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Show THAT WORTH SEA BLUNDER, f L . i . A Russian merchant In England has received a letter from his son, who isva sub-lleutenant on the Russian fieet, giving giv-ing an account of the North Sea affair. He says the licet was far out its proper course, because tho great majority major-ity of ttie crows, officers and men alike, were drunk. Tho letter continues; We kncjjv we were out of our course, and had fears that wo should run aground somewhere. An alarm was given that tho Admiral's flagship had done so, and in tho confusion which followed three of tho vessels ves-sels of the "rear squadron collided. In the midst of this confusion wo came across what wo believed to bo a flotilla of torpedo tor-pedo boats, and as we had instructions to fire upon any suspicious craft, we quickly trained out guns and sank' several. Here at Cherbourg they tell us that? the vessels we fired upon were British fishing vessels. That inny be, as tho confusion in our fleet was so great. Wc certainly not nothing In return; but later on In tho night thoro was a rapid exchange of shots between our vessel and another, and It was only when we recognised from a small shell which came aboard but did not explode that the ammunition was Russian that we saw a mistake hud been made and that wo had been firing upon one another. We had several men wounded. Can you imagine a more unfortunate affair? But it Is not surprising. Every one. from the Admiral downwards, seems so demoralized and without heart or hope. That Is a pretty complete giving away of the Russian case. The fact Is, that none but a man drunk or crar.y could possibly have imagined tbat his fleet wns belli? attacked in the North Sea by the Japanese. |