Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-07-28
RUSSIANS BOLDEST ACT
SINKING Of the British Steamer Knight
Commander.
AMERICAN SHIPS ARE IN DANGER.
Vlsdlvostock Squadron Attacking American
Commerce to the Far East-Anxlely at
Yokohoma Over Ships from American Ports
The Knight Commanders Crew Only
Given Ten Minutes to Leave Their Ship.

Yokohama, (By Cablc). - Captain
Brown, of the steamship Tsinan, which
brought the crew of the steamer
Knight Commander into port here
says that the Knight Commander met
three Russian warships at 7.3o o'clock
Saturday morning off the province OF
Izu. The Russian officers who board
ed the Knight Commander took her
captain back with them and ordered
the crew of the Knight Commander
to come on board one Of the Russian
warshps within ten minutes. The
Russians then sank the Knight Com
mandcr.
At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the
Russian vessels met at Isnan and
transferred the crew OF the Knight
Commander to this vessel.
Boosted of Seizures.
An Indian bA tswain of the Knight
Commander, says the Ru, slams boasted
that, besides sinking the Knight Com
mandcr and haltlng the Tsinan, they
had sunk two small Japanese vessels,
and that before meeting the knlgh.
Commander they had captured a Ger
man steamer, believed to be the
Arabia, belonging to the Hamburg
American Line and the Chcltenham,
a British vessel.
The Russians said they had plenty
of coal. Before leaving the Isinan
the Russians ordered Captain Brown
to blow off steam and not move his
vessel until the Russians had disap-
peared over the horizon. When last
seen, at J o'clock in the evening. the
Russian warships were steaming in a
southcastSrly direction, towards the
mouth of Tokyo bay.
No Contraband Aboard.
The American Trading Company.
agents at Yokohama for the Knight
Commander. deny that the vessel had
and contraband hi board, according
to her manifest
The three Russian warships which
sank the Knight Commander are re.
ported by Captain Brown to be crowd.
ed with men Their bottoms are foul
and they look grim and ugly.
The Russian vessels are thought to
DC SnOIt VI pll|c N'N"o,
The Tsinan brought in a number
Of passengers, including women and
children, from Australia.
Anxious for American Ships.
Americans are anxious concerning
the possible fate OF the Korea, be
longing to the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company, and the American steamer
Shawmut, which left Puget sound ON
July 10 for Hong kong. The loko-
hama agent OF the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company cablcd warning to
the Korea at Midway Island. 1t is
not known whether either of these
steamers carries Contraband.
Sinking Regarded Unwarranted.
Tho sinking Of the Knight Com
mandcr without a trial is regarded as
an unwarrantcd act, attording grounds
for apprehension As to the treatment
by the Russians of other neutral YES
sells.
Respect for British Flag.
An officer from the Russian fleet
who boarded the steamer TSinan said
that the officers OF the fleet had re
ccived instructions from St. Peters
burg to treat the British flag with
the greatest respect, but il the Tsinan
had railway material aboard the Rus
SLAMS should either capture or sink
her.
The office SAID that the commanders
Of the vessel concerned i'll the sink
ing OF the steamer Sodo had been
severely ccnsured by St. Petersburg
for not positively ascertaInng that
there were no people remaining
aboard. He said the Knight Com
mander would not heavc to until four
shots had been fired.
The Russian officer boastcd and asked
for whiskey, and he offered to pay
for a few bottles. The shipping of the
coast is now generally restricted.
The NladivoStok fleet was last re-
ported at the mouth OF Tokyo bay
and developments are momcntar'ly
expected.
Great indignation is manifested
over the sinking OF the Knight Com
mander