The midland journal., 1905-12-08
THE DEAD PUT AT
FIVE THOUSAND
Full Extent Of Battle Of SevastopeI Is
Not Known.
LIEUT.. SCHMIDT TRIED TO ESCAPE.

LiEuI. StnMlUl lMEU lV ESkArE.
Batteries Trained on City-Troops, Supposed.
ly Loyal, Desert at the Last Moment and
Their Stronghold Is Taken With Bayouets--
10 Ships Under Mutineers Are Now Said to
Be 0ut Of Commission.
Sevastopol, via Warsaw (By Cable).-
During the battle between the rebel and j
loyal vessels of the Black Sea feet a
mining ship. which had 200 Whitehead
torpedoes and other explosives on board,
was sunk by her commander, who feared
that she would be struck by 4 shell.
Some regiments, with artillery, have
arrived here from Odessa and other
places.
Warsaw (By Cable).-Accordng to
the few details which have reached War
saw regarding the sea and land battle at
Sevastopol, the rebel fleet in the evening
of November 28 opened an attack on
three loyal warships-the battleship Ros-
tislav, the torpedo gunboat Captain Sack
en- and the armored cruiser Pamyat Az Y
ova
The latter replied briskly, damaging
the rebel torpdo-boat dstroyr Svirepy
and sinking torpedo boat. The coast
batteries also joined in and set fire to
the cruiser Otchakoff, commanded by
the rebel leader, Lieutenant Schmidt
The latter, with his mutinous followers
tried to escape in boats, but was captured
by loyal torpedo boats. At the same time
the Bielostok regiment attacked the bari
racks occupied by the mutineers. Fifteen
hundred of these, with ten Maxim guns,
surrendered druing the night. The num-
Der of killed and wounded is not known
ST. Petersburg (By Cable)-The Navy
Department is closed not only to the
public, but to officers except those of the
General Staff.
! No official statement on the subject OF
the battleship at Sevastopol has been
issued and the public remains in the dark,
compelled to be content with the countless
rumors which are in circulation. 1t is
reported from semi-of6cial source that
although the Otchakoff, the Dnieper and
a transport were set on fire and sunk
during yesterdays battle, all the mutt
neers have not yet surrendered. Vice
Admiral Chouknin was in command OF
the loyal vessels, some of which, includ-
ing the Pateleimon, took part in the en-
gagement Gen. Baron Meller Gako-
melskie, commander of the Seventh Ar
my Corps, with 2I,ooo infantry and artil-
lery, was in chief command ashore.
The newspaper accounts Of the details
of the fighting at Sevastopol, which are
based on the reports circulating in the
city. are very conflicting, but they all say
the battle ended at about $50 P. M,
when the ships of the mutineers sur
rendered
The Novosti says that 5000 men per-
ished on both sides. The leaders of the
u1utineers, it is added, have already been
executed, two battleships have been
blown up and mines have been laid at
the entrance of the roadstead.
According to the Slovo the mutineers
themselves began the attack. After wait
ing until 8 P. M. for reply to the de-
mands of the mutineers, which included
the convocation of constituent assem-
bly, and the immediate realization of the
reforms promised in the imperial mani
festo, Lieutenant Schmidt opened fire on
the city from 10 vessels Vice-Admiral
Chouknin replied from the loyal war
ships and Gen. Baron Meller Gakomels-
kie from the southern forts and with
the coast artillery. The mutinous sailors
used rifles and machine guns on the en-
trenched infantry.
The fight, the Slovo says, lasted for
two and quarter hours. The mutineers
made heroic struggle, but the odds were
too heavy, and when the Otchakaof, bat
tered to pieces and on fire, sank with the
cruiser Dnieper and transport, Lieu
tenant Schmidt, who was mortally
wounded, surrendered the mutinous
squadron and mutinous sailors on shore
hauled down their flag to the Brest and
Bielostok regiments.
According to the Russ, however, Ad-
miral Chouknin and Generals Gakomels-
kie called on the mutineers to surrender,
whereupon, under the orders of Lieuten-
ant Schmidt, the mutinous vessels, which
had replaced the flag of St. Andrew with
a red flag, responded by hosting the
battle flag.
When the battle began the batteries on
the north side, which were supposed to
be loyal, instead of firing on the mutt
neers. ioined the cause with them and
directed their fire ON the city and on the
south-side batteries The Brest rcgi-
ment therupon stormed the northern bat
teries with fixed bayonets and the guns
were soon turned on the ships and the
barracks of the mutineers.
The Listok says that the conspiracy
which led to the mutiny went on under
the noses of the officers and that even
Vice-Admiral Birileff, the Minister OF
Marine, who was at Sevastopol a fort
night ago, suspected nothing. The sail
ors waited until they were assured of the
support of the troops, most OF whom,
however, refused to go over to the mu-
tineers when the die was cast.
Rolt.A Alivs Rv Steam