Evening journal., 1904-08-15
RUSSIAN FLEET
IS ANNIH|LATED
Kamimura Defeats Vladivostok
Fleet In Strait of Korea.
JAPANESE SHIPS SUFFER LITTLE

Tokyo Goes Wild Over Joyous News,
Which Indicates Naval Supremacy
Over the Enemy-The cesareviteh to
Be Dismantled
Tokyo, Aug 15.-The Russian ar
mored cruiser Rurik was sunk in yes
terday's naval battle in the strait of
Korea. The fate of the crew, supposed
to number 500, is not known. 1t is pre-
sumed that many were drowned.
The armored cruisers Rossia and
GromobOi escaped
Those three cruisers Of the Vladivos-
tolx squadron were sighted I'm the strait
at $40 in the morning by Vice Admi-
raj Kamimuras fleet, which immedi-
ately bore down upon them and at
tackled in full force.
After the engagement Vice Admiral
Kamimura reported:
"Our squadron after five hours Sc
we're fighting with the three ships of
The Yladvostok squadron this morning
of the mouth of Tsu island sank the
Rurik. The other two ships, which ap-
peared to have suffered heavily, fed
northward. Our damages are slight"
The strength of the Japanese fleet is
not known, but it is presumed that it
consisted Of the Adsuina, Idsumo, Iva
to, Takashiho and other light cruisers.
Rejoicing at Tokyo.
r.I-. l.
gives Japan mastery of the sea and re-
stores commerce.
A desperately serious problem Of the
war has been solved. The Russian
squadron which confronted Togo re-
fused battle. 1t was stronger in battle
ships and armOred cruisers, and had it
elected to fight the result might have
altered the fortunes Of war. Its
strength compelled him to draw YES
sells from Kamimura, and this left the
japanese navy powerless to operate
against the Russian Vladivostok squad
ron and unable to prevent the raids of
those vessels.
/ The raids Of the Vladivostok squad
ron on Japan, on Korea and on the
commerce Of the high seas were ex-
tremely expensive to Japan, and not
only was retaliation tempting, but it
was demanded by commercial interests.
But the navy stuck to Port Arthur.
1t was confident that the harbor would
soon be untenable; that eventually il
would get fair fight in the open sea
away from the Russian land batteries
and that the Japanese would win.
,Kamimura, after six months Of weary
patient waiting, got his chance today
japanese guns dominate the dock
yards at Port Arthur, and in view OF
this fact It would seem to be impos
sible again to make seawOrthy OF
fightable the Russian battleships whicl
have returned to Port Arthur. 1t il
probable that the Russian battleshil
Cesarevitch will disarm at Tsingchow
In the fight of Aug. 10 the squadron
under Admiral Togo was practically
uninjured The battleship Mikasa suf
fered the most, but she continues oi
the fighting line.
The cruisers Yakumo, Nishin anC
Kasuga also were hit but temporar!
repairs already have been made, anC
they are fully serviceable.
Eleven wounded officers and sixty
six wounded men have arrived a
SasebO.
The following are the Japanese cas-
ualties in Wednesdays engagement
with the Port Arthur squadron:
On board the battleship Mikasa. Ad
miral Togo's flagship, there were fou
officers and twenty-nine men killed, sii
officers and twenty-nine men severel!
wounded and four officers and twenty
nine men slightly wounded.
The armored cruiser Yakumo ha,
one officer and eleven men killed an,
ten wounded.
On board the armored cruiser Ms
shin seven officers and nine men wer
> killed, and two officers and fifteen me
were wounded.
Ten men were wounded on the al
mored cruiser KasugH.
The torpedo boat destroyer AsagiI
! had two men killed.
On board torpedo boat No. 3S on
man was killed, and eight others wer
wounded.