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Show I; Japanese Gunboat Tried to Ram Launch of flic Peace 1 Envoys. BORE DOW ON .THE FRAIL CRAFT AT FULL SPEED Collision Wifh Another float u Saved Lives of Those in the Lannch. SEATTLE. Ocl. 27. What appears to 1 have been a deliberate attempt lo nuir- t dor several members of the Japanese peaco commission In tho harbor of Yo-; Yo-; kohaina. Is rraphicolly described In a let ter to a hlfjh Government official in this oily, brought on the steamship Allnnc- ; seta. I" ' , Tried to Sink Launch. ' The letter comes from a source that ( teems to Insure iho truthfulness of tho news. It wna written by n woman prominent promi-nent in social circles and tolls how a Japanese Jap-anese torpedo-boat ndenvorcd. while running at full spead. to collide with and wnl: the launch upon which tho peace commissioners were leaving the steamship steam-ship Dakota to ro ashore. The lelter follows: Exciting Time. "Such an exciting time as there was upon our arrival. You kr.ow, sevoral members of tho peace commission wero . i. o board. Of course, the doctor's lannch was the first to come alongside. The doc-, doc-, tor came aboard and the launch pushed off to make room for a Japanese torpedo- boat, which took her place. Documents Taken Off. "All tho documents pertaining to the peace settlement were taken off and the torpedo-boat then swung out Just far enough to allow the doctor's launch to come to the gangway with dlfllculty. The jicacc commissioners then went on board tills launch and nil went below except Mr. Denlnon, who stood and clung to the 'cabin rail. "Then tho torpedo-boat shot away j toward a battleship about a mile distant, and the launch. instead of starting start-ing toward Yokohama, around our bow, started out bf tho harbor. Straight for tho Launch. "When slip had gone a few hundred .yards a second torpedo-boat, which had been laying off tho stern of the Dakota, was seen to start up and, to our horror, bhot past us nt full speed, the water fly-" fly-" Ing on each side of our bow, and pointed btralght for the launch that the commls-1 commls-1 ploners were aboard. Another launch was between them and she was grazed along . her side, but tho commissioners' launch was hit In the bow and the entire bow knocked off. The bow-post swung on: ' tvn feet from place, while all the side timbers forward wero smashed. One Went Overboard. "I- saw one man from the launch fly Into th air and come down between the two boats. I saw his head In the water a 'tho two boats swung together. I thought hn must be crushed, hut ho was not and must have been saved. 4 Saved by First Collision, "j "The torpedo-boat stopped at what looked llk lifty feet or more beyond tho 1 launch, while tho launch llrst struck went to the assistance of the disabled boat. Jf there had not been the first collision , j to throw the torpedo-boat off her course a little she would have rammed at full j 'rpeed Into the middle of tho launch Just whoro tho commissioners were, in the cabin. As it was, the launch, which I looked as If alio would go to tho bottom J ovcry moment, was able to proceed to ( f Yokohama, two other launches keeping J alongside. I "So fnr we have no rumor from the shore, but to all passengers It appears to be the most llagrant thing they have ever seen, j Outside the Breakwater, i "All this took place outside the break-I break-I water, as word was sent out that there 1 was not room for the Dakota to enter j i the Inside harbor until the Minnesota : should sail this afternoon. Baron Kn-, Kn-, mura Is expected to arrive here on the 15th and we are wondering what sort of I , a reception he will receive." . 4 |