The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 8, 1904, Page 6

"THE TORN AND TWISTED RUSSIAN GUNBOAT KOREITZ AS SHE LOOKS AT LOW WATER | This remarkable photograph, showing the awful and overwhelming disaster infposed upon the two Russian boats, bottled up by the Japanese in Chemulpo harbor on February 9, was taken exclusive- | { ly for The Sunday Call by Hiram W. Reynolds, one of the youngest gunners in.the navy, who witnessed the great one-sided battle from the deck of the U. S.S. Vicksburg. B - : : sl L~ o X% T Fh T American g+ i Officer Who Saw | Official Report 3 of the { 'the : | Russian-]apanese} One-gx'ded :‘-gbt | iy oo | i g ions: | in the | P »| {Chemulpo Harbor| From a ; From the Naval Standpoint, Coemmander of ‘ of Just U. §. S. Vicksburg HowlIt \Vus\”agedl + —p battles in the history of naval warfare that was fought by _!.he American-built, protected cruiser Variag, of 6500 tons, and the slow gunboat Koreitz, of only 1200 tons. The Japanese odds were two battle- ships mounting 12-inch guns, six cruisers and twelve torpedo craft. Against these were the Variag's twelve 6-inch guns and the almost useless one 6-inch and two 8-inch guns At about 12:30 p. m. both Russtan ©f the Koreitz. vessels headed in toward their an- When Captain Roudnoff ef the chorage at full speed and as they ap- Variag found that the Japanese ad- proached it was seen that the Variag miral, Uriu, had bottled him up be- had a list to port and appeared to.be yond the possibility of escape he ac- oz fire aft on the port quarter. A cepted the gage of battle before the G nlbe;; b ;dm:gef: e ce ¥ oty time fixed by the enemy, and with Ehel show 2 3 ¢ band playing steamed out of Chemul- but-nok fring. &s. %o foreign men of po harbor shortly before noon on war were directly in the line of fire, Feb. For when they gave up the chase and re- Iebruary g to engage the whole Jap- joined their squadron outside. At anese fileet. When he was eight qxiles 12:59 p. m. the Variag anchored about out, and long before the Variag’s 200 yards to the northward and west- 6-inch guns were within effective ward of the Talbet, with the EIba range, the two Japanese battleships about 300 yards to the southward of began to pound away with their 12- her; and then on learning that she . .p guns. In a- few minutes two had quite a number of wounded N g y.|is from Admiral Urin’s flagship board 1 sent our medical officer and o p g two boilers, smashed the a boat’s crew on board to render as- - b eyt < sistance; the same was done by the Dridge and gave the Variag such a Talbot (English), Elba (Italian) and heavy list that her port batteries were Pascal (French). ¢ little later on, on useless. its being reported that the Variag was Ten large projectiles, besides a rain in a sinking condition, two of OUr of shrapmel, disabled the ecruis cutters and the whaleboat, with boats . ionled the engines and set the sh from the other cruisers, assisted in afire, besides killing and wou taking off the crew and officers and = putting them aboard the Talbot ana 11T officers and men out of a co Elba. Two Russian officers (en- ment of 540. In this condition gineers) were brought on board the crept back into port and was Vicksburg and taken care of for some blown up, and the photograph time and on my offering to have:the with shows how one of the Zafiro used as temporary quarters warships ever built, and which they were taken to the EIba, geen only ecightecen months of where their captain detained them vice, now looks. + - from the Variag, Elba and Pascal with the Englishmen. Shortly after 10 o’clock the Talbot's steam launch left port, standing out in the direction of the Japanese squadron. On the return of the steam launch, after the engage- ment, the following semaphore signal from the Talbot to the Elba was read by our signalman: “Our letter of pro- test was delivered on board the Japan- ese flagship a few minutes before the first shot was fired.” 6. At half neap tide a small part of the wreck of the Variag is just seen; at high water the smoke band of the Koreitz’s stack Is just awash, while the merchant steamer’s (near the wrecked Koreitz) stack and both masts show above water. 7. WIIl telegraph and cable particu- lars and other events later as they occur. Very respectfully, IT was one of the most notable ese fleet and o - — 3 g - - 3 % o 5 . - - 2 S arn nerous stories Y N 5 u kg_. — — “ cen published of the fight 4 e 3 ‘m ships bottled , but the fol- 1 report that o e his ship, was sta- time and e-witness of all vas sent to the he United station, ficial mak interesting acc viewed m th tandpoint If versed in the he gives a vivid idents preceding 1age that was se fire, and la- lves, and n flees riag’s y were abandoned by valuable ac- a original ured exc 1 for , together with the strating this Reynolds, an who is one of the the United has served yet of age. He from the deck of had never ex- see a naval fight in all his NITED STATES SHIP VICKS- BURG CHEMULPO, Korea, Feb. 9. in Chief United States tic Station. y afternoon shortly Russian gunboat y for Port Ar- me she neared Yo- -ge squadron of Jap- bound in. The urned back an 1 this vessel and t It W l M o) i i \ n vessels going to | 1 7 100 Teaed el | s . | W. A. MARSHALL, quarters. ¥ of the Japanese fleet, | / con of four cruisers, six tor- R“ss?am Cru.lser | V’/ 1 ry Commander, U. 8. N., senior officer pedo-boats and desiroyers, convoving | Variag Lying | 2 N 2 2y BEGREG nree rts, came to anchor here —— — i o'clock, the cruisers on Her Beam == y and declined my offer with thanks. vessels, h the S These two officers very freely state Sreel . ax on DrinKs that they themselves had opened valves in the engine and -fire rooms o, with the object of sinking their The United States o o recelved last year vessel. The fire aft, which had $131,000,000 of public revenue from the been caused by the bursting of tax on spirits and $47,000,000 from the a large shell among some boats and ek o Kiar, & Sital e " hammocks, continued to spread among . 1 of $178,000,000. hed together just a torpedo-boat | 2 all night between Photograph taker imme- wer divisions of the diately after the Variag's Disembarkation of soldiers great fight exclusiyely for | e begun and by midnight The Sunday Call by Hiram | torpedo- A | ghead of 3000 me landed, 1500 tak- W. Reyndlds. ing PO on of Chemulpo and the . . ! the. woodwork of the decks, cabin, etc., _,10C,toussian Government estimates € 1 . 5 ) s at $358,000,000 its revenue this year others . Seoul The move- * v in the sections of the hull abaft the from the sale of liquor, which 1s a latter force had been cnant ships of your nationality in the r?aam‘n;s:.“b_urn:;xz flercely u:tfl lh: PO G T TS Gttt o arrive at the capital port of Chemuipo at present 1 request vessel finally rolled over on her POTt oy cont'in Siberia, where, on July 1, ft side and sank at 6:01 p. m. During force of with anott 0 men, Which you to communicate to them the above will become a monopoly, too. all this time there were frequent ex- had been landed on Sunday at Mas- 3 < notification. In Great Britain the ampho and marched overland. While i Sk H1s anos o) Do bk plosions as the fire reached the ammu- ancin: s 6 Sie m!;:vd‘ln::a:-om I have not been able to get any word “Your most obedient servant, nition that had been left on deck fOT g150 00,009 a year, not much less than to-day frc the guns, and just before sinking there Seoul, I responde our force stationed in “S. URIU. m told by a newspaper cor- t, who managed to get . 7 were two explo‘sions of gun cotton or :?:n::n:m;:or‘:\f ':;; L.::::: -S::;::. G::‘; other nitro powder, as I judged from 4p.., ts, besides, the customs revenus the bright orange colored flnsh'el. A‘l from rum, brandy and other intoxi- near as I could learn the Varlag’s cants, amounting to $25,000,000. loss was 41 killed and 80 wounded, the . French Government derives i & bodles of the former not being taken $ off but went down with the vessel. T A Tatas Shewi N G o 4 - spirits, 25,000,000 from the tax on beer 4. The Koreltz was not hit at all, and 175,000,000 from the taxes on wine, so far as I could learn. She held a po- - cider being included. This is $100,000,000 sition between the Vicksburg and the & year from liquor payments, exclusive Zafiro until 1:20 p. m. (during which ©f the amount collected as customs intervals she never attempted to lower Jutles from wines entered into France a boat or make an effort to go to the f_or reshipment or for local consump- assistance of her consort), when she ion- anchored inshore of us. At about3:45 Italy raises about 100,000,000 lire a p. m. she was abandoned by her ofi- Year from excise taxes, the equivalent cers and men in their own boats, and ©f about $20,000,000. went on board the Pascal, and at 3:57 _ Holland raises about 80,000,000 florins p. m. the Koreitz was blown up. There rom this source, equivalent to $20,000,- were two distinct explosions, both very 000 heavy, following each other in quick The actual contribution of the lquor succession, the shock so strong as to trade to the income of the State is even lift the heel of the Vicksburg quite larger than these figures indicate, for perceptibly. The impression I had at there are local as well as national taxes, “Rear Admiral, commanding a squad- through from Seoul this afternocon, ToP Of the Imperial Japanese Navy.” that the city is in complete possession At the time of the receipt of this of the Japanese, who, with double letter we were coaling ship from our posts of s es at every corner and COllier Pompey alongside. Prepara- with large patrols, are maintaining ex- tions were made for her to tow us cellent order. The same is the case clear of the Russians, should they re- here in Chemulpo. main at their anchorage after the 2. This morning at 7 o'clock I re- Dour designated by the Japanese ad- ceived the following communication Miral in his letter, our own steam not ffom Rear Admiral Uriu, commanding "e24Y then. and for the Zafiro to pro- the Japanese squadron in these waters: ¢2°d a mile or more up the river, “His Imperial Japanese Majesty's Ship *1cre an English merchant steamer A » ) as well as the Korean man-of-war Naniwa, Chemulpo Roads Neniwa, Chemuipo Roadstead, 8th 1aq shifted berth to be clear of the “Sir—] have the honor to notify you ”’;bfl:‘: “::E o!sflre‘.l X the' Korel that, es hostilities exist between the , > N 2 PYiuk S Empire- of Japan and the Empire of began clearing ship for action, throw- Russia at present, I shall attack the .°8 OVerboard bedding, gratings, bulk- men-of-war of the Government of Rus. Loa0% SLYght covers, ours, chests, sia station at present in the port g e ey of Chemulpo, with the force under my sent down in the usual manner, then g e id over board, but the foretopmast was command, in case of the refusal of the Suninn renior maval officer present a CioPPed down with an ax and fen | Cruiser Variag’s port of Chemulpo before the noon of . g heard, and, had blown up. Immediately following [rom the liquor tax is distinet from the the Sth of February, 1904, and I re- :,:l;:ved"‘;;:::;d ‘-lro;nd i e Steam L.unch holv:' gun, t:e’ p?;:ecl;:lp::t&-l:;:m l; this the crew of the Chinese Eastern Fedefal Government collections, and in spectfully recuest you to keep away 10430‘°vclock unad at ;;.Z:r;thfl;‘:‘:t — the water near the Varlag. Fiom Railway Company’s malil steamer (that ;f:]'(;“f‘yl the ’"gl" ‘D‘Hl ¢ the tax Is cene of > -/ 5 4 i * 5 . had been used by the Russi o local authorities. — Ne 0 dange! towars 0-; % 3 nese, the : —— e ccme to the hip under your command.- apout ten Knots specs Srie Ssead lht‘:w hlhe bottom of the engagement continued, botn Russian this morning for Port Arthur, Dalny, ey The above mentioned attack Will ot morning all the Japanese vessels had WSl was Jappcred: by vessels moving through a limited space ©t&- et heron fire and then abandoned e great Duke of Wellington has gt the explosion of 2 common to the northward and eastward of Yo- her, going on board the Pascal. been dead for half a century and his take place before 4 c’clock p. m. on the gone outside and their smok e coul 2 9th of February, 1904, to give time to be seen on the horizon about five m"; shell, was taken exclusively Dolml and apparently keeping that 6. Between 8 and 10 o'clock this MONUment in St. Paul's Cathedral, put into practice the above mentioned outside of Yo-Dolmi. At 11:50 a. m. for The Sunday Call by - island as much as possible between morning there appeared to be some sort 1-0ndon, has not been completed yet. gequest. was heard the report of the first gun Hiram W. Reynolds. them and their enemy. This state- of conference taking place on board It has been the subject of animated “If there are any transports or mer- fired from the Japanese squadron, byt F————————— L ege e e :;“{g“;‘;‘;‘e:z S i :;: T‘"’:e"m‘:o;: u;l“"‘:l‘d °"b;'=‘“! discussion at brief intervals ever since 2 3 . freq cations boat his death, s