Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-06-02
THE RECENT BATTLE.

hOisted on the japanese hagship the sig
nal read
"Tbe destiny Of our empire depends
upon this action. You are all expected
to do your utmost.
The japanese feet gradually inclosed
the Russian on all side- and the torpedo
boats sunk one ship after another. The
Russians were unable to repel the attack
at night.
While the japanese suffered loss of
less than 800 men in killed aud wound
ed. if is estimated that the Russian loss
es were frcm Z 900 to 5000, not includ-
ing nearly 4,000 taken prisoners.
The first shell that struck the coming
tower of Admiral Voelkersham's flag
ship, the baltleship Oslabya, killed the
Admiral. The ship was sunk.
Nearly 9, 500 Russian prisoners have
landed at Nagasski.
An officer of the Borodino, who is at
Sasebo, in describing his experiences in
the recent naval conflict says
"I was in the forward barbette 10
charge of one of the l2-inch guns when
the signal to begin firing was given. The
ship nearest to us was the Shikisima,
whose proiectiles began to reach us few
moments after the fight began. fired
the first gun at 1880 and WAS overJoyed
TO see that it reached its mark, for the
,Japanese vessel was struck in her upper
works and did not return the fire for at
least ten minutes. At this early stage
of the battle Admiral Rojestvensky came
aboard the BorodinO and directed the
fighting from the bridge.
Immediately aferward a Projectile
struck my barbette and rendered every
one inside inseusble. The barbette was
filled with smoke. Igroped my way out.
The decks were raining with prolecties.
Dozens Of me1 were lying dead or wound
e5 At every turn. When the barbette
was clear [ re-entered with the crew, but
only had time TO fire two more rounds
when two projectiles struck simultaneous
" and disabled both Pinch guns, wreck
ing the barbete and killing eighteen
officers and men"
81 crawled on deck to one OF the t.
inch guns, which was surrounded with
dead and wounded Here | remained
for an hour, during which time the
Borodino became shanbles. The
wardroom and steerage were crowded
with woupded. Nearly every ammunl-
ticn hoist had been wrecked aud shells
had to be passed by hand A shell
struck the port screw and another DIS
abled the steering gear. The signal
mast was carried away.
presently, when everything seemed
worse than C infusion, quartermaster
tod me that the admiral was wounded
and was being taken TO another ship in
DESTROYER. saw the destroyer leave
amid a hail of small arm ammunition,
but fortunately none struck her.
"At 4 O'Clock the BorodnO was down
by the head She had been hnlled sew
eral times. There was no hope OF sav
ing her. The japanese ships. having
succeeded in breaking out battle forma-
ton. came closer and brought every
available gun to bear. Our fighting tops
were particular targets. Not enc OF the
men stationed there was apparently
alive. | volunteered 10 go up with
few men, aud the sight there even in tht
midst of the desperate battle was so ter
rible that it has haunted me.
me and robbed me of sleep ever since.
The men in the tops had been hacked t
pieces by the FIRE of the japanese. 1h'
machine guns were bopelessly ruined.
"Fire broke out in several places, an'
this added to the horrors Of our alread.
sorely tried vessel. The fire cal
sounded, but so many were dead o
wounded and the falling pr@ectiles mad
, it so difficult to operate that there wa
no chance t, subdue the flames. 1t wa
therefore resolved to withdraw from tn
line of fighting.
"Our steering apparatus had been re
7 paired. but eight japanese ships close
round us and bombarded us from ever
side. Our forward guns we're useless
y but we did good work with the after i:
inch guns aud those 6-inch guns whic
were not out of action, though they wei
E worked with only half their complemer
of men. The BoroAino sank lower all
lower and was fine target for the owe
whelming superiority of the enemy, b'
we fought on desperately although hop
lessly.
- "roward evening, after long afte
II noon of terrible exhaustion. durir
which there was neither time to eat NJ
Il drink, and after We had lost fully Al
killed or wounded, we noticed tv
.Iapanese destroyers bearing down. O'
of them we sunk with shell from
3. inch gun, but the other came safely al
launched a torpedo and swept past o.
how unbarmed. The torpedo missed u
g, The chief engineer now came to inf'r
us that the fire had gained such hea
: wsv that il was impossible to keep Il
lis men below. A moment later the engl
!, 70 room crew were driven out by the flame
r. I'VE expected every moment to 4.
Of blown up and we're preparing Tor toe !
eyitable when a whole fOtilla Of torPe
boats came down on US. In hye m'hu'
the end had come. An explosion caos