The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-31

against the throngs of torpedo boats
/ and continuing her attacks on cruisers
! of the island empire. Torpedo boats
I were also clinging round the other
! ships Of the fleet like angered wasps,
| separate hodllas darting in again ana
| again to launch their weapons.
Scars of Battle.
The Almaz, which arrived at her
| anchorage here Monday evening,
| bears scars of the battle. Her mlzzen
mast is shot away and one of her
smokestacks is pierced by a cannon
/ shot But the GrOzny, though en-
/ gagged for several hours in a running
/ fight at short range with long Jap
anese destroyer. shows no Signs OF me
! fray. After her commander captain
Andriffski had been wounded and an
officer and three men had been killed
| the Grozny succeeded in sinking her
opponent with a lucky piled shot ana
reached WladivOstOk without turner
adventure Vladivostok had been
buzzing with rumOr and excitement
The fact that a battle between the
rival fleets was imminent II Ro1esL-
vensIxy was not already at hand grips
with Togo was made known through
the kilograms from Europe, and when
it was learned Monday morning tnak
Russian cruiser had been sighted
off Askold island headed for the mar
Dor the city was filled with the Wlluest
reports of every nature
The Inhabitants clustered IN the
streets thronged the water side or
climbed the frowning hills overlooking
the harbor for better view. FllslIly
toward o'clock of the evening a grace
full cruiser with two snowy white stacks
shot in view at the entrance to the
golden horn and rounded to an anchor-
age beneath the bristling guns OF me
curVing prOmontOry. From aIar LHS
broken stump of her nizzenmaSt ana j
shot hole showing black on the Wnlte
paint of one stack indicated that the
cruiser had encountered the japanese.
As the anchor chain raItleo IN tuS
hawes-holes the vessel Wreathed 1tseI
in smoke-it was an admiraPs salute
in honor of Rear Admiral ROJestVenSKy-
Scarcely had the boom OF the last can a--
non begun to echo from the surrounding
hills when Won Jessen'S flagship, the
cruiser ROssia, answered the salute ana
a minute later the guns OF the fortress
took up the cannOnade-
Great Excitement Prevailed
Excitement beyond description seized
the thronging spectators who, with
frantic huzzahs, tossed high their caps.
Citizens embraced each other ana
danced iubilantly 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 moment the
officers of the cruisers and torpedo
boats in the harbor and the military
official from the fortress were swarm
ing on board the Almaz to learn news
of the fight. The story was short &C
cording to the officers of the Almaz the
fleet under ROjestvensky met the Japa-
nese in the strait of Korea near Tsu
island and the opposing fleet closed IN.
Being lightly armOred, the Almaz, as
had been ordered by ROjestvensky sep
arated from the main fleet at the first
opportunity and headed for NladlVos-
took as soon as the commencement OF
the action but not too soon to observe
that the losses on both side in the IL
tanic combat were great.
Early in the battle an ot1cer OF the
Almaz, while watching Rojestvensky's
flagship. the battleship Kniaz Souvaroh,
for a signal saw the flagship shudder
from stern 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 com
menced to list and sink. The officers
believe that the debut CT the submarine
boat as an effective agent in naval war
fare, or perhaps a large mine, caused
the disaster to the Kniaz Souvaruh. The
damage, however, was so extensive that
the flagship soon went down, leaving
the deck officers and many of the crew
struggling in the waves.
Recognized ROjestvenslIy.
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 flash as Admiral Rojestyen-
Japanese warships, a ided by torpedo
boats, mines and submarines, the Boro-
dino, Osliabia and Ural were placed out
of action and followed the fgship to
the bottom.
The fog, which had raised and lower
ed intermittently during the morning,
began to settle down again and the dis
lance of the Almaz which had now sue
ceeded in disengaging herself in the
combat from the struggling ships, made
it difficult for her to see clearly, but the
officers are positive that they saw two
Japanese ships disappear beneath the
sea before their eyes, and that two Jap
anese cruisers appeared on the point Of
sinking.
The arrival of the Gronzy was mark
ed by the same scenes of excitement as
those which characterized the advent of
Almas.
The correspondent of the Associated |
Press visited the wounded commander
of the destroyer, Captain Andriffski, at
the hospital and the captain 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 sink
ing the pursuing japanese destroyer.