The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-11-16
BRITISH VESSELS
ARE FIRED ON
Hull and Gamecock Fishing Boats
Struck by Russian Fleet.
ENGLAND DEMANDS PREPARATION
Home, Mediterranean and Channel
Squadrons Ready For Emergency
WAR SEEMS NOT UNLIKELY

Two Sailors Slain and Many Wounded b,
Shrapne1 The Foreign ONCE Takel
Immediate Action - King Edward
Sends Note of Sympathy to Stricken
P~eople-Public Feeling Runs High
The Car Sends Note OF Regret-Al
Leaves of Absence in English Navy
Have Been Called or.
London. England.-The Russian Bal
bic feet has opened its career as the
second Pacific squadron with an out
rage so amazing that but for unques'
tiouable evidence it would be beyond
belief.
! Part of the feet, supposed to be the
battleship squadron, after it emerged
from the Danish straits. steered a
course for the English Channel. All
about midnight it came across the Hull
fshing fleet. which either in panic or
hconceivable ignorance the Russians
must have mistaken for a Japanese
torpedo boat fotilla.
This is the only explanation at pres
ent that can be offered for the terrible
fact that the Russian warships opened
lire or the defenceless fishermen with
shrapnel, maintaining their fusilaGe,
according to the fishermen who es-
caped, for twenty minutes. sinking at
least one trawler and scattering death
and wounds among the crews.
Not the least diSgraceful feature OF
The tragedy is the fact that the war
ships continued their curse without
attempting to rescue the victims OF
even t0rascertain the extent Of the
damage they had done. Tie only sug-
gestion that is offered in palliation of
this inhumanity is that the Russians
were so overcome by panic that they
did their utmost to escape the imag-
ined enemy.
The earliest news of the affair was
brought to Hull by the trawlers Mino
and Moulmein, both of which were Sc
riously damaged by shot. The Moul-
main had sixteen holes in her hull.
Her skipper says that the feet was
fishing about 200 miles east by north
Of SDurn Head at I o'clock in the morn
Ing. The weather was rather hazy.
when the outlines of several large YES
sells, apparently warships, sailing in a
line. were sighted.
While the fishermen were Interested
" watching the vessels ~Searchlights
INV HoehnI an tho FRO yrIQrS Qn1 3h0Sn
Oh the Moulmein were enabled by the
light to see torpedo boats approaching.
1t seemed that they were going to
board the Moulmein, but they turned
and steamed away.
Within a short space 4 Of the war
ships opened fire. and the crews real
lied with horror that their boats were
being made targets of by warships.
First one and then another Of the
trawlers was struck.
Most of the crews sought shelter be-
low, but fortunately for those on the
Moulmein they did not. for the firing
had not lasted long before what seemed
to be a round shot struck her Oh the
port side and passed through the yes
eel where the men would have been
Gao tney gone DelOW.
The Mino, which was near the Moul-
mein, was struck several times. Hap
PLY each shot hit her above the water
line. None of her crew was hurt.
The firing continued for about TWEEN
ty minutes, when it ceased and the
warships steamed to tne southwark.
When the firing ceased the fleet
sailed away to the southwark, and
soon afterward rockets were sent up
from one of the other travlers. The
Moulmein steamed in the direction of
the spot indicated, and, getting near,
cries were heard, and it was found
that the trawler Crane, of the Game
cock feet, had been so badly damaged
that she was sinking.
Another trawler Of the Gamecock
fleet had arrived and was taking of
the injured members of the Cranes
crew. They included the engineer,
who had a wound in the chest, sup
posed to be from 4 splinter. and an
other man who had his hand shot off.
These men and others were placed on
board the Great Northern mission YES
sci, where their injuries were attend
ed to, those of the engineer being stat
ed to be very serious.
These cases, however. were not the
worst, for on the deck of the Crane
were her skipper, George Smith, and
her second hand, both of whom had
had their heads shot away.
Great Britain sent 4 long and urgent
note to the Russian Government, Off
cially detailing the circumstances of
ihc attack.
Special stress was laid on the cal
lousness displayed by the Russians in
not going to the assistance Of the fish
ermen.
The text of the note has not been
given out, but it is officially stated
from the Foreign Office that it contains
the significant announcement that the
situation is one which does not brook
To Stimulate Our Sympathy.