The Ladysmith news and Ingram news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1905-1906, 1905-09-16
SIX HUNDRED
LIVES LOST ON
JAP FLAGSHIP
BATTLESHiP MikASA CATCHES
FIRE AND HER MAGAZINES
EXPLODE.
RESCUERS RUSH TO DEATH
OFFICERS AND MEN OF CREW
AND REscUERs GO DOWN
WITH HER.
FLAGSHIP OF ADMIRAL TOGO
GREAT RELIEF IN JAPAN WHEN
1T WAS LEARNED TOGO WAS
NOT ON BOARD.
FLAGSHIP OF ADMIRAL TOGO

Toxic, Sept 14.-The navy depart
ment announces that the battleship
Mikasa has been destroyed by fire
and the explosion of her magazine,
causing the loss of 500 lives, including
men of other ships who went to the
rescue.
Admiral Togo was not on board
when the disaster occurred.
The fire started from an unknown
cause at midnight on Sunday night,
Sept 10. Before the men could be
rescued the fire reached the aft mag
azine. which exploded, blowing a hole
in the port side of the vessel below the
water line and sinking the ship.
The disaster has cast gloom every
where. The Mikasa was TOgO's flag
ship and 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 mainmast. 1t 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.
Rescuers Rush to Death.
Rescuing parties were sent from the
various warships in the harbor and
there was heavy casualties among
them.
Various conjectures are current as
m of "a fro ott ri h
ute it to an overcharge of electricity.
Great relief was felt throughout Jap
an when it was learned that Admiral
Togo was not on board the ship at the
time of the fire.
The Mikasa was the flagship of the
Japanese navy, flying the flag of Vice
Admiral Togo, the commander-in-chief
She was present at all the principal
ngagements during the war and was
on several occasions reported severely
damaged in action. In the battle Of
the Sea of Japan she led the fleet into
action and her name was mentioned in
connection with some of the most
stirring events of the famous sea fight.
Is the Heaviest Loser.
In this battle Mikasa was the heav
lest loser of all the Japanese ships,
having sixty-three killed and wounded.
She approached nearer to the Russians
than any other battleship.
The Mikasa was also the flagship of
Admiral Togo at the great naval battle
fought off Port Arthur on Aug. 10, 1904,
on which occasion the Japanese flag
ship also suffered the most, but con-
tinued in the fighting line. On that oc-
casion the Mikasa had four offictrs and
Twenty-Five men killed, six officers and
Twenty-Five men severely wounded,
and four officers and twenty-nine men
slightly wounded.
komura's Family Murdered?
Rome, Sept 14-The Tribuna yes
terday published rumor nom lien
tsin to the effect that the family of
Baron Komura, the Japanese peace
plenipotentiary now in New York city,
had been assassinated.
In view of the fact that recent de-
tailed dispatches describing the dis
turbances in Toxic have apparently
been uncensored, it is not believed the
above rumor is we'll founded
The fact that it originated in Tien-
tsin would also tend to discredit the
report, as Tien-tsin is not favorably
located for the receipt Of important
news from Japan at first hand.