The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-03-08


zette, which arrived in yesterdays mails !:
SINKING OF THE NAKONOURA
MARU.
AS reported in the telegraphic col
umns OF our last issue, the crew and
passengers OF the Japanese steamer Ma
konoura-maru, which was sunk by four
Russian warships near the Tsugaru
straits on the nth inst, returned to
Nagasaki by German steamer yester-
day morning.
Captain Y. Enuma OF the ill-fated
steamer has sent in the following re-
port to the authorities -
About 8 a. IN. ton the nth inst.) the
Nakonoura-maru encountered four Rus
sian warships when the latter fired a
blank cartridge preceding the signal:
I'VE do not allow you to proceed; aban-
don your ship quickly; leave the ship
within fifteen minutes The Nakono-
ura-maru. therefore, prepared to lower
boats and sigraled to the Russian men
of-war askino them for assistance as
much as possible The Russian squad
ron then replied: 1--WE are going to
save YOU" The four ships surrounded
firing, discharging several shots each
The Nakonoura lowered the life boats
from the port side and transferred to
them one-half of the crew and the pas
sengers She turned her hull, and, be-
fore lowering the life boats from the
starboard side, was pierced through the
fell near the life boats The remaining
Df Ill
boats. At this time, shells from the
to be falling on them but they rowed
hope of being saved The Gromoboi
which all the Japanese were taken on
had been deprived of their effects, four
the crew of thirtv-seven were distrib-
locked and protected by guards. The
thrice day. After cruising through
the Japan Sea, the Russian squadron re-
turned to Vladivostok at 4 p. m. on the
I4th On the 18th. the japanese pris-
oners took their final breakfast on the
ored with warm clothing, such as over
coats, hats, shoes, etc. At 10 a. m.
they were sent ashore and re-imprisoned
until 2 p. m. when forty-one Japanese
were released without condition About
three o'clock; the Vladivostok harbor
office forwarded them to the German
steamer, which left for Nagasaki at 10
a. m. on the 10Th.
Tt,o T,,,,,,, nf tI,a N,t.o,o,,-, ,,,,.,,
adds that the four Russian men-of-war
were staying at Vladivostok at the time
OF his departure.
The above is published bv Japanese
paper as summary of the Captains re-
his official report does not speak of any
loss of life, but is alleged to have told
the press representatives at Nagasaki
that sailor named Tsuneyemon Murata
was injured by shell, which fell near
the life boat lowered from the starboard
side. and was drowned, having been
precipitated into the water. Another
early report, from Nagasaki mentioned
the loss of two lives.
Later on we learned that the Asahi
had published the full text OF Captain
Enuma's official report which clearly
announces lHC uCdln VI tWo lnS
Nakonoura-naru suffered from the fire
of both the Gromoboi and the Rossia.
All the important ships articles and
documents went down with the vessel.
The exact time when the Nakonoura
came in sight of the four Russian war
ships was II 80 a. m. on the nth inst.
when she was 4 knots distant from the
Russian fleet and IL knots off the nearest
point of land.
According to a Nagasaki telegram to
on board the Gromoboi. the crew of the
Nakonoura-m -maru considered that they
could no lonoer look for life. and at
tempted to set the Gromoboi's powder
magazine on fire with the idea of sink
ing with the Russian warship. They,
however could not accomplish their OBJ
the Russian guards.
FIRST PORT ARTHUR ATTACKS.
We have been favored with the fol-
lowing extracts from letter written
from Chefoo on the 18th inst by an
English commercial man who was III
Port Arthur when the first attacks were
made by the Japanese;
"On Monday night last (Sth inst)
| heard shots being fired outside but
thought nothing of it. When turned
out next morning there were three men
o'-war completely blocking the entrance
to the harbor, where they had been
beached to prevent sinking. They were
the Tsarevitch. Retvisan, and Pallada.
1t appeared that during the night three
Japanese torpedo boats had crept right
in amongst the fleet and after torpe-
doing the vessels mentioned, got clear
away again. The Tsarevitch has since
been got off, but when ! left, the other
two we're still ashore.
The next morning at TO- AS a shell
came right into the entrance of the
harbor quickly followed by several more.
The civilians, myself included, with
commendable alacrity closed their Of
fees and houses and made for hill
at the back of the town, on the other
side OF which was valley and safety.
The hill is covered with loose stones
and the going was very hard. The
shells were flying clean over our heads