Salt Lake Tribune | 1905-08-14 | Page 1 | To Seize Seal Rookeries

TO SEIZE SEAL ROOKERIES. Reason Given for Dispatch of Two Squadrons. VICTORIA. B. C Aug. 13. Advices received re-ceived here Indlcato the reason for tho dispatch of Admiral Kalakoa to the Siberian Si-berian coast, with ono squadron going to Kamchatka, the other to Okhotsk, as told In a Toklo dlsivatch of tho 10th, Is that hu Is to seize the Russian seal rookeries on Komandoerskl Island, Bering and Copper, Cop-per, off Kamchatka, and on Robben Island In Okhotsk sea, off Capo Patlcnco of Sakhalin. Sak-halin. Tho Russian guard on Robben deserted the rookeries at tho beginning of tho war, but a guard remains on tho Komandoerskl Komandoer-skl rookery. It Is Incapable, however, of offering effcctlvo resistance. Since the war began a number of raldB havo been made on Robben Island by Japaneso sealers, seal-ers, with good stircess. and several havo been essayed at Copper Island, but they failed. An American schooner, tho Car-monclta. Car-monclta. also failed In an attempt to raid this rookery. Tho rookury at Robbon Island ha.s about 10,000 seals at this time, the month when the hords haul out. and there are six or seven times ns many on Komandoer.kl rookeries. A Snn Francisco company, tho Kamchatka Commercial company, Is ono of tho concerns having leases from Russia Rus-sia to tnko seals from Komandoerskl Islands. Its chartered steamer, tho Mon-lara. Mon-lara. Is now en roulo to Petropavlovsk and may bo In danger of oclztiro by tho Japaneso war ships ordered to Kamchatka.