The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-17
THEIR DEATH
 WAS HEROIC How Men of Jap Cruiser
 Met Death. 36O WENT TO BOTTOM Story of December Tragedy
 Just Published. Crew Assembled on the Upper Deck in Perfect Order sad With Calm
 Bruvery Faced the Inc
 svitable End.
36o WENT TO BOTTOM

TOXIC, June 0..-tCcfrespOnuenCe AS sociated Press)-Tfe story of the loss of the Japanese cruiser Takasago In December last orly published since the destruction of Rojestvensky's fleet. is a military classic. After the Takasago struck Q mine and began to sink. the crew assembled to await the battle with stormy ssa and death. Captain Ishibashi ordered every man to use a life belt and directed that no one jump overheard until tho ship actually sank. The crew then joined In singing the national anthem. cheering the Emperor. and lastly they sang Gallant Sailors. their 800 voices ringing out above the storm. After that, as relaxation, the men were allowed to smoke, and thus they went calmly to their deaths. Out of 800 men who went down with the Takasago. only 133 were rescued.
 An ofYicer who was rescued give the following account of the disaster, and the remarkable bravery of the crew:
 The Takasago. fresh from the Kure dock yard. where she had been under going repairs, steamed straight to the mouth of tue Pcchili gulf at the be- ginning of December. and on December II she was ordered to wait for a col Her at a point of Port Arthur The collier, however. did not put in an ap- pearance owing to the rough weather.
 
 there were no signs of the collier. During the day the cruiser drifted with the waves and at night cruised slowly at the entrance of the Pechili gulf. She was not accompanied by any other ves- sel. At p. m. half of the crew were allowed to take q recess ana the men lay down upon the decks in their uni- forms.
 Tt was an intensely cold night. with RaIp fvuA ,tr,,, midnight, when at a point twenty five nautical miles south of Port Arthur and on the eastern side of the Miaotao Islands, she struck a mine on her lar board side and terrific explosion oc- cured, the sea feaping high above the ship. The mine had made breach of about six feet fin diameter in the middle of the water-line or the left side. The water rushed in with tremendous force and the ship listed to the left
 The crew worked hard to stop the thrush of the water, but in vain. There was no vessel In sight, so that the fate of the ship. as well as that of the crew, seemed sealed. t..
 Warshtp in Darkness.
 Fifteen minutes after striking the mine all the electric lights on board were suddenly extinguished. Owing to the list the boats on the seaboard could not be launched, with the exception of one. Of those on the larboard a steam launch was destroyed and only a cutter and one other boat was available.
 'At 12:45 a. m. the vessel commu- nicated the disaster to our squadron by means of wireless telegraph.
 Captain Ishibashi on the forebridge, addressed the crew. 800 in number. who had assembled on the upper deck, say ing that every one on board should equip himself with life belt. He con- tinued:
 No one must leave the ship until she sinks. We will together share the fate of the vessel
 After this speech there was solemn silence. At 1 a. m. the crew sang the national anthem, and at the instance of Captain Ishibashi. rousing banzais were shouted for the Emperor, the Empire and the navy. Then the crew sang a naval song styled Gallant Sailors At the conclusion of this song the crew were permitted to smoke.
 Al 10:10 a. m. the vessel suddenly increased her list and after once dip ping her mast into the waves. raised herself with a convulsive shudder and then plunged to the bottom. Captain Ishibashi and the crew were thrown in to the sea.
 The three boats which had been lowered from the ship were fortunate ly afoat with their regulation crews on board. They did their utmost to rescue the officers and men. but the fate of the boats themselves seemed at times precarious A few minutes later, however. a searchlight was ob- served In southeasterly direction The light approached and disclosed to view the warship Ottowa, which had come to the rescue. At sight of the Ottowa. the men, who had resigned to death, raised cries for help. thus increasing tne sadness of the scene.
 133 persons. including Captain Ishi- bashi, were saved More than 360 were lost, including Commander Nakayama. A number of men died from exposure after being picked up.'