The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-05-29
RusslA,s LAST
HOPE SHATTERED.

(RusslA,s LAST
HOPE SHATTERED.
NEW ~ ORR Nd 81 The last
hope Of Russia for q signal victory was
| In Vice Admiral Rod iestye nsky Rect
the flower Of the Cars navy. Thts
fleet was to relieve the blockade Of
Port Arthur and to bring succor TO
the sdespairing Russian soldiers In
Alanchuria By obtaining command Of
| the sea y
L Since the fleet from tie Baltic be.
gan'itss 7,ooO!mile trip Port Arthur: has
fallen and the Russian army has been
driven far back by the Japanese. De,
lay after delay marked the Assem-
bling Of this fleet 1t was "a month be
for the repair ships, transports, col
llers, etc, could be assembled after
Rodiestvensky took command 5on Fri.
day, August! 10 B The feet was put III
the best possible condition at the
cronstadt Navy Yard, and sailed
from5that place on september 70 This
start was a false one, as the entire
| fleet lay off the Swedish coast until
October 81, when 1t was reported from
Frederickshaven. Denmark, that the
fleet had passed into the North Sea
for the far east. s, 4
On the second night out, October
ZEE, the Baltic. squadron fired upon the
Hull fishing fleet, sinking the steam
/ trawler,% Crane killing two men and
seriously iniurlng number Of other
fishermen.
The Russian Admiral, inaexplain!ns,
said that he had mistaken the fishing
4 boats for torpedo boats. and feared
| that his fleet was about to be. attack
ed by the Japanese. The Russian
officers were SO excited and nervous
that they not only fired upon tie
boats of the fishing ;tleet.s4but upon
their own vessels as we'll The Au:;
rora, one of the Russian fleet was
struck number Of times by shots
from a quick-fring gun, and the ships
chaplain was mortally wounded.
Admiral Rodjestvensky, after learn
ing that mistake had been made gave
the order to his feet to cease firing,
but did not stop to see what damage
had been done. This act almost,
caused a war between Great Britain,
and Russia and for a time the British
government considered the advisable
ity of OBTAINING the Russian fleet by
force until satisfactory amends had
been made. NJ ~
The gmatter3was finally submitted
to international arbitration, The strf:.
bunal decided that while no torpedo
boat attack had been made and that
the opening Of fire by the Russians
was not justlfiable, Admiral Rodjest.,,
vensky had acted according 4 to his
mistaken belief, and that his action
was no reflection upon his military
ralor or sentiments of humanity
The Russian government paid the
damages. K t54S:
| The most serious mishap Of
OF the fleet has been. a passage mark.
ed by repeated charges Of violation Of
neutrality, that at Kamrahn Bay IN
French lndo,a China, being so mark.
| ed that the Japanese made 5represen-
tations to the French government,
which was finally forcedfto order the
/, Russians, QUITO the sharbor.
| The voyage Of this tremendous
fleet was one Of the most difficult inlil
| the history of, naval warfare. While In
the early part Of the "trip 1T was not
exposed TO attack, the uncertainties Of
obtaining coal and the possibility Of
storms wrecking and scattering Ethe
vessels had to be considered. When
the "lnvincible Armada which Phil.
Up sent against England was at ! sea,
two.thrds OF the one hundred and
thirty vessels were destroyed In
storms. @
Naval experts assert that the voyage
of the Russian fleet was one Of the
greatest undertakings Of the century,
and express the opinion that only the
hospitality Of the French at Saigon
and Kamranh Bay saved it. ssf3