The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-05-08
24O JAPANESE LOST
WHEN WARSHIP sinks
Training Cruiser Matushima Blown
Up by Explosion.
SCORES RESCUED FROM LITTER
Had Just Reached Makang-Rescuc
Boats Saved f75 of Her Comp.c-
ment of 415-Prominent jap.
anese Families Bereaved.

Toxic, Japan.-Her hull ripped TO
pieces by exploding twelve-inch
shells, the Japanese cruiser Matu-
shima went down at the Pescadores
Islands with loss of 24o lives, in
Guiding son of Prince Oyama, the
victorious general over the Russians,
and son of Baron Chinda, vice-Min-
lister of the Foreign Office. Three
captains went down with the ship,
which sank five minutes after the frs.
explosion.
The Matlshima was Of especial his
toric significance, in that she was the
flagship of Admiral Ito in the defeat
Of the Chinese at the battle of the
Yalu River. The ship also was sent
into the thick of the fighting in the
Battle of the Sea of Japan, although
in design and construction the cruiser
was antiquated- The vessel mounted
only one twelve-inch gun, and among
naval designers was looked upon in
the nature of freak Since the
war with Russia she has been used
as training ship for cadets, and
thirty-four out of the fifty-eight
cadets or board went to the bottom
with her.
The naval officials here are exer-
cising their usual caution in giving
full details to the public, but enough
has been gathered to show that the
end OF the cruiser came with tragic
suddenness. The Matushima had
been engaged in night target prac-
tice, and had entered the harbor of
Makang in the Pescadores group. The
anchor had just been dropped, at
4.0S o'clock, when the first shell ex-
ploded. The huge missile came up
through the deck and shot into the
air. The conclusion was so terrific
that the stock of twelve-inch shells
In the magazine were scattered, and
the explosions coming in quick sue
cession the ship was literally shot to
pieces. 1t was said many of the
officers and men were killed by the
shells on the deck. An attempt was
made to muster the crew, but the
cruiser quickly began to settle and
the deck soon was impossible with
the rents cut in it by the shells.
Finally mighty explosion sent the
Matushima down like stone. 1t was
believed the large quantity of powder
stored in the magazine completed the
destruction of the ship. Practically
her entire bottom was blown away,
and it was said that the explosion of
the boilers added to the horror of the
situation.
The cruisers Itsumshima and Hash
idate were entering the harbor at the
time, and they lowered boats. Sew
eral men were picked up 300 yards
from the wreck, where they had been
| blown by the force of the last ex-
were taken alive out of the water.
| Only few bodies were recovered.
| The captains who went down were
Yoshmord. Name and Yashiro, all
veterans of the war with Russia
The cause of the explosion is not
known, but it is believed it was the
result of deterioration of powder.
The cruiser was one of the few ships
in the Japanese navy not equipped
with a refrigerating plant for the
maintenance of an even temperature
magazines.
Washington, D. C.-Commander
Taniguchi. the Naval Attache of the
japanese Embassy, said that the reg
ular complement of the Matushima
was 355 men, and that on her cruise
she had about fifty cadets aboard,
making a total of about AIS. His
cablegram, he said, indicates that
about IFS were saved, which would
make the loss of officers and men
about 240. Those saved include three
officers, twenty-four cadets, seven
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