Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-27
STORIES FROM
 THE SEAT OF WAR
Russo-Japanese Conflict as Seen
 by Correspondents.
INCIDENTS OF OHEMULPo FIGHT.

Singing Lieutenant Nakamura
 Tells How Japanese Torpedo Boats
 Dashed Ia Over Mine Fields and Port Arthur-Viceroy Alexeief4 Said to Have Killed Young OMcer For
 the City's Defeat-EHect of the Ter l rife Bonaha dment.
 1 F. A. Mckenzie, the special core spondent of the New York World, writing of the Russo-Japanese war, describes the engagement at Chemul- DO, Korea. as follows: r-
 "Russias ,warships, the variag and Korietz, were caught in a hopeless 1 trap. 1 The captain of the variag held a conference with the British, French 1 and Italian captains on board the Tal- bot, asking for protection from the foreign warships while he was leaving the harbor. The request was refused. The Russian captain then returned to 1 his ship.
 ''The var1ag and Korietz promptly l jettisoned their woodwork and all in- cumbrances. The crews assembled. and the Russian national anthem was sung as the ships moved forward, with the men all cheering. The Japanese fleet, commanded by Rear Admiral s. Uriu, lay out six and three-quarter miles from the foreign ships. At 11:5O the Japanese armored cruiser Asana fired on the approaching Russians with an eight inch gun. and after the third 1 shot, seven minutes later, the Russians replied. The range was 5000 yards. i The Japanese fleet formed in line of 1 battle, and at noon the full fleet was engaged. The Japanese fire was heavy and unceasing and was mainly direct ed against the Variag. ft s
 "The Russians maneuvered rapidly to avoid the fire, but five shells struck the Variag in rapid succession, while the Japanese shrapnel fire swept the crews repeatedly from the guns. A single shell killed or disabled all save one man at the forecastle gun. One shell. struck near the water line, ex- ploding, and sheet of flame shot up as high as the after fighting top. Anoth- CT shell demolished the fore bridge and set fire to debris, compelling the Variag to cease firing for nearly i've minutes, while the crew was called to the fire stations. Two shells penetrated at the water line, one amidships, while an other pierced the upper deck just aft the foremast. Both bridges, were wreck ed, and one funnel was shattered.
 "The absence of gun shields left the crews exposed to the rapid fire guns and the shrapnel. The concussion was stupefying and the noise deafening: 1 but, dazed and benumbed, the Russians kept on working their guns. One Rus sian lieutenant says:
 ".There was blood, blood, blood ev- anywhere; severed limbs and torn bodies. It was horrible.
 'The Korietz was little hurt and her crew apparently uninjured, She fired her eight inch guns alternately, being handled very skillfully, while the Va riag attempted to use an island as pro- lection. A shell, however, disabled the Variags steering gear. and her captain then resolved to attempt to run ashor. oh his return to the harbor so as to avoid capture and destruction.
 "The Variag, however, was hampered in her attempt to escape by the neces- sity of remaining near her slower con- sort. Both ships returned to the har- bor. The cruiser anchored BOO yards From the Talbot, the Korietz lying far ther In. The ships fired at the Japanese while retrea ting, but the Japanese re-, : trained from firing. On the approach of the Russians the British. French and Italian vessels cleared for action. but when the doomed ships had anchored the British ship Talbot dispatched sur geons to her in boats. Other warships and the Holt line steamer also sent aid.
 "The scenes on the removal of the wounded were indescribable. Most of the wounded were injured in many places, but the men showed fortitude, and there was complete order Great difficulty was, however, experienced in taking the wounded into boats. The Japanese now left the vessels alone, and the captain of the Variag declared his intention of destroying the ships. The men were accordingly removed to foreign warships. .M...
 When the Korietz was blown up 
 forward and one aft. A mass of flame rose 100 feet high, and then came the smoke mounting to the heavens. AS the noise of the explosion died away voices of Russians were heard across the waters of the bay singing the na- tional anthem.
 "The crew having been removed, the variag's sea cocks were opened, and the ship gradually filled. At o'clock sharp, small explosions were heard. Fire soon reached the captains cabin, causing sharp explosions among the twelve pounder ammunition. The list to port became more marked, the stern of the ship heeled gradually over, there was a falling of gear, and the ship finally went under"
 James Winslow Horton, the New York American and Journals corre- spondent in Japan, interviewed Lieu- tenant Nakamura of the Japanese tor A.