New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-31
ALMAZ AND GROZNY SAFE
ALONE At VLADIVOSTOK.
RojestUensky's ArriUal Not Reported
Drect-Jdpan's Loss.

NiaulNOStOk. NAY sSo f.0o D. m--IWO SnlpS
alone of yice-Admiral Roiestvensl1y's powerful
lotilla. the swift cruiser Almaz and the de-
stroyer Grozny, lie at anchor here to-day in the
curving harbor Of Golden Horn. they having
separated from the fleet in the early stage OF
the battle which began in the Corean Strait ON
Saturday. and headed. IN obedience TO orders.
at full speed for Yladivostok
Up TO O'Clock this afternoon no other vessels
of the Baltic fleet had vet arrived, and the signal
stations at AskOld and Rimsky-Korsakoff ISL
ands reported none in sight
Officers of the Almaz and the Grozny say that
both fleets had already sustained terrible losses
when the AlmGz and the Grozny broke through
the hostile line
OF the Japanese two battleships had gone
down before their eyes, and two cruisers, their
sterns high out of water, seemed ready to plunge
foremost TO the bottom Of the sea-
The Russian feet they say. was even in a
sadder plight Rojestvensky's flagship. the
Kniaz Souvarof. and her sister ship. the Boro-
dino and the cruisers Oslyabya and Ural were
utterly destroyed and when the fog closed down
and hid the scene of battle from sight north
sian battleship the Alexander III. seemed In
sore distress. but was limping northward. put
ting up valiant fight against throngs Of tor
pedo boats and still continuing her attacks on
the cruisers Of the island empire. Torpedo
boats were also clinging round the other ships
of the feet Ike angered wasps. separate hotillas
darting in again and again TO launch their
weapons.
The Almaz. which arrived at her anchorage
here on Monday evening. bears scars Of the bat
tie. Her mizzenmast is shot away. and one of her
smokestacks is pierced by a cannon shot. But
the Grozny. though engaged for several hours
in a running fight at short range with a large
Japanese destroyer. shows signs of the fray.
and finally. after her commander. Captain An
driffski had been wounded and an officer and
three men had been killed. the Grozny sue
ceeded IN sinking her opponent with luckily
placed shot, and reached vlsdivostOk without
further adventure at II o'clock this morning.
For the last two days vladivostok had been
bUzzing with rumor and excitement The fact
that a battle between the rival fleets was immi-
nent if Rojestvensky was not already at close
quarters with Togo, was made known through
kilograms from Europe. and when it was
learned Monday morning that a Russian cruiser
had been sighted Off Askold Island headed for
the harbor the city was filed with the widest
reports.
The inhabitants clustered in the streets,
thronged the water side or climbed the frown-
ing hills overlooking the harbor for n better
view. Finally toward 6 O'Clock In the evening,
graceful cruiser with two snowy White
stacks. shot into view at the entrance TO the
Golden Horn and rounded 10 an anchorage he
meath the brfstlinS guns of the curving promOn-
tory. From afar the broken stump of her miz-
zenmast and a shothoe showing black on the
white paint of one stack indicated that the
cruiser had encountered the Japanese. AS the
anchor chain ratified in the hawSer holes the
vessel wreathed itself in smOke-it was an ad-
miraTs salute in honor of Rear Admiral Jeszen-
Scarcely had the boom of the last cannon bS-
aun 10 echo from the surrounding hills when
Admiral Jcszen's flagship. the cruiser RosSia.
answered the salute. and minute later the
guns Of the fortress took up the cannonade.
Excitement beyond description seized th'
throncs of spectators. wro with frantic "hUzzas"
tossed high their caps. citizens embraced each
other and danced jubilantly upon the pier. while
the crews Of the ships in the harhor joined in
wild cheering.
In a trice the boats were dropped from The
davits. and In a moment the officers of the
cruisers and torpedo boats in the harhor and
the military officials from the fortress We're
szraruin- on board the AImaz TO learn news o.
the fight.
The story was short. According To the officers
Of the Almaz the fleet under Roiestvensky mot
the Japanese in the Strait Of Corea near Tsu
Island and the opposing fleets Immediately
closed in. Being lightly armored the Alnaz.
rs had been ordered by Admiral Rojestvensky
before the battle separated itself from the main
feet at the first opportunity and headed for
Vladivostok soon after the beginning Of the
action, but not too soon 10 observe that the
losses on both sides in the combat were great.
Early in the battle officer of the Almaz.
while watching RoJestvensky's flagship. the hat
tleship Kniaz SouvarOff. for signal, saw the
flagship shudder from stem TO stern as If under
blow from a gigantic hammer and hesitate IN
her course. while waves rose high from her
armored sides Then she began TO list and
sink.
The officers believe that the appearance Of the
submarine boat as an effective agent in naval
warfare or perhaps a large mine. caused the
disaster TO the Kniaz Souvarof. The damage.