Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-25
JAPAN's SEA VICTORY.
Eyewitness Describes Defeat of
 Rojestvensky's Fleet.
GEARS MEN sANGU1NE OF sUooEss

CHARS MEN sANGUINE OF SUCCESS Russian Admiral, Says Surgeon of
 Hospital Ship Orel, Never For . Mo-
 ment Seemed to Fear Defeat-Japa.
 nese Came Suddenly and Complete
 ly Demoralised Their Foe-Fearful
 Scenes as the Borodino Sank.
 First of the eyewitnesses of the great naval battle between Japan and Russia in the sea of Japan to arrive at San Francisco, is Dr. M Paris, who was surgeon of the Russian hospital ship Orel, which was at the rear of the column of the c1ar's men-of-war pass ing up through Tsushima channel, when the watchful Japanese, under Admiral Togo, bounced upon them, says the San Francisco Chronicle. Dr. Paris arrived recently on the liner Korea on the way to France. He is a Frenchman and claims to have had no special interest in the battle beyond looking after the sick and wounded.
 Dr. Paris, along with many other surgeons on the Orel, joined the yes sel at Toulon as delegate from the French Red Cross society. The Orel accompanied the Baltic fleet around the Cape of Good Hope and up along the Asiatic coast to the scene of the battle. All along says Dr. Paris, the Russians, although they knew that a great battle would in all probability be fought before Vladivostok was reached, were in the most sanguine mood. Admiral Rojestvensky and his officers never for moment seemed to fear defeat at the hands of the Japa- nese, though the Russian vessels after their long cruise were foul with long grasses that were born of the cruise through tropical seas.
 "It is the truth that the Russians were not afraid of the Japanese" said Dr. Paris. Our fleet went along as though there was nothing to fear, and I was told by the officers that Admiral Rojestvensky would make short work of the Japanese if they attempted to block his way. The admiraps assur- ance was shared by all of us. Though having to pass close to the Japanese coast, nobody, so far as knew, cared whether we met the Japanese or not, but we had a different feeling before the thing was over.
 Having made good progress up through the sea of Japan, we were about to pass through Tsushima chan nel on the way to Vladivostok, when, at about o'clock on the afternoon of May p and during thick weather, a number of Japanese men-of-war sud denly loomed up right ahead and began firing. As afterward learned, the Jap anese had ninetysix torpedo boats as against sixteen accompanying the Rus sian fleet. and the Japanese vessels. be- ing familiar with the coast, darted out almost simultaneously from many an inlet and completely demoralized our vessels. Before man of us knew what had happened, as it were. there were dead and dying men all about us and sinking ships and a condition of things that none of us were prepared for.
 "Rojestvensky? How could he have been on the lookout for any such at tack? An hour before he and all the rest of us had had very small opinion of the Japanese And now-now it seemed as though all the worlds sup. ply of ammunition was being hurled at us from the front. The fog only added to the demoralization and the damage. As for my particular vessel, tho Orel, she had not gun or revolver on board. and yet we were the target for a score of lively Japanese warships. At our masthead there was large Red Cross flag, but before we were finally cap- tured seven big shells had been fired at us. On board the Orel were the off- cers of the British steamer Old Hemia, whom we had taken from a captured steamer laden with contraband of war for Japan. The Japanese said later that we had taken those Britishers aboard purposely to save ourselves from attack, but it was not so.
 "I saw the big battleship Borodino sink. and it was the only one of the twenty sunk that saw go down. But it was enough. To see such magnih- cent battleship go down with all hands Is beyond my power of description. As I say. the weather was thick. and my ship was in the rear of the column that was passing through the strait. but I had a good look at the Borodino. per haps mile away. as she began to ca- reen and fill Her guns were firing, and I could see that many of the great shells sine fired were going skyward or into the sea beside her. But every Japanese shell, 1t seemed, went straight Into the vitals of the Borodino and ex- ploded among the human beings aboard of her Noise and tumult and smoke, a phantasmagoria of such confound- ing impressions that could not realize the situation at the time-this was all I could take note of. and then a heavy listing of the big battleship and a going down at the head. but no ces- sation of the Japanese attack. ard then the tremendous plunge, just visible through the fog.
 There were hundreds of men aboard. and they went down to death and many of them suffering from injuries before they sank. Immediately after -nrd +hnrn u-ern nfher- rennAla All