The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1904-03-04

the next ship both passed the harbor
mouth, and the third ship signaled
when she had the channel exactly
abeam. Admiral Togo then flashed a
red, white and red masthead light,
which was the signal to the torpedo
boats. Instantly each torpedo boat
went full speed astern a few revolt
tons of the propellers, and then, hav-
ing cleared the stern Of its protecting
battleship, turned at right angles and
ran full speed in over the mine fields
Each torpedo boat laid direct head-on
course for the Russian ship assigned
to it. At this moment the searchlight
Of the Russian harbor guardship dis
covered the attack, and calls to station
sounded all through the feet. BY the
time my boat was within effective tor
pedo range Of the Cesarevitch the battle
ships searchlight was on us, and the
watch on deck was working the small
rapid fire guns at us.
AT the instant our torpedo was
launched the Cesarevitch started her en-
gines, making sternway, and the ship
went backward till her anchors brought
her up. Our torpedo was well aimed
at her engines, but by the ships back
ing water it struck and exploded well
| forward near the bow.
"Putting the helm hard over, we cir
cled and passed within view of the Pal
lada, anchored nearer inshore, and
saw a torpedo explode just aft her
engine room. Two other torpedoes
struck their marks on the enemy's
ships, but their names did not hear.
! by this time the Russian feet was
| wide awake. The crews were trying
| to short range the big guns on us, and
their rapid fire machine guns were pep
pering the water like hailstorm. The
| garrisons in the forts OH shore had
walked up, and the heavy seacoast bat
terry guns were throwing shells over
our head out at our battleships. AS
our retreating torpedo boats passed out
Of range of the rapid fire guns the op-
orator on shore exploded a dozen or
more mines, but without damage to U.S..
Not till we were FIVE miles away from
the harbor did the gunners on the ships
get their big guns in range, and then
shells began to drop near us.
admiral Togo moved the feet thir-
V miles to the northeast and ordered
the men to Sleep"
The st. Petersburg correspondent of
the London Express wired the follow
ing:
II learn from official sources the
news of dramatic sequel to the Rus
sian disaster at Port Arthur on Feb. 8.
After the attack by the Japanese, Vice
4 roy Alexeieh summoned before him
the Russian officers whose negligence
was the main cause Of the defeat. Aft
or cross examining them as to their
conduct Alexeien was convinced that
q lieutenant among them was most cul-
pably guilty.
ut is declared that Alexeieff drew a
.svolver and shot the young officer
dead before his comrades. The lieu
tenant had taken party of officers
. ashore on a torpedo boat, whereas he
should have been on guard outside the
, harbor"
t Dispatches to the New York Worlt
t stated that Admiral Stark, second II
command of the feet at Port Arthur
, was giving ball in honor Of his wife,
! name day when the Japanese attacked
/ about midnight Feb. 8. Most Of tn
naval officers were at the ball and aft
: er the alarm could not reach their ship
e for one or two hours. When Admira
2 Stark, at the ball, learned Of the attacl
. he tainted.
t Captain Gray Of the British steame
p Tuping gives the following account Q
n the effects of the bombardment o
+ Port Arthur, says the London Tele
8 graphs correspondent:
;. "The town and dock of Port Arthu
: suffered severely, though the actua
damage was not so great as Nigh
have been e~.ected from the lombard
II ment. Three shells fell into the eas
" haain wit.l.s.H:.. doing -r.9ry muck. harm
Y
g12 AR1