Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1905-05-31
TOGO DEFEATS RUSSIANS
Japanese Admiral Practically Annihilates Navy
of the Gar
gasaki dispatch to the State Depart

ICul.
"Nagasaki. May gS.-japanese sunk
the Russian battleship Borodino and
four more warships and repair ship"
The other dispatch read as follows:
"Tokio, May 27-Japanese met and
engaged the Baltic squadron TINS al
ternoon in the Straits Of Fushlma,
which was held. Cannonading was
heard from shore
From information which has been
received in washington it is believed
that two of the Russian ships reported
to have been sunk In the Korean
Straits by the Japanese are the Orel
and her sister ship, the Borodino.
They are battlesliips of $4,000 tons.
Three other vessels reported sunk are
believed to have been cruisers, the
remaining one being a repair ship
The Orel and Borodino are of 1856
tons displacement each, heavily armed,
well protected and were designed to
make is knots. They measure 397 feet
by rs feet, with 26 feet draught. and
both have lofty spar deck fully 81
feet above the water line, extending
from the bow to the quarter deck. For
ward is mounted a pair Of 12.4-inch
guns in turret protected by eleven
inches of Krupp armor. Another pair
of guns, of same size, is mounted ait.
There are thirty other guns on the IN
termediate battery, the vessels carry
two submerged torpedo tubes and two
above the water. A special feature OF
the vessels is their verdical longitude
nal bulkheads of inch armor, running
throughout the whole length OF the
shin at a distance of nine or ten feet
intoard from the ships sides, designed
to localize the effects Of blow from
a torpedo.
Failed to Mislead Togo.
Chefoo, BY Cable.-Private tele-
grams from Korea to the Japanese
consul here state that battle was
progressing Saturday afternoon at or
near the Korean straits, between the
main portion of the Russian squadron
and the Japanese fleet under command
Of Admiral Togo.
Telegrams almost identical with the
above have been received here, and
announce that large portion of the
Russian fleet was sighted approach
ing the Korean straits Sunday, head
ed for the channel between Tsu Island
and the japanese coast.
According to the best information
receieyd here recently, the main por-
tion of Admiral 'Toso's feet has been
almost constantly at Masampho bay.
Adyices from a reliable quarter re-
ceived here are to the effect that three
Russian battleships, three armored
cruisers and several colliers were Off
Shanghai Friday. 1t is believed that
Vice Admiral Rojestvensky sent suffl-
cient ships to the vicinity of Shanghai
in order to induce the belief that his
main feet was there, while the major
portion Of 1t pushed on toward the NJ
rean straits.
Sinking Of American Ship.
Washington, Special.-Confrmation
has been received here from Shanghai
of the press report that the Russian
warships have sunk an unknown Amer
lean merchant ship off the Chinese
coast. Heavy gun fire is plainly heard
to the northward.
St. Petersburg, BY Cable.-Nothing
is known at the Admiralty of the re-
ported sinking of an unknown Ameri-
can steamer off Formosa by Vice Adj
miral Rojestvensky. 1t is recognized at
the Admiralty as quite possible that
"Rojestvensky may have been com
PEELED by military necessity to destroy
neutral. If be feared that to allow
it to proceed and report the where
abouts and direction of the Russian
fleet would endanger his strategic plan,
he had no other alternatiy except to
take off the crew and sink TIC ship.
Such an incident is unfortunate, but
every naval officer must admit that the
risk in such crisis is too great to
take any chances. If the ship was un-
justiiably sunk from the standpoint of
international law. Russia, Of course,
will have to foot the bill; but any cost
is cheap if it furthered Rojestvensky's
mission"