The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-17
Story of the Sinking of the Japanese
Cruiser TakassgO.
VESSEL RAN INTO A MINE
ONLY 133 OUT OF A CREW OF 500
RESCUED.

q
Takasago struck a mine and began to
sink the crew assembled in perfect or
der on the upper deck there to await
the battle with a stormy sea and death
Captain Ishibashi ordered every man
to use a life belt, and directed that no
one jump overheard until the ship
actually sank The crew then Joined
in singing the national anthem, cheer
ing the emperor, and lastly they sang,
Gallant Sailors" their voices ringing
out above the storm. After that, as a
relaxation, the men were allowed TO
smoke, and thus they went calmly 10
their deaths OF 500 men who went
down with the Takasago only 133 were
rescued.
Remarkable Bravery.
An officer who was aboard gives the
following account of the disaster and
the remarkable GOODNESS and bravery OF
the crew:
The Takasago, fresh from the Kure
dOckyard, where she had been under
going repairs. steamed straight TO the
mouth Of the PechiH gulf at the be
ginning of December, and on Decem per
II she was ordered to wait for a collier
at point off Port Arthur. The collier,
however, did not put in an appearance
owing to the rough weather on the
18th the sea. was still high and there
were no signs of the collier. During
the day the cruiser drifted with the
waves, and at night cruised slowly at
the entrance of PechiH gulf She was
not accompanied by any other vessel
At o. m. half of the crew We're al
lowed to take a recess and the men
lay down upon the decks in their uni
forms.
Fatal Mine Struck.
TT was an intensely cold night, with
a gale and snow. At two minutes past
midnight, when at a point twenty-five
nautical miles south OF Port Arthur
and on the eastern side of the Miaotao
islands she struck a mine on her lar
board and a terrible explosion occurred.
the sea leaping high above the snip
The crew took UP their regular posi-
lions. The mine had made bre3ch
about six feet in diameter in the mid
die of the water-line of the left side
The water rushed in with tremendous
force and the ship listed to the left
Captain IShibashi was on the bridge
and Commander Nakayama beside
him
THE crew worked hard to stop the
thrush of water, but in vain. In order
TO right the vessel. heavy articles on
the left side were thrown overheard,
but the ship continued to list more
heavily There was no vessel IN SlSht
so that the fate of the ship as well as
that of the crew seemed sealed
Lights Went Out.
Fifteen minutes after striking the
mines all the electric lights on board
were suddenly extinguished and every
thing was envelODed in darkness with
the exception Of d light on the bridge
and the glare of the rockets telling Of
the disaster. Owing TO the list the
boats on the starboard could not be
launched, with the exception Of one OF
those on the larboard a steam launch
was destroyed and only a cutter and
one other boat was available
AT 12:45 a m the vessel cOnTnuni-
Gated the diSa Ster TO our squadron by
means of wireless telegraph and the
crew had nothing to do but to await
the sinking of the vessel
Captains Address to the Crew.
Captain Ishibashi on the fOrebridge
addressed the crew, 500 in number, who
had assembled on the upper deck. say
ing that every one on board should
equip himself with a life belt. He con-
tinued:
=. No one must leave the ship until
she sinks. We viii together share the
fate Of the vessel "
After this speech there was solemn
silence. At 1 a. m the crew sang the
national anthem. and at the instance OF
CAPTAIN IShibaShi rOusing banzalS We're
shouted for the emperor, the empire
and the navy Then the crew sang d
naval song styled Gallant Sailors On
the conclusion of this song the crew
were permitted to smoke
Owing to the list the captain and
others Assem- bIed on the bridge and
TnasStS and netting and waited for the
hour of sinking The waves rose high
er and the snow fell thicker.
Down in the Depths.
"At ITO a m. the vessel suddenly in
creased her list and after once dipping
her nastS into the waves. raised her
self with a ShUdder and then plunged
to the bottom. Captain IShibaShi and
the crew were thrown into the sea.
THE three boats which had been
lowered from the ship were fortunately
adoat with their regulation crews on
board They did their utmost to rescue
the officers and men, but the fate of
the boats themselves seemed at times
precarious. A few minutes later, how
ever a searchIight was observed in a
sOutheasterly direction. The light ap-
preached and disclosed to view the
warship Otowa. which had come to the
rescue The latter stopped at q dis
lance of 300 metres from the scene of
the disaster iIlumined the scene with
all her searchIights and dispatched
three boats TO the rescue At sight Of
the Otowa, the men, who resigned
themselves TO death. raised cries for
help thus increasing the sadness of the
scene
Despite the efforts of the boats only
I33 persons including Captain Ishiba-
shi. were saved more than $50 being
lost. including Commander Nalxayama-
A number of men died from exposure
after being picked up