The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-09-13
SIX HUNDRED SINK WITH TOGO'S FLAGSHIP
MIKAsA, ADMIRAL,S FAMOUS.
 BATTLEsHLP, DESTROYED BKEXPLosIoM

Small Fire spead Rapidly and Reached
 Powder AIasazine-Hole Blown in
 Port Side Causes ship to sink-De-
 tachments From Other Warships whd
 Went to the Rescue Also KiIIed-.
 Gloom in Tokio--AdmiraI Was
 Aboard His Vessel and is Safe. Tokio. Sept. 12.-2 p. m.-The navy department announced to-day that the battleship Mikasa had been destroyed by fire and the explosion of her maga- zine, causing the loss of 800 lives. ir- cluding men of other ships who went to the rescue The Mikasa was the farnous flagship of Admiral Togo.
 The fire started from an unknown cause at midnight on Sunday, Septegn- Der 10. Before the officers could be rescued, the fire>reached the after mag azine, which exploded, blowing a hole in the port side of the vessel below the water line and causing the ship to sink.
 An investigation is now being held to determine the cause of the disaster.
 The disaster to the battleship Mikasa has cast a gloom everywhere. The Mil kasa was endeared to the hearts of the people,
 The ship was at anchor in Sasebo harbor when the fire started at the base of the Inainmast at midnight It spread with great rapidity, exploding the after magazine an hour after the fire had been discovered. The Mikasa. sank in shallow water and it is believed | the ship can be repaired,
 Rescuing parties were sent from the various warsbips in the harbor and there were heavy casualties among them. Various conjectures are current as to the cause of the fire. Some att tribute 1t to an overcharge of electri- city
 Greatrelief was felt throughout Japan when it was learned that Admiral Togo was not on board the ship at the time of the fire.
 At the battle of the Sea of Japan. Admiral Togo, as the engagement was about to open, flew the following signal:
 The destiny of our empire depends upon this action You are all expected to do your utmost
 Tn that battle the Mikasa was tie #heaviest loser of all the Japanese ships, having sixty three killed and wounded. I She approached nearer to the Russians than any other battleship. According to one report of the engagement, in a coming turret lieutenant at KdTiiF57 Togos side was wounded with a splfnt Ter from a she'll and Togo went to his knees and cared for the young officer After the battle when he arrived at Sa- Esebo, Togo allowed no one to land and himself did not leave his ship till he yisited the captive Russian commander. l Admiral Rojestvensly-
 I The Mikasa was also the hagship of l Admiral Togo during the great naval battle fought off Port Arthur on August sEf10, 1904, on which occasion the Mixasa also suffered the most damage, but con- E.tinued in the fighting line. Tn that bat tie the Mikasa had four officers and ltwenty-nine men killed, six officers and l4twenty-one men severely wounded, and four officers and twenty-nine men slightly wounded.
 N The Mfkasa was a first class battle- Iship of 15,20O tons displacement. She was built in England, and was launch #i ~ II l5oA'5 kolle WttS fuU I66l lOIlS,s 70 feet in breadth, and drew 27 1-4 feet of lwater. She had 16,431 indicated horse- power. giving her a speed of more than eighteen knots. The Mikasa car- Tried a crew of 935 officers and men. Her armored belt was four to ten inches thick, her deck was protected by three inches of arn1or, she had six inches of steel on her sides above the belt and her bulkheads were protected by twelve inches of steel, She had fourteen inches ] of steel armor over her heavy gun post tions, and six inches of steel over her secondary battery gun positions. l The armament of the Mikasa consist led of four 12-inch guns, fourteen e. inch guns, twenty 12-pounders, and a number of smaller rapid-fire guns, She had four submerged torpedo tubes and