The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-16
BRAVE DEATH TO
SINK RUSS SHIP
Details of the Torpedoing of the
SevastopoI Show 1t Was a
Marvellous Feat


TOKYO. Dec. 15.-The commander
porting at 1885 o'clock yesterday
morning. says:
Commencing at IL: 80 o'clock Tues
day night and continuing until 8
o'clock Wednesday morning, six tor
pedo boats and specially fitted torpedo
craft constantly attempted attacks
against the Russian battleship Sevas-
topcl, the coast defense vessel Otvash-
nj and the military transports. Ac-
cording to reports received from the
watch tower guardshfp at o'clock this
morning, the Sevastopol had COM
menced lowering astern and the water
was said to reach the torpedo tubes
astern.'
The same commander telegraphing
last midnight says:
AT $3.50 o'clock on the morning of
Dec. IA Commander Otaki, leading a
f1otilla of torpedo boats, and Lieut..
Miyamoto. leading another f1otilla, be-
gan attacks against the Sevastopol.
Otaki's f1otilla failed to accomplish its
purpose, owing TO the severe snow
storm. Miyamoto's fotilla succeeded
in reaching the intended spot by TAX
ing advantage of the fact that the en-
emy's searchlights were exposing
Otaki,s fotilla and were not directed
against Miyameto's. In the thick of
the snow, while Miyamoto's flotilla was
searching for the enemy's ship, one
torpedo boat became lost from its COM
rade ships.
AT o'clock Lieut. Wakamuda's tor
pedo boat independently attacked a
militia transport Another torpedo boat,
under Miyamaoto, discharged and ex-
ploded a torpedo against the Sevasto-
pol Both returned safely, but failed
to meet the missing torpedo boat and.
crew. Today the watch tower guard.
ship reports the stern of the Sevas-
topol appeared to have lowered three
feet"
Deed Was Glorious
The partially successful torpedo at
tack on the Sevastopol was made. in
the face of almost insurmountable. OBJ
stacles and writes another inspiring,
story of the splendid bravery of a.
number of officers. The entire crew.
of the torpedo boat destroyers and tor;
pedo boats volunteered for the attack,
counting death in their efforts to de-
ship at Port Arthur.
Facing driving snowstorm and
heavy seas. the fiotilla. separated, and
under individual comma nders the veS-l
sells attacked independently. The decks
of the destroyers and torpedo boats
were coated with ice and the men suf-
fered acutely from cold. The Rus
slams resorted to the most extreme pre-
cautions to protect the Sevastopol
They dropped torpedo nets, which
shielded the bow of the war
ship. and the Sevastopol was fur
ther protected by specially con-
structed wooden boom, the frame work
of which was composed of IRON bound
logs, and cables and heavy chains in
terlaced and entangled.. From the sur
face of this boom hung a deep curtain
made of torpedo nets taken from the
sunken battleships, the purpose of
which was to catch and destroy the
torpedoes and their mechanism. The
japanese probably refraiRed from at
tempting to cut or jump the boom, a
plan demonstrated by the British, but
the torpedo boats and destroyers evil
IDENTIFY forced the openings which the
munication with the harbor.
Ship Sinks Further
LONDON. Dec 15.-A dispatch to
the Japanese legation from Tokyo
says:
The commander of the Third squad
ron reports that the Sevastopol's bow
which had previously sunk three feet,
had further sunk this morning, and at
a. m. her torpedo tube was completes
ly submerged. One of the torpedo
boats which attacked the Sevastopol
has been missing from 1880 p. m. yes
terday to a. M today. Six torpedo
boats attacked the Sevastopol, the OF
vashni and another ship
Humble Heroes
MUKDEN, Dec. 15.-An Interesting
army order has been issued, calling at
tention to the exceptional heroism, self