The San Francisco call., 1905-05-31
GURDIDORS IAY THEY -I4LD
.JAP ANEJE LDARJHIPy SINK.
Graphic Story
of the Great
Combat.
Continued From Page I. Column Z.

ing that a Russian cruiser had been
sighted off Askold Island, headed for
the harbor. the city was filled with the
widest reports Of every nature.
ALMAZ STEAMs INTO PORT.
The Inhabitants clustered in the
streets, thronged the water side or
climbed the frowning hills overlooking
the harbor for a better view.
Finally, toward 6 o'clock of the
evening, a graceful cruiser with two
snowy white stacks shot into view at
the entrance TO the Golden Horn and
rounded to an anchorage beneath the
bristling guns of the curving promon-
tory. From afar the broken stump Of
her mizzenmast and shot hole show
ing black on the white paint Of one
stack indicted that the cruiser had en-
countered the Japanese AS the anchor
chain ratified in the hawseholes the
vessel wreathed itself in salute-it was
an admirals salute in honor of Rear
Admiral Won Jessen. Scarcely had the
boom of the last cannon begun to
echo from the surrounding hills when
Won Jessen's flagship, the cruiser Ros-
sia, answered the salute and minute
later the guns OF the fortress took up
the cannonade.
Excitement beyond description seized
the thronging spectators, who with
frantic ''huzzahs" tossed high their
caps. Citizens embraced one another
and danced jubilantly on the pier,
while the crews of the ships in the
harbor 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 harbor and the military
officials from the fortress were swarm
n m, rd ha Inn fn M
of the fighting.
GRAPHIC STORY of BATTLE.
The story was short. According to
the officers of the Almaz the fleet under
Rojestvensky met the Japanese in the
Straits of Korea, near Tsu Island. and
the opposing fleets Immediately closed
in. Being lightly armed, the Almaz, as
had been ordered by Admiral Rojest-
vensky before the battle. separated
herself from the fleet at the first op-
portunity and headed for Vladivostok
soon after the commencement of the
action, but not too soon to observe that
the losses on both sides in the titanic
combat were great
Early IN the battle an officer of the
Almaz. while watching Ro1estyensky's
flagship. the battleship Kniaz Souva-
roff. for signal, saw the flagship
shudder from stem to stern as If under
a blow from a gigantic hammer and
hesitate IN her course, while the waves
rose high from her armored sides.
Then she commenced to list and sink.
The officers believe that the debut of
the submarine boat as an effective
agent I'm naval warfare, or perhaps n
large mine, caused the disaster to the
Kniaz Souvaroff. The damage, how
ever, was so extensive that the flag
ship soon went down, leaving the deck
officers and many of the crew strug-
CLING in the waves.
One of the Russian torpedo-boats.
either the destroyer Bunny or the Bravi,
ran in and picked up a number of the
swimmers, one Of whom was recognized
through a fash as Admiral Rojest-
vensky.
Under a gruelling attack by the Jap
anese warships. aided by torpedo-boats
mines and submarines. the Borodino
the Oslabya and the Orel were placed
out of action and followed the flagship
to the bottom.
SEE JAPANESE SHIPS SINK.
The fog, which had raised and low
cred internationally during the morn
ing, began to settle down again and
the distance of the Almaz, which had
now succeeded in disengaging herself
from the struggling ships. made 1t diff
ficult for her to see clearly. but the Of
flcers are positive that they saw two
Japa nese battleships disappear beneath
the sea before their eyes, and that two
Japanese cruisers appeared on the
point of sinking.
The arrival of the Grozny at IL
o'clock to-day was marked by the
same scenes of excitement as those
which characterized the advent of the
Almaz.
A correspondent visited the wounded
commander of the destroyer. Captain
at the hospital, and the cap
tain confirmed the details given by the
officers of the Almaz. He described his
combat as a running fight, In which
the GroZny was engaged for several
hours, finally sinking the pursuing Jap
anese destroyer.