Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-18

and the remainder armOreQ ana uHdi-
| mored cruisers.
| Unable to get within effective range
of Vice Admiral Makaroff's ships. the
enemy stopped Is versts from shore.
| our squadron, with the Petropa-
| lovsli leading arrived at the entrance
| To- the harbor and drew up i'll line OF
| battle. Another signal was fioated from
the flagship and the torpedo boats at
| once proceeded through the entrance
| into the inner harbOr. Vice Admiral
! Makarolf was evidently unwilling to
| risk his vulnerable craft to the heavy
| prnjcctiles OF the enemy's armOrcd
| ships.
| Il watched the Petropavlovsk as she
steamed toward Electric Cliff. The
| froNn ming marine monster whose guns
were ever turning towards the enemy
was prepared to send huge messengers
of death against him.
| All wla quiet. 1t was the hush be
| fore a battle-the hush when every
nerve is strainedSo get into impending
danger.
Il looked for the Japanese ships but
| they We're without movement save that
caused by the heaving sea
Ny glance returned to our squad
ron. The Petropay!ovsk was almost
without Roadway when suddenly | saw
her tremble. She seemed to rise out of
I he water. Il tremendous explosion rent
the air, then Il second and third. Frag-
ment% flew in all directions and wreck
age ana men We're mixed up in Il terri
bic mass. | was hardly able to realize
the horror of il when the ship began
to list. In Il moment the sea seemed
10 open and the water rushed over her.
The Prtropavlovsk had disappeared.
The floating woodwork and the few
| men struggling i'll the water were all
that was left to recall the splendid
| fighting machine which a few hours
before had sailed out of the harbor.
THE same shock experienced by the
observer on Golden Hill paralyzed for
| 4 moment the men on the ships, but
when it passed torpedo boats and small
boats FASTENED to the rescue of the
survivors,
Eager to ascertain what had Oc-
CURED on board the sunken ship, has
tened TO a landing where Il small rem
nant of the gallant crew We're being
put ashore and conveyed to a hospital.
Signalman POchkoff, who was slightly
wounded, was able to give me Il re-
markedly clear statement of the dis
| aster. He said:
| I'VE returned to the harbOr, the Pc
| torpavlOvsk leading. Some of our
| cruisers which had remained in the
| harbor came out and steamed toward
! the enemy, firing 16 shots at him with
| their bow guns. They then retired.
! The enemy numbered IA heavy ships
| nearly all armored, while ours were
nine. Against their armored cruisers
! we had only the Bayan. l stood in the
| wheelhouse on the bridge Of the Perto-
pavlovsk looking up the signal book.
| The admirars last signal had been for
| the torpedo boats to enter the harbor
| THE PetrOpaVloVsk slowed speed ana
almost stood still. Suddenly the ship
shook violently. I heard n fearful ex-
plosion. Immediately followed by an
other and then another. They seemed
to me to be directly under the bridge
| | rushed to the door of the wheehouSe
where | met an officer probably q
| helmsman. | could not pass him and
sprang to the window and jumped out
The snip was listing and I feared that
| every moment she would turn over
| VII tlit VI NlSt saw stl tltlttG welt
ering in blOOd-it was our admiral
| Makaroff. He lay face downward ]
sprang to him. grasped him by the
| shoulder and attempted to raise him.
| Tile ship seemed to be falling some
where. From all sides flew fragments.
| ] heard the deafening screech and the
| frightful din. The smoke rose in dense
| clouds and the flames seemed to leap
1 L.. 7
| ing behind the admiral. ] jumped on
the raj! and was washed off. but sue
ceedcd in grabbing some thing.
ION our ship was an old man with Il
beautiful white beard, who had been
| good to our men. He had n book in his
hand and seemed to be writing. per-
haps sketching. He was Verestchagcn,
the painter
| London. April 1S-The correspondent Of
| the Times on board the steamer iIaimun
sends by wireless telegraph 4 description
confirming Vice Admiral Togo's report OF
the Port Arthur operations.
| Paris. April 1S-rhn Petit PariSien. this
morning. publishes the following from its
st. Petersburg correspondent: .,,
| The Emperor is withdrawing Sa,w1GsE
roubeS. part of his private fortune de
rosited in Il foreign bank. This money
| will he received by the Bank of Russia
| within month. His Majesty is deter
mined to lend this money to his country
without interest or guarantee should il
| hc needed
st. Petersburg. April FIT is said that
the japanese torpedo 1lntilla attack on
Port Arthur April Il. was intended I"
cover a landing from nine Transports at
| Shwang Tai Use. ~ miles southwest of
Takushan, with a view of cutting off Tho
retreat of the Port Arthur troops on Sin
Yen and kai Ping. destroying the rail
way and preventing troops stationed i'll
southern Lao Tung eftecting a junction
with thu. main Russian forces concentrate
ed at Lao Yang and Mukden. The exc
cution of this operation failed only owing
To- the fact that all places ON the PENN
sula suitable for landing of troops ar"
protected by mines, Well fortified and
strongly guarded.
Lao Yang. April 1.-THE Associated
Press correspondent believing that the
Japanese would repeat the attempt To
block the entrance to Port Arthur with
ire ships on Easter eve. went from Lao
Yang to Port Arthur week ago yester-
day.
For four nights I watched with the
| ri Three NIGHT :