The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-04-22

aud at last i made out behind our
squadron u fleet of fourteen, of which
six were battleships and the remainder
arInored n unarinored cruisers.
Unable to Get in Range.
Unable TO get within effective rang.
of Vice Admiral Makaroff's ships, the
enemy stopped eighteen versts from
shore.
Our squadron, with the Petropav-
lovsk leading, arrived at the entrance
TO the arb and drew up in line Of
battle. Another signal was tioated from
the flagship, and the torpedoboats at
once proceeded through the entrance
into the inner harbor. Vice Admiral
risk his vulnerable craft to the heavy
projectiles of the enemy's armored
ships.
L watched the Petropavlovsk closely
as she steamed toward Electric cliff.
The frowning marine monster, whose
guns We're ever turning towards the en-
envy, was prepared to send huge mes
sengers of death against him.
All was quiet. 1t was the hush be-
fore d battle, a hush when every nerve
is strained to get into the impending
danger.
| looked for the Japanese ships, but
they We're without movement, save that
caused by the heaving sea.
My glance returned to u squadron.
The Petropavlovsk was almost without
Roadway, when suddenly / saw her
tremble. n seemed to rise out of the
water. a tremendous explosion rent
the air, then a second, and then a third,
Fragments flew in all directions and
wreckage and men We're mixed up in a
terrible mass.
Awful Horror.
l was hardly able to realize the hor-
rcr of it, when the ship began to list.
In a the sea seemed to open
and the water rushed over her. The
Petropavlovsk had disappeared. The
floating woodwork and a few men
was left to recall the splendid fighting
which a few hours before had
sailed out OF the harbor.
The same shock experienced by the
observers on Golden hill paralyzed for
a the men on the ships, but
when 1t passed ~torpedoboats II small
boats FASTENED to the rescue of the sur
Nivors.
Eager to ascertain what had occurred
on board the sunken ship. l FASTENED to
a landing where a small remnant 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 a re-
marlkably clear statement of the dis
aSter.
The Explosion.
He said:
We were returning to the harbor,
the P~etropavlovsk leading. Some of our
which had remained in the
came out and steamed toward
the enemy, firing sixteen shots at him
With their bow guns. Then they re-
tired. The enemy numbered fourteen
heavy ships, nearly all armored, while
ours were nine. Against their armored
we have Only the Bayan. L
on the wheel house on the bridge
of the P~etropavlovsk looking up the
signal book. The admiral's last signal
had been for the torpedo boats to en-
te,' the harbor.
The Petropavlovsk slowed speed and
stood still. Suddenly the ship
shook violently. l heard a fearful ex-
plosion, Immediately followed by an
other. and then another. They seemed
TO me to be directly under the bridge.
! rushed t. the door of the wheel
house where l met an officer, probably
a helmsman. | could not pass him, and
| sprang to the window and jumped
out. The ship was listing, and i feared
that every moment she would turn
Makaroff Lay in Blood.
on the bridge l saw an officer well
in blood-it was our admiral
Makarof. He lay face downward. L
to him, grasped him by the
n attempted to raise him.
The ship seemed TO be falling some
where. FROM all sides flew fragments.
l heard the deafening screech and the
frightful din. The smoke rose in dense
n,,l tI1 lr,,o. 49, 49,
toward The bridge where I was stand
ing beside the admiral. 1 jumped on
the rail and was washed away, but
succeeded in grabbing something. I
sucked down. I remember the
masts, and the nothing more.
"On II ship was an old man with a
White beard. He had n book
in his hand n seemed to be writing.
perhaps sketching. He was Nerestcha-
gin, the painter
Story of the P~etronavIovsL