The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1905-03-08

-
worst that ve had. Nothing daunted
bv their tW) repulses, the japanese
swarmed Ia on us again from three
sides, letting 20 torpedoes and firing at
us with their machine guns. 1t was In
the midst Of binding snowstorm,
while a heavy gale was whipping the
sea until 1t was almost impossible
for the lighter craft to hold their own.
Notwithstanding this small japanese
boat crept up within a few hundred
yards Of us. sending In torpedo which
struck the Seyastopol near the stern.
1t exploded with tremendous force. For
n moment | thought that our ship was
gone Soon ] realized that we were
safe for the time being, but | found
later that our steering gear had been
badly crippled and that the officers
quarters had been wrecked. The Japa-
nese seeing that our ship was crippled,
left us alone after this. | did the best
| could to patch things up. | learned
however, that | could not restore the
steering gear SO as to give me chance
to escape to the open sea if | had so de
sired
In the meantime General Stoessel
had sent word to.Ane that he desired
me to take command OF the batteries
on Liao Tishan hill, with orders to bonn
bard the Japanese position day and
night. | ran a wire out from my vessel,
connecting it with a telephone. Thus
from my quarters on board | not only
commanded the Sevastopol, but direct
ed the men ashore. This went on for
more than week, when on Jan. / Gen
eral Stoessel telephoned me that 1t was
all over
lie told me that it was useless to at
tempt to hold out longer and that he
had sent word to the japanese com
mander. making an offer of surrender.
When | heard this made UP my mind
at once that my ship should not fall
Into the hands Of the enemy. | called
my officers together, gave them their
| instructions and took my place on the
bridge. Steering slowly with our en-
gines, we headed toward the open sea
until we were about mile offshore,
| when / gave the order to slow down
Then | gave the order to open the sen
valves, and gradually the water began
| to pour in As | stood on the bridge
| saw the huge hull slowly settle In the
water As she sank gradually the Off
GERS and crew left her in our boats, but
| | remained on deck until felt her list
starboard.
| gave her one last, long look and. go
| Ing over the side, got into my launch.
| We steamed away probably 200 yards.
When looked back | saw her lift sud
denly In the air, turn bottom up and go
| down In thirty fathoms. The Japanese
| will never get her. She will rest on the
| bottom of the China sea for all time to
come
| After the sinking of the ship we
steamed into Port Arthur, where inn
mediatey had an interview with Gen
| eral Stoessel. lie told me that he had
| already arranged the terms of surren-
| der and that the city in few days
| was to pass into the hands of the Japa-
nese. He was greatly affected, but de
| clared that there was nothing else left
for him to do. When he pointed out
the conditions / realized that he was
/ right. The story that he surrendered
| In spite of his officers is not true. Gen
/ eral Stoessel is one of the brayest men
In the Russian army, and If there had
been any possible chance to hold out
| longer he would have been the last
man to give up.
You cannot imagine the terrible con
ditlon of the city. The streets Were
| literally plowed up from the rain of
great shells from the Japanese guns,
more than half the houses were demol-
ished, the hospitals We're packed with
sick and wounded, many of the OIL
GERS and men had not slept more than
four hours day for weeks, and what
| little provisions We're left were of in
ferlor quality and rapidly disappear,
ing General Stoessel explained that
ha considered that 1t would be simply