OCR Text |
Show CONFIRMS FIRST REPORT. hit j; Russian Attack on Hull Fleet Re- Jr M 11 mains a Mystery. U, LONDON. Oct. 23. Tho steam cutter U. Magplo. belonging to tho Gamecock ?' ': Trawler fleet, whloh was fired on by the Russian Baltic fleet, arrived In tho Thames V , 'iH tonight. Her captain. Peakur, confirmed fl, 'nH the details of tlio story received from i . ' Hull. He says- -!:H "Friday night thoro wore about forty : ', vessels of the Gamecock fleet fishing In ( ;. latitude 16 degrees 15 minutes and longi- f IvH tudo 5 degrees G minutes. It waa a misty, v 'J drizzling nlghL Wo spread over an area . ; of somo miles. Our admiral had Just pre- f( vlouslv signaled by rockets and colored I , I; llghts'tho fishing direction for the night. L''UM Vhother that had anything to do with Bjj lH what followed I do not know; tho wholo p fM thing Is a mystery. Kr UH Assumed They Were Russians. t !. "Presently, through tho mist, thcro ap- "'H ; pearod tho llghLs of many vessels, big and; ; emall. Knowing that-tho Baltlo fleet wa ll l" 1 1 I" iJlm cn route, wo naturally assumed that they. ' fffl W("ro Russians, but I cannot say for cer- Kit tain. They were signaling one another !' and. with powerful searchlights, spied out r(p every one of our ileet. Suddenly some of M the warships started firing at about twon- 'i.'.I' ty boats which were nearest to them. , h' -m "Vi'c at first supposed they woro blank . ft si shots, and the boatswain of the Tomtit, which was close In, held two big fish out at arm's length. 8omo say ho was offcr- l Jnp them to the Rusolans In fun, and i : :M .ithers, that ho meant to acquaint tho Rus- ' -m nlnns with tho fact that we wero peaceful I fishermen and not disguised enemies. In ij flft any enso. thcro was no mistaking our J'; itm occupation, for wo wera close enough for I'l -m the Russians to neo that our men wore all ,ll .,K engaged In Riming finh. , ' "When we realized that tho Russians i if wefo firing shot and that some of our men ; iJP were wounded, nil became terror and con- ''ij.jffj fusion. Nets were cut away, steam was ij'al gotten up and tho trawlers hurried away ,; Jul as fast na possible. ' ''ii jf! Rapid-Fire Guns. ' jlljlj "Judging by tho rapidity of tho shots 'huff tnov wcrc frcqucnlly-llrlng guns. I have J 1(3)' seen some of tho shot Imbedded In boats, MI.JJJ; They are about tho diameter, but not tho i ii'lii length, of a big cucumber, and with brass ; j i Mr heads, , i 'iw "What with tho darkness, the rain and kill tho gloro of 8earchllghtB, wo wero unabla ,' im to Identify the warships. After about H if half an hour tho llrlng suddenly ceasod . i Ik and tho fleet steamed away In tho dlroc- ,;',! tion of tho English channel." ,"Jff Peakcr confirms tho details of the fato '''US' or lne trawler Crano and hor crow, arid runt' speaks with Intense Indignation of the 1; ilffi conduct of tho Russians. Ho says" ji "It Is Impossible that wo could havo "tl been taken for anything but trawlers. I i:jrf can only lmnglnc that tho Russians lost yJt t heir heads and blazed away In confusion; PI nnilt when thoy discovered their mistake, It J steamed off." |