Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-06-01
Russia's Greatest Disaster.

Thousands of people in Russia are
now mourning the loss of dear ones,
who went to the bottom of the sea, last
Saturday evening, with thousands OF
tons of metal, above and around them,
to drag them down to their unknown,
unmarked and common grave; while
all the world wonders what it to be the
next act of its greatest drama since our
Civil war.
The Russian fleet, the strongest in
numbers and equipment that has ever
sought battle, and which was reported
off the eastern coast of China, last
week, approached the straits of Corea
(which are divided by the Tsu islands
into two channels) early last Saturday
morning.
/ Their approach was reported by
wireless telegraph to Admiral Togo,
who was at anchor in Masampho
harbor on the southern coast of Corea,
and he seems to have waited until he
learned whether the Russians would
take the northern or southern channel.
Receiving authentic information that
they had taken the southern channel,
he steamed around the north end of the
island and came upon the Russians
that evening, steaming through the
channel in two columns.
He attacked the left column with his
battleships and sent his fleet of torpedo
boats in between the two columns; and
once again the superior craftsmanship
and desperate courage Of the Japs pre-
vailed over their enemy. In short
time, probably within an hour or two,
the Russian fleet was sunk, disabled,
captured or seeking safety in flight
Six battleships and cruisers are reported
to have sunk, and each of them probably
took four-to eight-hundred men to the
bottom of the sea- In all nineteen
Russian vessels were sunk or captured
by the Japs, who Immediately began
the pursuit of the fleeing vessels. Ad-
miral Rojestvensky and eight of his
CAPTAINS are said to have gone down
with their ships, and the Japs captured
several vessels and three thousand men,
including one Rear Admiral. The
Russians can give no news of the affair,
and the Japs will not When Admiral
Togo received word of the approach of
the Russians, Saturday morning, he
sent his government word of it, adding
that the weather was fine, and the sea
heavy; his report that night was ex-
tremely brief, considering the world
wide importance of the affair. 1t read
Combined squadron attacked Rus
sian squadron to-day near Okinoshlma
(southeast of Tsuchima) and defeated
it, sinking at least four ships and in
fiictiug heavy damage upon others.
Damage to our ships is Insignificant.
Our destroyer and torpedo flotillas de-
livered attack after sunset.
On Monday he named two battleships
and five cruisers as having been sunk,
and other vessels as being captured
and the Japs are said to have lost ten
torpedo boats and one cruiser, but the
details of the affair will not be known
so long as their suppression can be of
any possible advantage.
The Russian government received its
first news of this crushing disaster
through American sources, and it is
now in sore straits, with disaster
abroad and impending revolution at
home; while the whole japanese nation
is rejoicing.
Yesterdays dispatches put the num-
Der of Russian vessels destroyed at p,
and besides this Russian cruiser at !
tempting to leave Vladivostock. struck |
a mine and sunk with 800 men. Admir- |
al Togo wired his government that the |
''please feel assured" of it. One Rus |
sian cruiser and one torpedo boat escap- |
ed and reached Vladivostock. Their |
officers saw the Russian flag ship sink.
leaving some of the officers and men
struggling in the waves, and think she
was struck by submarine used in
this battle for the first time, and three
more Russian battleships followed the
flagship to the bottom before the fog
closed down upon the scene, and they
escaped the conflict.
A Russian officer, now prisoner, says
the Russian fleet entered the straits
numbering 36 vessels. Admiral Togo
reports Admiral Rojestvesky as being
captured, but badly wounded on the
coast of Korea, but the Russians report |
him at Vladivostock, also badly wound
ed On Monday the Jap vessels were |
searching the islands and the coast of
Korea for Russian vessels that had tax
en- refuge
In Manchuria, Tuesday, three-day |
rain had ceased and the Japs were get |
ting ready to attack the Russians.
THE American yacht or three masted |
schooner Atlantic, won the race |
across the sea. arriving at the Lizard |
England, at 6:15 p. m, Monday, eigh-
teen miles ahead Of her nearest COM
petitor. Time, II days and 16 hours;
distance from Sandy Hook about 5000 |
miles.