The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-11-06
TURNS PIRATE.
Russian Torpedo Dsstroysf CAP
/ tursd BY Her Crew and
BoMBARDs THE CITY

~ sr ..a.. a..EF. = rs. = .Et s|Eat s.Ay
Viadivostock. and a Severe Battiss
Takes Place in Which Sewers, { ~
pie Are Kiled-Fve Loyal War,
Vessels Engage the Mutinous Boa,
y Which Is Riddled and RIM Ashors.
The Crew Killed or Captured.
Hosting the red flag at the signal
masthead, the torpedo boat destroyer
Skory, captured by her mutinons
crew, steamed out into the harbor ot
v~ladivostock Thursday and fmmee
diately opened fire on the city.
This act. following the mnltiny ofs
"a battalion Of army sappers. who at
tackled and. almost captured one %
the barracks, has terroriEed the peg
pie and the city Is under martial
law. Soldiersiare patroling the streets
No one may. venture from his home
after dark on pain Of arrest
The mutiny on board the Skory
was not even suspected by her COM
mander, Lieutenant Stoer, who gave
his life in the defense Of his ship;
when the crew arose at dawn and
overpowred the officers. They were
melted to this act by agitators from
the city, who had managed to Get
on board during the night through
the consent Of a sympathizer with the
revolutionists.
The moment the mutineers obtain
led the upper hand they clipped the
cable anchoring the destroyer near
four other wars boats, and steamed
out into the horbor, while 3 red nag
was run up the signal halyards.
Not only did the Skory shell the
city, but the mutineers returned the
fire Of the forts, and Of the, four 9TH
er ~destroyers and two gunboats.
Taking a position that would COM
mand the city and regardless Of theiF
exposure to the fire Of the .harborf
fort, and Of the other destroyers, the
mutineers began to hurl sheels into
the forts and city. Every gun OF the
Skory was worked by the mutineers,
who appeared to realize that in thsS
end they were doomed and were de-
termined 10 wheak all injury they
could while they had the peweTr.
The sheels Of the skory burst an
many parts Of the city. One she'll
was aimed at the city hail and bursts
ing near it destroyed one corner OF
the building. The gunners on the
nfutinous boat we're experts, and
many people were blown to pieces IA
the streetS by the bursting shells.
Many houses were destroyed.
Fire started IN many places in the
city five minutes after the mutineers
opened fire. The close range Of the
skory, which ,was not more than a
fourth of a mile out, made the aim
more deadly.
The torpedo boat d~estroyers Gar
sovoz, Smelly and Serditz and the
gunboats Mandschnr and Ravy
steamed out and engaged the pirate
destroyer, and a pitched. naval bat
tie began. {E
The harbor fort, manned by the
Twelfth Regiment of Artillery, add
ed its fire to that of the torpedo boat
destroyers and the gunboats. and
soon riddled the mutineers, craft.
The Skory's tunnels of sheet steel (
were torn to pieces, the fragments
Killing many Of the crew. Her armor1
plate was pierced by shells, and her
decks strewed with dead and wound
ed. .. 49,,
But her pilothouse, encased In
steel, was not damaged, and the
steersman, who had been manoueyer-
Ing In short circles, so that eyery
gun could be used, turned toward the.
shore when he saw that the Skory
must soon sink. As a last desperate
move the Skory vas run through the
heavy surf: and beached.
When the few survivors struggled
through the surf from the blood.
stained decks they we're met by SOL
diers, who manacled them and drag
ged them to cells. Some of the sur
vivors were bayonetted by the troops
before the commander interfered.
Many men were killed and wound
ed on the loyal boats. Captain Kur-
osch, commander of the torpedo boat
Ravy, was torn to pieces by one of
the Skory's shells. Lieutenant Vas
silief, Of the Serditz, was wounded.
All Of the destroyers bore marks Of
the Skory's fire. One American was
wounded in the city.
The uprising of the Sappers Bat
talon was an unexpected as the NUT
my. Their attempt to take a barrack
was defeated by the use Of machine
guns by the rifle regiment quartered
there. A score Of the insurgents we're
killed and wounded and the others
PICKED UP MESSAGE.