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Show COULD NOT ESCAPE THE JAPANESE Reports Now Being Received In 8t. Petersburg Concerning the Fate of Russian Ships. BARON FERZEN BLEW UP SHIP. Found That He Could Not Escape From the. Pursuing Enemy and 8ent His Veosel to the Bottom. St. Petorsburg. Official roports bearing on tho naval battle aro beginning begin-ning to bo received by tho emperor and Grand Duko Alexis, the high admiral, ad-miral, the most important of these roports rovealing tho fato of tho cruiser Izumrud, being a telegram from her captain, Baron Ferzen, dated Juno 1, saying that ho had blown up tho cruiser at tho entrance of Vladimir bay, and briefly describing describ-ing tho battle. Tho baron says that beforo dark on May 27 tho Oslabia, Aloxandor III nnd Dorodlno had been sunk, nnd that tho Knlaz Souvaroff, the Kamtchatka and tho Urol had been Bcrlously damaged dam-aged and woro lost to sight. Tho command then dovolved upon Itenr Admiral Nobogatoff. In tho evening tho Nikolai I, tho Orel, tho General Admiral Apraxlno, tho Navarln, tho Admiral Nakhimoff and tlio Izumrud Hailed northeastward, northeast-ward, tho latter being charged to transmit orders to tho battleships. Two other cruisers wero cut off from tho fleet and wero not again seen. Tho. 'battleships, steaming at four, teen knots, woro repeatedly attacked by tho Japaneso torpedo boats, os. pecially at the extremity of tho lino At dawn It was ascertained that tho battleship division consisted of the Nikolai I, tho 6rel, tho General Admiral Ad-miral Apraxino and tho Admiral Se-navien. Se-navien. At sunrise May 28 smoko from tho Japaneso ships reappeared on tho horizon, whereupon tho admiral gavo orders for Increased speed. Tho Ad. mlral Senavlen and General Admiral Apraxino dropped behind. Toward k o'clock tho Japaneso fleet appeared first to port and then to starboard, whilo tho cruller division maneuvered behind tho Russians to Btarboard. Baron Fcrzon's account continues: "I was cut off from tho squadron, and, finding It impossible to rejoin It, resolved to make for Vladivostok. I put on full speed, and tho cnomy's cruisers came in pursuit. Owing to tho Insufficiency of my supply of coal and tho certainty of meeting tho enemy's cruisers, I subsequently altered al-tered for Vladimir bay, where I ar rived on tho night of May 29. At 1:30 o'clock next morning, in pitch darkness, tho Uumrud ran full on a reef at tho entrance to tho bay. Having Hav-ing only ten tons of coal, and seeing that it would bo Impossible to refloat my vessel, I ordered tho crow ashoro and blow up tho Izumrud to prevent her falling Into the hands of tho onemy. Ten of my sailors wera wounded In tho battle, but tho ofllcors and tho rest of tho crew are all safe." |
