The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-09-14

the channel Just beyond the narrowest
part. The Mikawa Vert BY her and
was blown up BY her own crew, most
of whom escaped. She went down
lengthwise almost in the center Of the
channel The Asagao was disabled Big
the guns of the Russian fortifcations
and drifted aground before reaching
the entrance The Sakura struck an
electric submarine mine before reach
ing the marrow place, and every soul
on board Commander Shiraishi and
nineteen men-was lost.
While the Yedo was backing and
filing In order to find the exact posi-
ton where she was to be sunk, as tn.
Dictated on the chart, she was hit by a
shell from a fort on Golden hill, which
killed her commander, Lieutenant Ia.
kayagi Sublieutenant Nogata, boy
twenty years old, took command, and
under a torrent of shot and shell from
Notifications ON both sides Of the chan
mel he proceeded to carry out his orr
ders as coolly as If he were maneuyer-
ing In peaceful harbor. He held In
his hand the chart which had fallen
from the grasp Of his superior officer,
whose mangled body lay at bis feet
and gave orders to the helmsman and
! the engineer When he had found
his place be ordered the anchor to be
dropped, scuttied his ship took to the
boats and managed to reach torpedo
boat which was lying, for the purpose
of rescue, in the darkness outside. He
brought in all Of his men but two, one
Of them being his commander. and
twelve Of the eighteen were uninjured
1t was miraculous escape.
The Odara and Sagami were sunk In
the same way at the same time along
side of the Yedo, but every man on
board Of them was lost Some Of them
are supposed to have reached the land,
and from rumors brought out by Chi
nese coolies from Port Arthur 1t is be-
lieyed that they fought their captors
until they were themselves killed. The
| Aikoku, like the Sakura, struck sub
marine mine before reaching the chan
mel and went down. Eight Of her men
were drowned, but her commander
Lieutenant Inutsuka, and sixteen OF
the twenty-four men In his crew Were
rescued by a torpedo boat
In his official report, from which !
have obtained the greater part Of this
information, the commander Of the
aotiIla says that a storm sprang up
suddenly about the time the boats
were starting southeasterly sqnall,
with hail and rain and mist-and he
signaled all Of the vessels to withdraw
and wait for more favorable condi-
| lions, but the weather was so thick
that the signals were not seen, and.
following up their original instructions,
the commanders of the eight huks
made a dash for the harbor. The
searehlights usually operated from the
Notifications soon disclosed their pres
enee to the Russians, and during the
last thirty minutes Of their voyage
| they were under a raking fire from the
! forts on both sides and were constant
| IL colliding with mines in the water.
| 1t was miracle that any of them
reached their destination. But the
japanese on board went on about their
business as coolly as If they were at
| practice and no enemy were near.
Even the stolid and unsympathetic
Russians were thrilled with admira-
! ton at their coolness and daring.
The spirit which animated every
man in the expedition was expressed
In Il speech which Lieutenant Yuasa
Of the Sagami made to bis men before
starting.
Let every man set aside all thought OF
making name for himself, and let us all
work together for the attainment Of our
object. II Is d mistaken Idea 0f bravery
to court death unnecessarily. Death and
fame are not our objects Ia this attempt.
Our only object Is success, and we die IN
vain If we do not carry out our orders.
You all know what those orders are and
/ what Il expected Of us. II I am killed
Lieutenant Yamnmoto win take COM
mand. II he Is killed you will take your
orders from the chief warrant officer. ana
II he dies from the next In rank and so On
until the last man. Keep cool. 30 not
be excited Do not hurry And remember
that the last man may have 70 carry out
our orders alone.
No one knows what happened upon
the Sagami, except that the instruc-
lions given to Lieutenant Yuasa were
carried out literally to the last His
hulk lies on the bottom Of the channel,
exactly where he was instructed 70
place 1t, but every man on board was
lost The report Of his simple little
speech to his men was brought from
the sagami BY an aid-decamp Of the
commander Of the hotilla, who was So
deeply impressed by It that he wrote
down the words Immediately after
hearing them.
All Of the men who participated ~
the three expeditions, tho dead as well
rs tie living, lave been promoted and
sFazaasna'aas