New-York tribune., 1908-07-21

MjchaeI Artillery Academy. In the Russo-Turi-
isb War Of 1877 he lieutenant on the sloop
yesta on the Black Sea- The vessel was COM
nsnded by his friend, Captain Baranow. An OIL
s,;el report was made OF five hours combat WIN
!. ls,se Turkish ironclad IN which the latter
=. .s,a to have been badly worsted, gun fired
ne Ro1estvensky himself throwing shell INTO me
.,,okestack of the Turkish vessel end nearly ois-
.b,,nr her so that she had TO nee On the sefehe'n
., ,his Raranow and Rojestvensky were summoned
q 6. Petersburg and honored as heroes unti inc
80. came out by the Turkish admiral Hobart
P.cha reading a newspaper account or me az
,.~~s explott and denouncing II as faor1cat1on
an ,hst hsd occurred exchange OF shots
:, ,o,~ range and Rojestvensiy admitted that the
.,,~. n,e-ared by him false, but declared
tha, he had written it at the direction OK captain
p.,snov who was deprived OF his rank IN CON-
sequence. ,eo<
sRo>estversky became a naval cornmanoef III 1909
.rs served as naval attache Of the Russian EN-
A..xr Q, England where he made a study OF the
p-i.ish navy. He afterward comrnanoeo tne
cr-,iser Vladimir Mononlach and the naeueshp
pe,esv-i.t In the Chino-Japanese War he was the
o,5 a command of the Russian squadron In
,ha Far East under Admiral Alexief- In 1892 ne
-. -,ss5e rear admiral and aide-de-carnp to
,pe Car He succeeded Admiral Avellan as cher
nj The Naval Headquarters stan ana heao Oh tno
Intelligence Department of the Russian navy
After the disasters which had befalen the hus-
sian warsips in their conflicts with the japanese
., che earlier months of the war in the Far East
IN 1884 IL was decided equip the Baltic fleet ana
send II TO Vladivos-ok Nice-Adrniral Ro1estVenshs
was in charge Of the preparations and TOOK per
eonal command of the vessels for the voyage The
souasron set out from Libau on October To- lsoi'
with everything in readiness so far as possipe LOT
fire long VOYAGE There had been persistent rIl1ors
-hat Jspanese vessels lying in wait Tor IL on
the wav and after the feet had got into the Nor1h
Sea the lights Of the British North Sea fishing Meet
on the Dogger Banks caused alarm aboard some
thew fired the
psa,ef,ll vessels which caused strained relations
between England and Russia. The matter was
a,terward investigated by an international COM
mission Of inquiry, which sat at Paris, and after
an exhaustive hearing condemned the firing al
though the admiral was technlcaily excused lne
Russian government paid S32N0Oe damages.
Meanwhile Rojestvensky, with the main division
Of the Baltic heet sailed around the Cape OF GOOD
Hope and was rejoined at Nossi Be. off the north
coast of Madagascar, by the other vessels, which
had rassed through the Mediterranean and Reo
Seas The fall Of Port Arthur caused change OF
plans and the feet did not hasten on its way put
finally IN April 1t advanced into the China Sea ana
secured coal and provisions off the coast OF An
ram and the island OF Hainan- Rojestvensky was
jotned early IN May by Admiral Nebosaton, and
undertook to take his feet through the Strait OF
Ccres on the way to Vladivostok- but unsuspect-
inxIy entered the naval ambush prepared for him
by gice-Adrniral Togo
On May g when the Russian vessels were in the
they suddenly surrounded by the Japanese
feet The conflict did not end until Admiral Togo
had sunk captured or disabled eight battleships,
nine cruisers three coast defence ships, nine de-
stroyers one auxiliary ~cruiser, six special service
steamers and two hospital ships Japans losses
we're only three torpedo boats and 11s killed
end SIS wounded Russia lost 1900 killed and sSD
Iaken prisoners. After Ro5estvensky's flagship the
Knaz souraro. board which he suffered sew
eral severe wounds had been blown up. he was
taken aboard the destroyer Biedovy- This was IN
tercepted by japanese batteship ano ran up a
white flag and signalIed We are damaged We
have Admiral Rogestvensky board We are
shor1 of fresh water" Rojestvensky found
surrounded by officers. who pleaded for mercy on
the ground that he was dangerously hurt anu
asked have h,n kept aboard the destroyer which
done until he could be removed 10 hosp-
tai. HIS belief had been that the Japenese ieet
in three divisions. and that there were only
few cruisers 10 oppose him in the Straits OF
Tsu-shiraa
This battle of the Sea OF Japan was the culInna-
fion Of the Russo-Ja panese War and ended all
Rnssias naval efforts Roiestvensky WAS held
Prisoner until peace declared After ms re-
turn to Russia he applied for retirement on the
ground OF shattered health. but naval court OF
inquiry presented indictment against him and
the officers Of the destroyer Biedovy for surrender
ing 10 the enemy after the battle The Indictment
charged Decentralization end cowardice on the part
~ the officers. Ro5estvensky at his trial pleaded
guilty in ORDER 10 save the officers OF the destroyer
but az the conclusion Of the trial which lasted
from July 10 July 10 1906. he declared not
guilty. while four Of the destroyer's officers were
condemned death but their sentences were after
ward counluted. They were credited with a de-
sire 70 save the life OF Rojestyensky, while he
heid not have been in possession OF HIS senses
when the surrender took place.