Willmar tribune., 1908-05-06
Blast ON WARSH|P
Kills 200 SAILORS
JAPAN's CRUISER MATsusHlMA
SUNK az AN EXPLODING
PRoJEcTlLE.

PRoJEcTiLE.
NEARLY $50 SAVED
DURING WILD PANIC
Among Those Believed to Have Lost
Their Lives Off Pescadores Islands
Are Sons Of Baron chinda and
Prince 0yama.
Tokyo, May 1.-The training cruiser
Matsushima was sunk off the Pesca-
dores islands Thursday by the explo-
sion of projectile.. The cruisers
Itsukushfma and Hashidate rescued 80
Of the crew. It was feared that over
200, including the captain of the
Matsushima, had been lost. Admiral
Yoshimatsu, commander of the train
ing squadron, reports that the explo-
sion occurred in the stern magazine of
the cruiser while anchoring at Ma
kang, harbor on the Pescadores
Islands.
Cruiser Immediately Sinks.
The Matsushima Immediately sank
until only the bridge. was visible. Ef-
forts at rescue by boats from the
cruisers Hashidate and Itsukushima
continued for a long time, saving the
lives of 141 men, including some Of
f1cers. The majority of the officers
were not saved, and at the time of the
admirals report the cadets numbered
So out of a complement of 800. The
sons of Baron Chinda, vice-minister
of the foreign Office, and of Prince
Oyama, field marshal, are among the
cadets who it was feared were lost,
also Capts. Name, Yoshmori and Va
shiro. The cause of the explosion was
unknown.
Seek Facts Before Report.
Washington, May 1.-Baron Taxa.
hira, the Japanese ambassador, was
just about to start for the state depart
ment Thursday when he was shown
the dispatch from Tokyo telling of the
loss of life by the explosion on the
cruiser Matsushima. 1t was the first
news the ambassador had received of
the tragedy and he expressed deep
regret over the occurrence. With their
usual caution and conservatism the
naval officials at Tokyo evidently are
obtaining all the information possible
before giving out any full report of
the disaster. No report of the explo-
sion reached the navy department dur
ing the morning from the American
naval attache at Tokyo. Naval officers
who at once looked up the record of
the cruiser drew the conclusion that
her loss was not a heavy one to the
Japanese navy.
Vessel Small One.
She was of less than 5000 tons dis.
placement and of type which has
not been followed since her construc.
tion. The popularity of the Matsu-
shima was her armament, which con-
sisted of one 12-inch gun mounted on
her poop deck. In addition she car
ried II fOur-inch guns and battery of
smaller caliber and four above-wa-
ter torpedo tubes. She was built in
1890, being designed and constructed
at La Seyne, France. Her principal
historic record consists of her part
in the war between Japan and China,
when she was the flagship of Admiral
Ito in the battle of the Yalu river. She
also participated in the battle of the
Sea of Japan. Two sister ships were
built, the Itsukushima in 1890 and the
Hashidate in 1891. The cruiser had
no armor. She is classed as a pro.
tected cruiser, having protected
deck of 1h inches thick.
Defective Wire Possible Cause.
Based on the first advices, naval
experts inferred that the explosion
was caused by either defective cleo.
trio wire, an electric fuse or deterio.
ration in the stock of smokeless pow
der affected by heat. The deteriora-
tion of powder, causing it to ignite
and explode, is one of the constant
dangers aboard war vessels. Every
navy except the United States has
installed cooling machines in the mag
aZines of their ships of recent type for
the purpose of maintaining an even
temperature. It is not regarded as
probable that the Matsushima had
such apparatus installed, as she was
considered as out of date as a fight
ing ship. It was commented here that
the deplorable accident would have
been even more grave had the cruiser
been in any but Japanese waters. A
dispatch to the naval attache Of the
Japanese embassy from Tokyo says
that those saved include three officers,
"a cadets, seven non-commissioned Of
ficers and al of the crew.