The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-18
JAPANESE FLEET
AT YLADIVOSlOK

| al YLADllV9lUk
| Continued from First Page.)
leader and the laggard were Russian
| and the four others were Japanese.
| The torpedo boat from which
| steam was escaping was firing vicious
w., The four center craft drew to-
| gether, concentrating their fire upon
her, but the crippled destroyer poured
out her fire and was successfully
keeping off her assailants.
| Japanese Encircle Boat.
The Japanese vessels formed a
| fire.
Running straight for the adversary
barring her way to safety, she passed
the Japanese astern and fired at
| them.
AT this stage Vice Admiral Makaroff
SlgnaIed to the cruiser Bayan, living
| In the inner harbor, to weigh anchor
and to go out to the rescue. The
Japanese destroyers chung to their vic
tim like hounds in chase. They had
peccme separated, but again resumed
their formation.
| The stricken boat loosed a final
| =
| been fired over her own grave, for she
disappeared beneath the waves, onIy
a little cloud of steam marking the
| place where she went down.
The Japanese torpedo boats turned
| and made off at full speed, followed
| by the Bayan. To their support. came
six of the enemy's cruisers. Still the
Bayan went on. She soon ported her
| helm to bring a broadside to bear
upon the foe, which was advancing in
line OF battle. The japanese steamed
| at slight angle, enabling all their
guns to bear, and projectiles rained
| around the Bayan, raising columns OF
water as they burst, but none struck
home.
Torpedo Boats Appear.
| To the eastward suddenly appeared
hVe more Of our torpedo boats return
ing to the harbor under forced
draught. Two Of the Japanese cruisers
were Immediately detached to cut
Them off. but the Bayan, noticing the
movement, checkmated it by turning
not fire upon them. The movement
was effective. The Japanese cruisers
slowed down and the torpedo boats
snpped thru into the harbor.
Meantime the battleships and cruis-
ers IN the inner harbor slipped anchor,
Majestically the Petropavlovsk, flying
the adm1raPs flag, steamed thru the
entrance.
On her appearance the more for
m1dable one Of the Japanese cruisers
turned and fed.
Besides the Petropavlovsk, I saw
the. battlesh1ps Peresviet, Poltava,
NoYlk, Diana and Askold and the tor
pedo boats.
Seeing the fight of the Japanese
cruisers, the Petropavlovsk opened fire
Win her great guns, but the enemy
was OUT or range and soon disap-
peared. Our squadron continued the
| chase, finally fading from view.
waited anxiously for it's reappear-
| ance and in about an hour it came
| in sight.
Chased Back to Harbor,
Nearer and nearer came the vessels,
and at last L made out behind orr
squadron fleet of fourteen, of which
SIX were battleships and the remainder
armored and unarmored cruisers.
| Moving at reduced speed, the Pet
| ropavlovsk came abreast of Electric
Cll1I. me torpedo boats were enter
| ing the harbor when suddenly from
the starboard side Of the Petropa-
VloVsks bow a white column shot
up. Ihere was double muffed ex-
plos1on and the whole flagship became
| covered with orange brown smoke.
They're firing a broadside." cried
a gunner standing beside me, but
| thru my binoculars I could see frag-
ments OF Wreckage falling from above
the broken rigging of the foremost
and flames Of fire shooting out.
She's sinking, she's SIS sinking ;,
walled some one beside me.
Inc Petropavlosk began to settle
slowly by the head, heeling far over
70 starboard until her rail was under
water. Her bow had already disap-
peared and now the foremost was
s ss l could still see the con-
n!ng tower. Then her smokestacks
disappeared. They seemed to fan
| thru the water and the sea began To
engulf the mainmast. Her after tur-
ret with It's guns pointing skywards,
| quickly vanished; then her stern with
the port propeller still revolving. /
| could see figures desperately Glitch
ing at the slippery hull from rents in
when tongues Of flames shot out.
A last explosion and the flagship was
no more.
| Boats from the torpedo boat de-
stroyer Gaydamak hurried to the
scene Of the disaster. It was 40
| minutes past nine in the morning.
Few Of Crew Rescued.
Eager to ascertain what had &C.
| CURED on board the sunken shin 7
hastened to landing where a small
| remnant of the gallant crew were be-
ing put ashore and conveyed to a hos
| pital.
Slgnalman Pochkoff. who was
slightly wounded, was able to give me
| remarkably clear statement of the
disaster. He said:
| The admirais last signal had been
| Tor the torpedo boats to enter the
harbor. The Petropavlovsk slowed
speed and almost stood still. Sud
denly the ship shook violently. I
heard fearful explosion, immediately
followed by another and then an
! other. They seemed to me to be di-
rectly under the bridge. The shin
was listing and feared every moment
! she would turn over.
On the bridge I saw an officer vel
terlng in blood-it was our admiral
Makaroff. He lay face downward. I
sprang to him, grasped him bv the
shoulder and attempted to raise him
| The ship seemed to be falling some
where. From all sides flew frag-
ments. The smoke rose in dense
| clouds and the flames seemed to lear
toward the bridge. I jumped on the
rail and was washed off but succeeded
in grabbing something
On our ship was an old man with
a beautiful white beard, who had been
| good to our men. He had a book if
his hand and seemed to be writing
perhaps sketching. He was Verest.
chagin, the painter.