A Naval Battle.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7923, 3 October 1904, Page 5

A Naval Battle.

Graphic Account of a Recent

Fight.

Perfect Order on Both Sides.

Officers Blown to Pieces.

A Russian Battleship Sank,

A Gallant Crew.

Received October 3, at 10.2 a.m.

THURSDAY ISLAND, Oct. 2. .Eastern.news, from Father Alexis, chaplain of. the Rurik, - gives a graphic account of the naval fight during which the. Rurik was sank.

■At 4.45 on-the morning of August 14 the battle commenced. There was beautiful weather with a smooth sea ancl a bright sunshine.

The opposing vessels wero nearly *in two parahel lines, distant three or four miles, when the Japanese opened'fire. The battle continued steadily, there being perfect order on many sides, till 9 o'clock. "A:-.

Each ship in each squadron came into the best position to fire their port and starboard guns at the . enemy and went through their evolutions as steadily as if engaged in a sham fight, the vessels going up and down the, lines like partners in a quadrille. ■'■■;"

During the four hours' terrific fighting the Rurik'received niahy shells, her own projectiles'striking the Japanese ..many times. At the beginning of the .fight Lieutenant Slaakelburg was lolled while working a gun.. This was the first officer to be kQled. 'Immediately after, the first

Heutenant was struck by a shell whUo navigating and was instantly killed. At 7 o'clock Commander Orussoff was struck in the face by several splinters and terribly wounded. Father Alexis ran to the dome to get bandages and on his return he found only a portion of the captain's remains, tbe unfortunate officer having, meanwhile, been struck by. a second shell, which blew him literally to fragments, and destroyed the bridge.

Tho captain and first lieutenant.being dead, the command of the Rurik de-_ volved upon Lieutenant Zeniloff, torpedo instructor. *

A shell destroyed her rudder, and. the Rurik became a target for the Japanese vessels." .-.. ■;■.' --". -.-•..* ■'■'■ -..- ;..-

The Rossia and -Grornoboi came .to their companion's rescue. *■■!■

For half an hour the: two sound Rus- ; sian ships; fought the whole of the Japanese squadron,* shot for shot and shell for shell.

Then two more Japanese ships, the' Naniwa' and Takicho, came up. Seeing these heavy reinforcements, and recognising the helplessness' of the. Rurik, which no devotisn of, the two sister ships could save, the Russian admiral signalled " full speed," and turned the Rossia's head north, both vessels going at over twenty knots.

More than half the Rurik's guns were out of action, or destroyed by the concentrated fire of the Japanese. Lieut. Zeniloff being killed, the command de volved upon junior Lieutenant Ivanoff, who, seeing he could not manosuvre the ship attempted to ram the Japanese, who by steering perfectly, kept out of her line and got. behind tiie Rurik's stern, where they kept up a constant fee to prevent the possibility of repairing her rudder. .'..'"'■

At .last all the guns but one were thrown out of action, Lieutenant Ivanoif bravely, ordering his crew to keep up the tire as long as they had a shell to fit it. When further Opposition was useless, Lieut. Ivanoff gave the order to blow up the ship, but this command could not bo carried out as all the fuses aboard had been destroyed in the many terrific explosions, during,tho battle. He then ordered the seacocks to be opened. At the same time the wounded were attended to, tying them to cork mattrasses, which serve the Russian ne/vy as lifebelts and threw them overboardwith the chance of saving them. The Rurik, which was going down steadily at the stern, by the time the water reached the engine-rooms, suddenly gave a lurch to port and turned clean over, the whole length of her bottom showing for two or .three seconds before finally she sank. The swill ancl backwash was terrible. ..' ■