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Show to rive me a remarkably dear statement of the diBaater. Ha aald: "We were returning- to the harbor, the Petropavlovik leading. Some of our cruller crull-er which had remained tn tha (harbor mum out and steamed toward the enemy, firing: sixteen ahots at them with their -bow runs. They then retired. The enemy ene-my numbered fourteen heavy ahlpa, near, ty all armored, while ours were nine. Asainst their armored cruisers we had . . orftT the Bayan. I stood tn the wheel -Dioue on board the battleship, 'looking at the atgmal book. The Admirals laat signal sig-nal had ben for the torpedo boats to enter en-ter the harbor. The Petropavlorsk slowed speed and almost stood still. Suddenly she ahook violently. I heard a fearful explosion ex-plosion immediately followed by another and then another. They seemed to me to be directly under the bridire. I rushed to the door of the wheelhouse, wtaere I met an officer, probably a helmsman. I could not pass him, and I sprang to the window . and Jumped out. The ship was llstlnr. ' and I feared that every moment ahe would turn over. I 'Weltering; tn Blood. "On the brtdgn Z saw an officer snfve-lnr snfve-lnr in blood. It toes our Admiral M rofT. He lay face downward. I spralurto . him. grasped him by the shoulder anifAt- tempted to raise him. - i "The ship seemed to be falling somewhere. some-where. From all sides flew fragments. I heard the deafening screech and the frightful fright-ful din. The smoke rose in dense clouds snd the flames seemed t lea toward the bridge where I Vas atancing beside tho Admiral. I Jumped on the rail and was washed out, but succeeded in grabbing -something. I was sucked -down. I remember re-member the failing' maata and then nothing noth-ing more. . . . "On our ehlp was an old man with a beautiful white beard, who had been good to oar men. Ue had a book in his hand and earned to be writing, perhapa sketching. sketch-ing. He was Vereatchagln. the painter." GRAPHIC STORY OF I FIGHT PRECEDING ; GREAT DISASTER SSySgSSSSgSSStSgSSSSSSg LIAOYANG. Ap'lH 11 The Associated Press correspondent, believing the Japanese Japan-ese would : repeat the attempt to block the entrance to Port Arthur Ar-thur with fire ships on Easter eve, went from Llaoyang; to Port' Arthur a week ago yesterday. For lour nights I watched with the sentries on Oolden bill. Three nights passed quietly. Tuesday night, April 120a. Vice-Admiral Makaroff took to sea with his entire squadron. Including fourteen torpedo boats. The next night, April 13th. In the teeth of a gale, eight torpedo boats were sent out to reconnolter. From Oolden bill, on which I was standing, through the blackness the searchlights of t&e fortification fortifi-cation flashed over the inky waters of the roadstead and Jar out to the hasy horlson. At 11 o'clock I heard firing at sea, and counted seven shots, but could see nothing. noth-ing. At daybreak I mads out through the light base to the southward, about five miles from shore, six torpedo boats strung out in line, all firing. In t&e lead, and outstripping the others was a boat heading head-ing at full speed directly for the entrance of the harbor.. The last In line was beclouded be-clouded In steam and lagging. She had evidently been hit It was difficult to distinguish dis-tinguish the boats, but finally through my Jriasses I saw that the leader and' the agged were Russian and that the four others were Japanese. TTne flash 6f the guns and the splash of the projectiles as they struck the water showed the Intensity Inten-sity of the conflict. An Unequal Combat. The torpedo boat from which steam was escaping was firing viciously. The four center craft drew together, concentrating their fire on her, but the crippled boat poured out her fire and was successfully keeping off her assailants. The signals (then flashed the news to the men of the batteries that the vessel was the S trash nX The unequal combat was observed with breathless Interest, but the net drew close around the doomed boat. The four Japanese Japan-ese vessels formed a semi-circle and poured In a deadly fire. The steam from the Strashnl grew denser, covering her like a whits pall. Still she fought like a desperately, wounded animal brought to bay. Running straight for the adversary barring her way to safety, she passed the Japanese astern snd fired st them. At this stage Vice-Admiral Makaroff, who had been observing the progress of the conflict through a telescope, signaled to the cruiser Bayan. lying In the Inner harbor, to weigh anchor and go out to the rescue. The Japanese boats clung to their enemies ene-mies like hounds in a chase. They had become separated, but again resumed their formation. Small Jets of flame and smoke were spurting from the light rapid firers, varied by denser clouds es torpedoes torpe-does were discharged against the Strashnl. Plucky to the End. It was the end. The stricken boat loosed a final round, but It was as if a volley had been fired over her "own grave, for ahe disappeared beneath the waves, only- a little cloud of steam marking the place where she want down. Satisfied with what they had accomplished, accom-plished, the Japanese torpedo boats turned and made off at full speed, followed by the Bayan. To their support came six of the enemy's cruisers. Still the Bayan went on, seemingly inviting certain destruction. de-struction. She soon ported her helm to bring a broadside Jo bear upqn the foe, which was advancing in line of battle. She opened some of them and turned quickly and stood on into the -hall of the enemy s broadsides.' The Japanese steamed at a slight angle, enabling all their guns . J to bear and projectiles rained around the Bayan,- raising' columns of water as they burst, but none struck home. To the eastward suddenly appeared five more Russian torpedo boats returning to the harbor under forced draught. Tw& of the Japanese cruisers were immediately detached to cut them off, but the Bayan, noticing the movement, checked it by turning turn-ing a hot fire, upon them. The movement was effective. The Japanese cruisers slowed down, and the torpedo boats slipped through into the harbor. Meanwhile, in accordance with Tlce-Admiral Tlce-Admiral MakarofTs orders, the battleships and cruisers in the inner harbor slipped anchor. Majestically the Petropavlovsk, flying- the Admiral's flag, steamed through the entrance. On her appearance the formidable array of Japanese cruisers turned and fled. The Admiral signaled the Bayan to return. Then a stream of varl -colored signal flags fluttered out "Brave Bayan." Japanese False Flight - By this time the entire Russian squadron squad-ron was In the outer harbor. Besides the Petropavlovsk. I saw the battleships Pa-resvlet, Pa-resvlet, Poltava, Pobelda and Sevastopol, the crulserslNovik, Diana and Askold and the torpedo boats. The flags announcing an-nouncing the Admiral's approbation of the Bayan were hauled down and replaced by another signal. Immediately the torpedo boats dashed ahead, and the heavier ships I began to spread out. Seeing the fllsht of the Japanese cruisers, cruis-ers, the Petropavlovsk opened Are with her great runs, but the enemy was out of range ana soon disappeared. Our squadron continued the chase. Anally Anal-ly fading from view. I waited anxiously for its reappearance, and in about an hour it came in sight Far beyond it the number of points from which smoke arose announced the presence of the enemy. Nearer and nearer came the vessels, and tleshlps and the remainder armored and unarmoced cruisers. Unable to get within effective range of Vloe-Admlral Makaroffs ahlns, the enemy ene-my stopped eighteen verets from shore. Our squadron, with the Petropavlovsk leading, arrived at the entrance Ho the harbor and drew up In line of battle. Another An-other signal was floated from the flagship, flag-ship, and the torpedo boats at once proceeded pro-ceeded through the entrance into the Inner In-ner harbor. Vlce-Admlral Makaroff was evldenUy unwilling to risk his vulnerable craft to the heavy projectiles of the enemy's ene-my's armored, ships. Petropavlovsk Doomed. I watched the Petropavlovsk closely ss she steamed toward Electric cliff. The frowning marine monster, whose guns were ever turning- toward the enemy, was prepared to Bend huge messengers of desth against him. y All was quiet. It was the hush before a battle the htish when every nerve Is strained to ret Into Impending danger. I looked for the Japanese ships, but they were without movement, save that caused bv the heaving sea. My glance returned to our squadron. The Petropavlovsk was almost without headway, when suddenly I saw her tremble. trem-ble. She seemed to rise out of the water, a tremendous explosion rent the air, then a second and then a third. Fragments flew In all directions and wreckage and men were mixed up In a terrroie mass. I wss hardly able to realise the horror of it, when the ship began to list. In a moment mo-ment the sea seemed to ooen and the Water Wa-ter rushed over her. Tne retropavlovik had disappeared. The floating woodwork and the few men struggling in the water were all that was left to recall the splendid fighting machine which a few hours before had sailed out of the harbor. Spectator Paralyzed. x The same shock experienced by the observers ob-servers on Oolden hill paralysed for a moment the men on (the ships, but when It passed the torpedo boats and small boats hastened to the rescue of the survivors. sur-vivors. Eager to ascertain what (had occurred on board the sunken ship, I hastened to the landing where a small remnant of the gallant crew were being- put ashore and conveyed to a hospital. Signalman Boch. koff, who was slightly wounded, was able . . |