The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-08-02
LOSS OF THE TAKASAGO
Inspiring Bravery of Japanese on
a Sinking Cruiser.

Cheering Their EmperOr-HundredS
Perished.
The story of the loss Of the japanese
cruiser Takasago in December last
and recently made public is u military
classic, says Tokyo dispatch. After
the Takasago struck mine and began
to sink the crew assembled in perfect
order on the upper deck, there to await
battle with a stormy sea and death.
CAPTAIN Ishibashi ordered every man
to use a life belt and directed that no
one Jump overheard until the ship
actually sank. The crew then joined
In singing the national anthem and
cheering the emperor. Lastly, they
sang the japanese song, Gallant Sail
ors," their 500 voices ringing out above
the storm.
After that as a relaxation the men
were allowed to smoke, and thus they
went, the vast majority Of them, calm
" TO their deaths OF 500 men who
went down with the TakaSago only
1873 were rescued,
An officer who was aboard gives the
following account of the disaster and
the remarkable GOODNESS and bravery of
the crew:
1.-The Takasago, fresh from the hure
dockyard, where she had been under
going repairs, steamed straight to the
mouth of the Pechili gulf at the be-
ginning of December, and on Dee IL
she was ordered to wait for collier at
a point off Port Arthur. The collier,
however, did not put in an appearance,
due to the rough weather
ION the 18th the sea was still high,
and there were no signs of the collier.
During the day the cruiser drifted with
ahe waves and at night cruised slowly
at the entrance of the Pechili gulf. She
was not accompanied by any other yes
sci. At 8 D. III. half of the crew were
allowed to take a recess, and the men
lay down upon the decks in their uni
forms
lit was an intensely cold night, with
a gale and snow. At two minutes past
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, and a terrible explosion occur
red, the sea leaping high above the
ship. The crew took up their emer-
gency positions
1.-The mine had made a breech about
six feet in diameter in the middle of
the water line on the port side. The
water rushed in with tremendous force,
and the ship listed to port. Captain
Ishibashi was on the bridge and Com
mander Nakayama beside him.
1.-The crew worked hard. but in vain,
TO stop the thrush of the water. TO
right the vessel coal and other heavy
articles on the port side were thrown
overheard, but the ship continued to
list more heavily. There was no yes
sci in sight. so that the fate of the ship
and Of the crew seemed sealed.
Fifteen minutes after striking the
mine all the electric lights were sud
denly extinguished and everything was
enveloped in darkness. with the eX-
ception Of a light on the bridge and
the glare of the rockets telling the dis
aster Owing to the list the starboard
boats could not be launched, with the
exception of one. OF those on the port
side a steam launch was destroyed,
and only a cutter and one boat were
available
Captain Ishibashi on the fore
bridge, addressed the crew, 500 in num-
Der, who had assembled on the upper
deck, saying that every one on board
should equip himself with life belt
He continued: No one must leave the
ship until she sinks. We will together
share the fate of the vessel After
the speech there was solemn silence
At / a. IN. the crew sang the national
anthem. Then, at the instance Of Cap
tain Ishibashi, rousing banZais were
shouted for the emperor, the empire
and the navy. The crew then sang
Gallant Sailors, after whicl. they
lighted their pipes.
Owing to the list the captain and
Others assembled on the bridges and
in the masts and netting and waited
for the hour of sinking. The waves
rose higher and the snow fell thicker
At 40 a. III. the vessel suddenly in
creased her list, and after once dip
ping her maSts into the waves raised
herself slightly and then plunged to
the bottom. Captain Ishibashi and all
the crew were thrown into the sea.
1.-The warship Otowa had meantime,
though unknown to the gallant men Of
the Takasago. been hurrying to the
rescue. She stopped at a distance Of
300 meters from the scene Of the disas-
ter, illumined the water with all her
searchlights and dispatched three boats
TO the rescue. At sight of the Otowa
the men, who had resigned themselves
to death, raised cries for help, thus
increasing the sadness of the scene