The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-18

. the cruisers Chitose. Yoshino, Kasagi
and TakaSago, all unarmOred vessels,
which presented a tempting bait for
the heavier Russian ships.
Vice Admiral Togo directed the
flank attack. He had the battleships
HatSuse, KikaSa, ASahi, ShigiShima,
Yashima and Fuji. He waited thirty
miles out at sea until Rear Admiral
Dewa signaled him by wireless telegra-
ply to come in. His vessels then
dashed at full speed toward the en-
trance Of the harbor. All the battle
ships under Vice Admiral Togo are
capable of a speed of eighteen knots
and they quickly covered the distance.
1t is not clear what warned the Rus
slams that they had been trapped, but
they probably discerned the battleship
squadron on the horizon and retreated
precipitately to the harbor. Vice Ad
miral Togo did not succeed in prevent
ing the Russians from entering, but did
force them to a disastrous retreat,
which ended in the destruction of the
Petropavlovsk and the disabling of the
PObieda. After these occurrences the
cruisers NiSShin and Kasuga were used
to lombard Port Arthur. They possess
the highest angled guns in the fleet,
capable of throwing shells to the ele-
waited Russian land works, which are
beyond attainment by the average
naval weapon
Expressions of regret at the death of
Admiral Makaroff are general here.
Speaking for the naval staff, Comman-
der OgaSaWara has published a lengthy
statement in which he laments the.
death of the Russian vice admiral and
pronounces it to be loss to the navies
Of the world. Commander Ogasawara
reviews the life, professional career and
the personal attributes of Vice Admiral
MakarOm and declares that he is en-
titled to be claSsed with the best ad-
miralS in the world.
The Koryu Maru. which participated
in the latest attack on Port Arthur, is
a torpedo depot ship, under the COM
mand of Commander Oda. Oda is a
mine expert and the success of the
japanese countermining operations was
due largely to his ingenuity and BRAY
cry.
The Japanese report that the wreck
of the PetropavlOvsk lies southeast of
Golden Hill, one mile outside the en-
trance to the harbor
DENY MINES DID THE WORK.
ST. PETERSBURG, April 17.-"Not-
WithStanding Vice Admiral Togo's
claim that mines laid by his vessels
were responsible for the disaster to
the PetropaVlOvsk," said a high naval
authority who is in a position to have
ebSCCoo ~ OH SONS1 I6pOIlS, dIIl
more than ever convinced that the
PetrOpavloVsk and the Pobieda did not
strike Japanese mines. Each ship was
struck under the hull amidShipS, while
mine would have exploded on first
contact near the bows. The fact that
In both cases the ships were struck
amidships might warrant the accept
ance of the theory regarding submarine
vessels, although personally / do not
hold that idea The PObieda probably
escaped the fate of the Petropavlovsk
because she carried coal in her bunk
ers between the bottom and the boilers,
which, moreover, are of the Belleville
type, whereas the boilers of the Pet
ropavlovsk were Of Scotch make and
were not protected by her bunkers.''
one OF the ShreWdeSt naval attaches
at st. Petersburg, however, said that
he believed the Japanese laid the mines
which were responsible for the disaster,
pointing out that this was one of the
oldest systems of blockading when
ships did not dare to run the risk of
entering under an enemys guns. The
attache said he thought they would do
this when he noticed that the Japanese
fleet always made wide detour of the
entrance. 1t is also significant that
Chinese junks have been reported as
cruising off the harbOr, and it is con-
sidered possible that the Japanese kept
these JunkS there systematically in Or
der to throw the Russians off their
guard if they were seen when the act
ual time arrived to lay the mines.
Capt. Crown, who went down with
the PetrOpavlovsk, joined that ship on
the previous day, having succeeded in
getting through from Shanghai, where
he left his vessel, the gunboat, the
Mandjur. Capt. Crown was a descend
ant of Scotchman who fought with
Russia in the war with Sweden, when
he captured the first Retvizan.