Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-13
MikaSa Takes Fire in sassbo Harbor and
Aft Magazine BIplodss,
ADMIRAL TOGO WAS NOT ON BOARD
Great Relief When it is Known that
Famous Hero Escapes.
s'TTLEsHIP WAS BUILT IN ENGLAND
IL Carried Crew of a3S Omcers and
Men and Was One of the
Largest Vessels OF Its
Glass AHORt.

TOXIC, Sept 12-2 p. m.--The Navy de.
partment announces that the battleship
Mikasa has been destroyed by fire and the
explosion Of its magazine causing the loss
OF 5s9 lives including men OF other ships
who went to the rescue
The fire STARTED from an unknown cause
al midnight on Sunday last September 10.
Before the officers could be rescued the
fire reached the att magazine, which ex-
ploded blowing a hole in the port side OF
the vessel below the water line and caus-
ing the ship to sink.
An investigation is now being held to
determine the cause of the FIRE
The Mikasa was a first class battleship
of 1900 tons displacement 1t was built
In England and was launched in 1902 The
battleshp was 400 feet long. had a speed OF
over eighteen knots and carried a crew of
935 officers and men. 1t was heavily
armored and carried four twelve-nch guns,
fourteen siN-inch guns, twenty twelve
Founders and a number Of smaller rapid
fire guns 1t had four submerged torpedo
tubes.
In the battle Of the Sea Of Japan tho
Mkasa was the heaviest loser Of all the
Japanese ships, having sixty-three killed
and wounded. It approached nearest to
the Russians than any other battleship.
The Mikasa was also the flagship OF
Admiral Togo after the great naval battle
fought off Port Arthur on August 10. 1904,
on which occasion the Japanese flagship
also suffered the most. but continued in
the fighting line. On that occasion the
Mkasa had four officers and twenty-nine
men killed, six officers and twenty-nine
men severely wounded and four officers
and twenty-nine men slightly wounded.
Accident Casts Gloom over Nation.
The disaster to the battleship Mikasa has
cast gloom everywhere. The Mikasa was
Togo's flagship and was endeared to the
hearts of the people. The ship was in
| anchor in Sasebo harbor when the fire
| started at the base of the mainmast, at
| midnight. 1t spread with great rapidity.
! exploding the after magazine an hour after
the fire had been discovered, The Mikasa
sank in shallow water and II Is believed
the ship can be repaired Rescuing parties
were sent from the various warships in
the harbor and there was heavy casualties
| among them.
Various conjectures are current to the
| cause of the fire. Some attribute II to an
| overcharge of electricity.
Great relief was felt throughout Japan
when it was learned that Admiral Togo
was not on board the ship at the time OF
| the fire.
| Sensational story mt Rome.
| ROME, Sept. 12.-The Tribuna today pub
lished a rumor from Tien Tsin to the ef-
feet that the family of Baron Komura,
the Japanese plenipotentiary, now in New
York City, had been assassinated.
| In view of the fact that recent detailed
dispatches describing the disturbances in
| Toxic have apparently been uncensored, il
is not believed that the above rumor is
we'll founded The fact that It originated
in Tien Tsin would also tend to dlscredit II,
as Tien Tsin is not favorably located for the
| receipt of important news from Japan at
| first hand.
Report Not Believed.
NEW YORK, Sept. l2.-Baron Komura,
the peace plenipotentiary, who Is I'll at the
Waldorf Astoria hotel, was somewhat i'm
proved today, his fever being abated ap-
preciably He was still, however confined
| 10 his bed and members OF his suite said
| that he was in too weak and nervous a
| condition to be shown the report from
Rome that his family had been assas-
snated. Mr.. Sato, official spokesman OF the
Japanese party, said that no dispatches
had been received by the peace plenipo-
tentiary which could furnish any ground
for believing the reported misfortune, and
added that the other members of the Japa-
nese party considered the report 10 be en-
tirely unfounded.
| Notwithstanding his weakened condition,
the baron is determined to leave New York
on Thursday to begin his hOmeward trip as
originally planned.