Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-06-06
TOGO HOLDS THE STRAITS. +"
How Rojestvensky's Great Fleet Was
Practically Annihilated by Japs.

When Rojestvensky began the fight
he had eleven battleships When, ar
ter a brave fight of thirty-six hours,
his battered, crushed fleet turned to
flight two of these monster ships were
! at the bottom of the Korean strait.
Each ship was 1876 tons and carried
a crew of 740 men, so that with these
two vessels alone 1900 men went
down.
Each of the three cruisers was heay-
lily manned and carried about 500 men.
which means total of 5000 men in
the vessels, whose loss is specifically
reported.
After dividing and reuniting his fleet
! dozen times in the event of the pur-
suit of a policy of confusing the Jap
anese admiral, Roiestvensky collected
his force off Saddle Islands-sixty
miles southeast of Shanghai Tues
day, passed a day in coaling and reft-
ting, and on Wednesday night display
ed signals and headed northeast for the
Korean straits, $50 miles away.
But, according to the naval intelli-
| gence bureau of Nagasaki, Togo had
never been misled by the Russians
strategy. By scouts, by wireless and
| by score of unnamed sources Of in
! formation the Japanese admiral had
kept in touch with the enemy and ac-
| tually Swallowed him from the moment
| of his departure from the Saddle Isl
| ands. More than that, Togo made his
! fight in the field spot of his own selec,
| tiCn.
With Vladivostok as Rojestyensky's
objective there Were but two ways for
him to reach that point: Either by the
| straighter, holder course, through the
| Korean straits, or by the roundabout
| course outside Japan up to the Tsu-
caro- channel, 1855 miles from Shang-
| hal, ending with a quick dash across
the Sea of Japan to E!adivoStok, Had
| Rojestvensky sailed around by the Pa
cific he would have found Togo wait,
ing for him somewhere about the Hak,
| odate rendezvous, Rojestvensky chose
the Korean strait route and found
Togo waiting for him in the passage
between the Tsu Island (Tsushlmal
and the Japanese forts of Shimonoseki.
For the clear setting of the scene
! Of the tragedy it should be stated that
the Korean strait from the Korean TO
| the Japanese shore is 10 miles wide,
| but is divided into two channels by
| Tsu Island the southern end of which
Is heavily fortified. On the Korean
side lie Fusan and the great harbor
of Masampho (Masampo) bay; on the
Japanese side is, Shimonoseki Here
at FuSan and on@the northern extrem-
ity OF Tsu Shima are wireless stations,
ready to record pulsatiOns from every
! direction. The Korean channel is about
thirty miles wide; the Japanese chan
mel is about eighty miles across. 1t
was by the Japanese channel that Ro-
! jestvensky elected to pass.
Leaving his empty Golfers at Shang-
| hal, with dismissal orders to return to
Europe RojeStvensky formed his fight
ing ships ndouble line, his battleships
on the starboard or right column and
his cruisers and destroyers on the port
or left side.
According to the reports that have
reached NagaSaki, the course of the
! Russians was at first due for the chan
mel on the Korean side of Tsu Shima.
1t showed that Rojestvensky knew
| that on that side lay clear water and
steady current, while on the other
side-on the JapaEtSe channel-the
passage was locked with islets. I'M
certain in tide and sowed with mines.
! Why the Russia swerved at the last
moment-and all reports appear to
| show that he did-the Nagasaki CORE
| spondent does not know 1t was a des-
| perate choice.
The evening of Saturday, May 81,
| was closing in when the Russian sea
columns appeared north Of Quelpau
Island, and it was growing dark when
gun was. fired from the japanese
flagship. Instantly the wasps of the
sea darted out toward the oncoming
| Russians.
Early in the engagement the Boro-
dino was seen to settle, and soon after
| the Orel was sunk the repairship Kan
chalka, loaded with valuable machin-
cry, going down from a torpedo rent
The Russians fought bravely. but the
gunnery of the Japanese was deadly.
When Sunday was closing the Russian
armada was scattered and beaten and
Togo holds the straits" was the la
comic statement sent out from Toxic.
Thus, therefore, passes the last hope
of the Russians for improving the sit
uation of their armies on land by cut
ting off the supplies and reinforce
ments of the Japanese forces in Man
churia. Even a drawn sea battle would
have given the Russians little chance
of interfering with the Japanese trans
ports; this sweeping defeat leaves
Japan the opportunity to use a short
sea transit for her troops, while Russia
must still depend upon the long, slow
and uncertain route over the Siberian
railway.
In the interest of humanity the
world is to be congratulated upon
Togo's victory A continuance of the
war would be a blunder as well as a
crime. 1t is hardly to be believed that
even the most headstrong and reckless
Russian in official life will fail to see
the necessity for bringing hostilities to
d close.
Short News Notes.
Eight men, composing the crew Of the
Danish bark Bertha that went ashore off