The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-06-23
FIVE VESSELS sunk
Total Amount of Damage Done to the
japanese Navy
BLIND LUCK OF RUSSIAN FLEET
Two Japanese Sailing Vessels Added
to the Three Transports lost-13
Transports Exposed to Capture by
the Raiders.

Toxic, by Cable-The remarkable
raid of the Russian Viadivostock
squadron evidently is over. The
squadron disappeared of Cape Han
ashi, steering to the north, and it has
not been reported since. 1t Is as
sumed to be returning to Vladivo-
stock
Whether vr not a portion Of Vice-Ad-
miral Kamimuri's squadron is await
ing the Russians off Vladivostock is
carefully guarded secret. Assuming
that Vice-Admirsl Kamimura dispatch
ed some of his vessels to Vladivo-
stock when he learned that the Rus
sian squadron was off Xxi Island, these
ships would have had ample time to
arrive there ahead Of the Russians and
will be ready to give battle.
The weather has been foggy, and
thus conditions have been against
the Japanese.
It is reported that the raiding Rus
slams captured British steamer laden
with coal bound south from the ISL
and of Yezo and sent her to Vladivo-
stock with a prize crew, but the re-
port is not confirmed by the Japanese
Navy Department.
The transports Sado, Hitachi and
Izumi were the only ones overhauled
by the Russians. Japan had 13 trans
ports in and near the strait Of Ko-
rea the morning the Sado and the
Hitachi Were caught, and she was for
tunate that only the three ships men,
toned were overtaken by the enemy.
1t is impossible to get complete
facts concerning the sinking Of the
Hitachi. She evidently failed to\stop
when signaled to do so by the Rus.
sian vessel. The claim is made that,
Captain Campbell, the English mas
ter Of the Hitachi, refused to stop, and
planned to ram the Russian, but this
Ia denied 1t Is said the the Japa-
nese officers on board the Hitachi de-
clined to surrender and required Cap
tain Campbell to keep his ship going.
The assertion that the Russians fired
upon the life boats in which men were
escaping from the Japanese transports
has been fully sustained.
The raid Of the Vladivostock squad
ron has brought an unwarranted
amount of criticism upon Vice-Admir-
al Kamimura from the Japanese, and
his failure to catch the Russians in
the fog off Gensan of the coast Of
Korea, when the Japanese transports
Kinshiu was sunk on April Is, with
loss of about 200 men, has been re-
called. Some Of these even declare
that If Vice-Admiral Kamimura fails
to catch the Russian vessels before
they reach Vladivostock he should
either resign from the navy or COM
NIT suicide. The popular demand for
his replacement is growing, but the
public is without information as to the
nature Of his orders or the plans Of
the naval campaign, and fails to make
allowance for the limitation Of con-
ditions.
Vice-Admiral Kamimura's squadron
was lying off Tsu Island when the raid
ing Russians reached Okino Island.
He Immediately started in pursuit Of
the enemy, but rains obscured the
sea and an electrical storm interfer-
ed with his system Of wireless tele-
graphy, and the only possible indict-
ment against him is one Of lack Of
good luck. The Japanese generally
magnify the Importance Of this Rus
sian raid, which has no material ef-
feet upon the war. 1t was a desper-
ate venture, and it is believed here
to have succeeded only through blind
! luck.
The Yatawa and the Ansei, two
sailing ships were sunk by the Rus
SLAMS on Thursday between Ko ISL
and and Okushiri Island off the west
coast of Yezo and north of the Tsu-
garu strait. Thirty-seven survivors,.
reached Essashi on Thursday after
noon. This makes total Of five Japa-
nese ships sunk or destroyed by the
Russian raiders.