The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1905-06-01
A Great Naval Victory.

For weeks the meeting of the great
naval forces of Japan and Russia nal
been impending and the event was freely
discussed in the public press II was
felt that the battle must be one OF mag
nitude unsurpassed IN the history OF
naval warfare. 1t could not we'll be
otherwise.
That event, or series of events. came
off beginning on Saturday last and, the
result was not only victory for Japan
but sweeping, Overwhelming one.
The official statement of Russian losses
80 far as ascertained Tuesday was as
follows:
Following six battleships sunk
Prince Suvaroff, Imperator, Alexandra
III, Boredom, Osliabis, @issUi-Veliki
al d Nsvalin
Following five cruisers sunk: Admi
raj Nakhimoff, Dmiui Donskoi, Vlad-
imir, Monomach, Svietlana and Jemt-
chug.
Coast defence ship Admiral Oshakoff
sunk
Two special service ships, Kanchatka
and three destroyers also sunk.
Two battleships, Orel and Imperator
Nichols |, two coast defence ships Cen
eral Admiral Apraxin and Adniia. Sen.
yanviu, and one destroyer Piedovy cap
tured.
Thus the Russians lost altogether %
ships, the aggregate tonnage whereof
amounting to 153411 tons, besides cruis-
er Almaz suspected to have sunk
The report that the KniaZ Sonvaroff,
flagship of the Russian fleet, which was
defeated by the Japanese in the Straits
of Orea, was sunk and that Admiral
Rojestvensky was wounded and placed
on board torpedo boat destroyer, is
confirmed 1t was subse qnently report
ed that he was captured on board tor
pedo destroyer
Admiral Togo reported that the Jap
anese squadron WAS unchanged, but
Russian authorities report casualties
and loss of ships by the Japanese fleet.
The Japanese legation at Washington
late the night of May 30 gave out the
following bulletin:
Our destroyer SaZanami captured tow
ard the evening OF May 81, in the south
of Urlenng Island, the Russian destroyer
Blcdovy, wherein were found Admiral
Rojestvensky and another Admiral,
both severely wounded, together with
eighty Russians, including staff officers
from the flagship Prince SuVaroff, which
was sunk at 20 p m. on May 27 They
were all taken prisoners
A st Petersburg dispatch of Wednes-
day is 10 the effect that the Russian ad
miralty is literally stupefed at the ex-
tent of the disaster suffered by Vice AID.
miral Rojestvensky's fleet, and its own
advices paint the situation in even worse
coloIs than the Toxic dispatches.
The battle appears to have been one
sided from start to tihish, fact largely
due, doubtless, to Togo's mastery tao
tics. The reports Indicate that the
japanese torpedo boats bore the brunt
of the attack, swarming in upon the
enemy with the reckless daring charac-
teristic of the Jap, while Togo's battle
ships engaged him at long range and in
comparative safety.
The money value of the Russian fleet
sunk or captured is placed al $50 600 900.
1t now appears that the report of the
sinking of an American vessel by the
fleet of Admiral Rojestvensky grew out
of the seizure of the British steamer,
Oldhamia, bound for Japan, which WAS
la er retaken by japanese warships
Little hope for the Russians can be
found in the latest dispatches regard.
ing the naval battle of Tsu island. Only
four Of the vessels of Rojestvensky's
fleet are known to have reached Vladi
vostok, the cruiser Almaz and the tor
pedo boat destroyers Grozny, Bravo and
TerOsahty The full extent of the Rus
sian casualties in men and officers
drowned, wounded and captured, is not
yet known TIL, Japanese losses, as re-
ported from Toxic, are only three torpe-
do boats sunk. three officers killed and
about ECO men killed or disabled. Not
one of the big fighting ships of the Jap.
anese navy was lost. 1t is now definite
" known that Vice. Admiral Rojestven-
sky is captured He is seriously wound
ed, but it is stated from Toxic, will re-
cover.
The Russian press, with few excep-
tons, ia openly indignant and is attack
ing the bureaucracy, one paper saying
that "those guilty of the Russian defeat
should be overwhelmed with shame"
There is no definite information in
regard to movements for peace.