The Russian cruiser Askold, from Port Arthur, arrived at the International Dock about half-past two on Saturday afternoon. She is not to be docked there; the more. commodious Cosmopolitan Dock being now prepared for her reception.
Through the courtesy of Captain Grammatchikoff, the commander of the cruiser, a representative of this paper was enabled to make an inspection of the vessel soon after her arrival. It seemed to be almost impossible for any unauthorised person to board the cruiser, the armed sentry at the gangway answering with a stern " niet" every request to be allowed so to do, no matter in what language the request might be presented.
Tt only needed one to be for a few moments among the hundreds of men who crowded the decks to be struck with the extraordinary spirit of cheerfulness and confidence that was apparent on every side, and this too, when considering the circumstances, it' would not have been strange if a feeling of depression and gloom had prevailed. Most of the men appeared to be healthy and strong and in the best of spirits, although one could see here and there some with bowed heads and an absent-looking expression on their faces. Were they thinking of homes and loved ones in far away Russia?
'A kind word was responded Tt was pleasing to find that the bravery and resourcefulness of the Japanese were appreciated by many of the men. 'J'aime beaucoup les Japonals," said one of the executive officers, "ils out beaucoup de courage." Many of the men have a smattering of English, French, or German, and it was possible through the medium of one or other of these languages to hold a more or less connected conversation. One and all seemed to have no misgivings as to the ultimate outcome of the conflict which had opened so. disastrously for their fatherland. "It cannot be," said one intelligent fellow, speaking in fairly good English, "that the great Russian land must fall down before little Japan. For every man who dies we have another man; for every ship that is lost we have another ship, and some day we shall have the victory," and such, in effect, seemed to be the way in which the matter was regarded by most if not all of the men. In answer to the remark that Russia thus far appeared to have been having a very bad time the characteristic reply was made that it was " Kismet," and the general opinion seemed to be that it was by no means an undesirable thing to have to lay down one's life for the fatherland.
It appears that twelve men and one officer wore killed on the cruiser and about fifty wounded, many of them very severely. When one sees how the vessel has been knocked about, it is surprising that the casualties were not greater. The work of repairing, the vessel is going on night and day, an at midnight the crash of the hammers and the noise of the workmen could be hoard far across the river. It is the opinion of those who are competent to judge that the cruiser could be patched Sufliciently to enable her to go to sea in about ten days, but that to thoroughly overhaul her would require a month or six weeks. The men seemed to be under the impression that they would very soon be putting to sea once more again to try conclusions with the enemy. Some of the premises belonging to Farnham, Boyd Ca., at the Cosmopolitan Dock are, it is believed, being fitted up for the accommodation of the officers if it should be found desirable for them to stay on shore while their ship is being repaired.
An inspection of the vessel showed that the cruiser had been damaged as follows; The first and third smoke stacks had been riddled with billets from machine guns at the base on the superstructure deck. The after smoke stack had been cit in two and telescoped about half-way. from the top. The stack was only held in position by the guy ropes. An 8-inch armour-piercing shell had entered the starboard bow, about two feet above the water line and lodged in the coal bunker. A 12-inch shell had exploded in the starboard hammock netting amidship. Fragments of this shell had riddled and destroyed four metallic life-boats. Another similar exploding shell had entered a state room on the starboard quarter, and after cutting its way across the deck had exploded in the officers' quarters on the port quarter. Needless to say that it had destroyed everything that it had come into contact with.
deck house om the superstructure under the forward bridge was fiddled with pieces of the shell that had ox-ploded in the forward smoke stack. The search lights on the vessel. had been damaged to such an extent that they were probably beyond repair. The torpedo netting is also bent, and in such a condition that it is practically useless. There is also very serious under-water damage, a torpedo having made a big hole through into one of the bunkers, but the vessel's engines and boilers are reported to be in good condition.
The guns are missing from the sponsons amidships on each side of the vessel. It was surmised at first that these had been dismounted in action, but a more likely theory is that they wore removed for uso in the fortifications at Port Arthur.
The Askold, having come up river on Saturday afternoon was moored to a jetty near the Cosmopolitan Dock.. Her damaged funnel was then removed and shortly before three o'clock yesterday, when she was timed to go.into "dock, the foremost funnel was also lifted clear from its bed by the big shears. Large. numbers of people were on the wharf, when the Askold was towed off.' She. was taken the short distance to the dock mouth by the tugs Victoria and. Kongnam. Her bow was then made. fast, to two capstans by stout hawsers and the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.