Ialized with horror that their boats
were being targets by the warships.
/ First one and then another of the
| ttrawlers was struck. Most of the
crews sought shelter below. but for
| tunately for those on the MOulmein
IthCy did not. for the firing had not
LASTED long before what seemed to be
a round shot struck the vessel on the
port side and passed through the hull.
where the men would have been had
they gone below.
The Mino. which was near the MOul-
mein. was struck several times. Hap
PLY each shot hit it above the water
line. None of the crew was hurt. The
firing continued for about 30 minutes,
when it ceased and the warships steam
ed to the southwark.
Taking on Dead and Wounded.
The Moulmein saw a rocket dis
charged by a distant trawler and
lsteamed in that direction. AS it neared
the boat that had fired the rocket sig
nal it heard cries and found the traw-
Ter Crane so badly damaged by the
Russians that it was sinking. Another
trawler was already alongside, taking
off the crew.
The body of Skipper Smith lay on
deck with the head shot off. The mate :
body. with the head also gone, lay
alongside the captains. The engineer
was seriously wounded in the chest
and a seaman's hand was blown of
The wounded and those who had not
been hit were put on board the mission
vessel accompanying the fleet. The
Moulmein brought the dead TO Hull.
Fleet ut CherbourE.
i Cherbourg. France. Oct. 24.-The ad
vance guard of the Russian secon,
r Pacific squadron. consisting of torpedo
+ boats. is in the outer harbOr. TIL,
main squadron is expected here but i
is uncertain whether the warships vii
enter the harbOr. The vessels whicl
first Grrived here were not with th
. larger ships when the latter fired ol
the British fishing boats in the Nortl
sea. Therefore it is impossible TO oh
tain a Russian version of the affair
Guarded VigiIantIy.
u The torpedo boats are surrounde
) by guard boats and the utmost Wig
lance is maintained owing to fears @
-Aax