The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-06-02

high their caps. Citizens embraced
each other and danced %jubilantly upon
the pier while crews OF the ships In
the harbor joined i'm wild cheering
In a trice the boats were dropped
from the avits and I'm a moment the
officers of the cruisers and torpedo
boats in the harbor and the military Of
reials from the fortress were swarm
ing on board the Almaz 10 learn news
Of the fight.
n story was short According to
the officers Of the Almax the fleet un-
der Rojestvensky met the Japanese in
the strait OF Korea near Tsu island
and the opposing fleets Immediately
closed in. Being lightly armored. the
-Almaz, as had been ordered by Ad-
miral Rojestvensky before the battle.
separated itself from the main fleet at
the first opportunity and headed for
|~ladivostok soon after the commence
ment OF the action. but not too o
TO observe that the losses On both sides
Ill he Titanic combat were great.
Early in the battle. NJ officer Of the
Almaz. while watching Roiestvensky's
flagship. the battieship Kniaz Souva-
ron, for a signal. saw the flagship
ASA y sttLl " stcfu Us u uIuEE
a blow from n gigantic hammer and
hesitate in her course. while the waves
rose high from her armored sides.
Then she commenced to list and sink.
The officers believe that the debut
of the submarine boat as an effective
agent in naval warfare. or perhaps n
large mine. caused the disaster 10 the
kniaZ Souvarof. The damage. how
ever, was SO extensive that the flag
ship o went down. leaving the
deck officers N many of the crew
struggling i'm the water.
One of the Russian torpedo boats
either the destroyer Bunny or the Brazil.
ran in and picked up n number OF the
swimmers, n OF whom was recog-
nized through a glass as Admiral Ro-
jestvensky.
Under 4 vicious attack from tine
Japanese warships, aided by torpedo
boats. mines and submarines. the Bo-
rcdino, Osliabia AMI Ural We're placed
out of action and followed the flagship
to the bottom.
The fog which had raised and low
cred intermitteatiy 'iuring the morning
began TO settle down again and the dis
| lance of AlmaZ, which had not succeed
ed in disengaging herself i'm the COM
bat from h struggling ships, mad IL
difficult TO her to see clearly. but the
officers are positive that they saw two
| Japanese battleships disappear beneath
the sea before their eyes and that two
Japanese cruisers appeared on the
| point Of sinking.
The arrival of the Croznia at IL to-
day was marked by the same scenes OF
excitement as those which character
lied the advent OF the AimaZ.
The correspondent Of the Associated
Press visited the wounded commander
of the destroyer, Captain Andrifski, at
| the hospital and the captain confirmed
the details given by the officers OF the
A.lmaz. He described his combat as a
running fight i'm which the Thosogny
was engaged for several hours, finally
| sinking the pursuing japanese de-
stroyer.
st. Petersburg, May 80, GAO D. NJ
| Admiral Rojestvensky has arrived at
! Vladivostok on board the torpedo boat
| destroyer Bunny. During the battle he
| sustained a wound in the head.
Admiral Durnovo, a member OF the
| council Of the empire and superintend-
ent of posts and telegraphs under the
| minister of the interior, has received a
dispatch from his son who Is in COM
mand of the Bunny, describing fully
| how his commander-in-chief Admiral
Rojestvensky, was saved. The adj
miral was washed off the deck Of the
Kniaz Souvaroff just before the flag
| ship foundered and was picked up by
the torpedo boat destroyer Bunny.
Other private dispatches from Vladi-
vostok say the Russians lost twelve
warships sunk and captured during
the engagement. According to these
reports the Japanese torpedo boats
| played the principal role in the defeat
| of the Russian feet They were sent
into action again and again under a
| perfect hail of shot from the Russian
rapid firing guns. More than one-half
of the Japanese fiOtilla< Of torpedo
| boats was sunk. The protected cruis-
err Jemtchug, reported sunk I'm the To-
kio dispatches, has arrived at Vladi-
vostOk.