Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-20
LOSS OF THE TAKASACO
Inspiring Bravery of Japanese on
 a Sinking Cruiser.
SANG WHILE AWAITING DEATH

All Lights Went Out When Vessel
 Struck a Mine at Night In Raging
 snowstorm, but Heroes Stood Calm,
 Singing the National Anthem and
 Cheering Their Emperor-Hundreds
 Perished.
 The story of the loss of the Japanese cruiser Takasago in December last and recently made public is military classic, says a Tokyo dispatch. After the Takasago struck mine and began to sink the crew assembled in perfect order on the upper deck, there to await battle with stormy sea and death. Captain Ishibashi ordered every man to use a life belt and directed that nc one jump overheard until the ship actually sank The crew then joined in singing the national anthem and cheering the emperor. Lastly, they sang the Japanese song, Gallant Sail ors," their 800 voices ringing out above the storm.
 After that as a relaxation the mer were allowed to smoke, and thus they went, the vast majority of them, calm ly to their deaths. Of 800 men who went down with the Takasago only 133 were rescued.
 An officer who was aboard gives the f41 af cfa nd the remarkable coolness and bravery of the crew:
 "The Takasago, fresh from the Kure dockyard. where She had been under going repairs. steamed straight to the mouth of the Pechili gulf at the be- ginning of December. and on Dec. II she was ordered to wait for a collier at a point of Port Arthur. The collier, however. did not put in an appearance, due to the rough weather.
 "On the 18th the sea was still high. and there were no signs of the collier During the day the cruiser drifted with the waves and at night cruised slowly at the entrance of the Pechili gulf. She was not accompanied by any other yes sell At p. m. half of the crew were lay down upon the decks in their uni forms.
 Tt was an intensely cold night. with a gale and snow. At two minutes past midnight. when at point twenty five nautical miles south of Port Arthur and on the eastern side of the Miaotao islands. she struck mine on her lar board. and terrible explosion occur red, the sea leaping high above the ship. The crew took up their emer- gency positions.
 "The mine had made breech about six feet in diameter in the middle of the water line on the port side. The water rushed in with tremendous force. and the ship listed to port Captain Ishibashi was on the bridge and Com mander Nakayams beside him.
 "The crew worked hard. but in vain, to stop the thrush of the water. To right the vessel coal and other heavy articles on the port side were thrown overheard, but the ship continued to list more heavily There was no yes eel in sight. so that the fate of the ship and of the crew seemed sealed
 Fifteen minutes after striking the mine all the electric lights were sud eenIv extinguished and everything was nveIoped in darkness. with the e1- eeption of light on the bridge and fhe glare of the rockets telling the dis aster- Owing to the list the starboard boats could not be Iaunched- with the exeeptio1 of one. Of those on the port side a steam launch was destroyed and only a cutter and one boat were available.
 Captain IshIbashi. on the fore bridge. addressed the crew. so In nun b<r. vto had assembled on the uppeI deck. saying that every one on board sk,uh eQgip himself with a life belt He continued. No one must leave fAe shzp until she sinkA We yiu tsse&he1