Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-24
.PETROGRAD REJO|CEs
OVER VICTORY At RIGA
1t Comes as Great Relief to Rus
slams After Long Series
of Reverses.
CHEERING CROWDS ON STREETS
They March to British Embassy,
Where Friendly Demonstration Is
Held-Oficial Statement Tells How
German Fleet Was Shattered.

Especial Cable to The Times-Dispatch. I
PETROGRAD. August 23.-An official
statement Issued to-day gives the Ger
man losses in the battle In Riga Gulf
as one Dreadnought. two cruisers and
eight torpedo boats. Although the
president of the Duma has stated that
the Dreadnought was the Moltke there
is belief that 1t might have been
another German warship OF that type
The only other one OF that type In the
1915 naval records Is the Geoben, which
was sold to Turkey since the war
started and was renamed the Sultan
Selim. A British submarine is given
credit for the sinking OF the Dread
| nought.
COURAGEOUS STAND
AGAINST GREAT ODDS
Tho captain and crew Of the gum
boat Sivutch. the only Russian loss ac-
knowledsed in the battle. are highly
praised for their courageous stand
against odds that finally sent them to
the bottom fighting to the last on red
hot decks and taking heavy toll from
the enemy.
The German fleet on August Is re-
newed with large forces it's attacks
on our position at the entrance to the
Gulf OF Riga" states the War Ministry.
Our ships during the 18th and 18th
repulsed the attacks of the enemy,
whose secret preparations for entering
the gulf had been favored slngularly
Taking advantage OF thick fog,
hostile forces OF considerable size en-
tered the gulf on the 18th. and our
vessels retired at the same time. con-
tinuing to resist the enemy without
losing touch with him.
"On the 18th and 2oth the enemy
reconnoitered in different directions, at
the same time keeping up the fight
with our ships. in which his torpedo
boat notilla suffered material losses.
On our side we lost the gunboat
Sivutch. which perished gloriously in
an unequal fight with an enemy cruiser
which was escorting torpedo craft and
came up to a distance OF 400 wards
from her.
The Sivutch. enveloped in flames.
continued to reply shot for shot until
she sank. having previously sunk
enemy torpedo-boats. In view OF the
losses suffered and the futility of his
efforts. the enemy appears to have
evacuated the Gulf Of Riga on the 2ist
Between the 18th and the 2lst two
enemy cruisers and no less than eight
torpedo-boats were either sunk or
placed hors de combat. simultaneously
our gallant allies succeeded in torpe-
doing in the Baltic one OF the most
powerful Dreadnoughts OF the German
fleet"
The attack on the Sivutch by the
German cruiser and torpedo boats be-
gan. 1t is stated. at 1000 yards The
little Sunboat with a crew Of 14S men,
was commanded by Commander Tcher-
kaasev. who distinguished himself at
Port Arthur at the age of twenty-one.
HOLDS HER POSITION
IN UNEQUAL COMBAT
The ship returned the fire and stub
Dornly held her position in the UNEQUAL
combat that sealed her doom as il
progressed. At the close of the encoun-
ter the opponents were within 400 yards
of each other. and the Sivutch, en-
vcloped in names, her decks red hot,
returned shot for shot up to the very
instant OF her sinking.
Almost the last shot from the gun
boat sank a German torpedo boat. 1t
is not known IL any OF the crew OF the
Sivutch survived.
Tho Russian naval success has come
as great relief to the capital after
the strain of the last week, and the
public celebration lasted until late last
night. Crowds marched cheering from
the government buildings to the Brit
ish embassy. where they indulged In a
friendly demonstration.
l.