HOW JAPANESE MEET DEATH.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 46, 23 August 1904, Page 6

HOW JAPANESE MEET DEATH.

SINKING OP A TRANSPORT. Death rather than submission Mas the fato which wua voluntarily chosen by tllie Japanese soldiers and others who were on board the transport Kinaliiuwafu at Sonsan, when the Russian warships .suddenly appeared on tho scene The Kobe Chronicle reprints from a native paper a mast interesting account of this stirring incident of the war. It appears that the men had been ashorescouting, and had then re-cm barked. Tho escorting torpedo-boat destroyer flotilla put to sea, and th« transport followed, but coon the vessels were separated in a fog, and when this lifted the Kinflhiuniiuu found herself closo to some warships. Captain Vagi, of the. Kinshiuwaru, thinking the squadron to be .Japanese, altered hw course and steered towards tho waaahips, when Uio signal "Stop," floating from tho mainmast, and the firing of n blank shot across tho Kinshiu's bows, bi ought the vessel to a standstill. This turn of ovenla naturally caused surprise and astonishment on board tho transport, but nouung could be done in the way of escaping. Liout.Commander Mizoguclu, who had charge of tho woik of the transport, proponed visiting tho warships ' and taking such measures as required by circumstances This was agreed to bo the best course, and, having said farewell to the military officers in command of tho troops, and accompanied by Captain Yftgi, Paymaster lidiu, and an interpreter, Mr Kondo, tho Tiieut.-Cojrunander rowed to the nearest warship, whence, as in known, tho party never returned, and aro now prisoners of Avar at Irkutsk. On board tho Kinshiumaru the military officers assembled in the saloon and took counsel as to their course of action. Tho officors M-oro Captain Shiina, Captain Sukurai, Lieutenant Terada, Lieutenant Yokoti., and -Ensign Higuki. After tho conference Captain Skiina wont intc the 'tweon decks, whoro tho men had boon ordered to assemble, and gave orders as to tho course to bo token by them. Meanwhile both Uio transport aud the Warships had boon lowering boats, and soon three officers boarded the Kinshiu and ordered tlio troops to lay down their arms nml surrender, stating that if they did so they would bo takon on Ward tho ww.ibii>». Tho soldiers wero given au hour iii which to arrive at a decision, ami, having allowed the orew of tho steamer and imssengers to tako to tho bonla, thti nav<v. oiheers returned to tho Mtjuudron. It wus now- past midnight, with a bright moon and clew *ky. A great silence prevailed on tho transport, which now had only troops on bo.ird and a tow bluejackets and coolies. Captain Shiina once again inspected hi« men, who wore found jn perfect order, some motionless, but others fixing hayc-nots or loading their ritlos, proparing for tbo cml. Sergcant-Maior Washi was collecting tho maps, sketeheti, etc., kept by tho oflioera; Sergeant Oka no gathered in tho note-books of tho men, and maps and note-books wore Uuown into the cngiix--room lire. A corporal ordeied tho men to take off tho numbers o:< their shoul-der-Htraps, so that everything should bo destroyed which could possjbvy prove of any value k> tho euemy afterwards. lUV'<w paat 1 o'clock on tho morning of April 26 whoa tho Russians discharged v torpedo against the foro part of tho transport. On this Caphun Shiina again went into tho 'tween decks and freed the men from military discipline. They wwo told to titko what eoiir&e they thought fit, at* nothing coiJd bo done to avort disaster. Tlie men, anxious to know the fate of their officers, swarmed up the j companion-ways to tho saloon, found tho doors locked and no sound issuing therefrom. Insido woro the- officers, who hjul ftgroed to sink with tho steamer,, imprisoned in tho saloon, so that th?y should nob fall into the hands ol tho oneniy. Particular and scrupulous to tho last, the officers hud persuaded Captain Sukurai, who did nob belong to their icgiment, of tho inadrisability of his dying with fcliom. Captain Sakurai, an old ,oxperionced officer, regarded by (he General Stall as one of tho smartest officers of tho army in Northern Korea, left his comrades, and the manner of his death is unknown. According to report, however, it seems t^iero was not perfect unanimity in tho manner tho officors should meet their death. It i» stated that Lieutenant Terada dissented from tho command of Captain Shiina that tho officers should die together, and loft the ship, vowing that ho would sell his lifo to tho onemy, but die lighting. What became of Lieutenant Teiada is not known. The end of tho men was equally tragic. Some minutes after Captain Shiina had given his last commands, which left the soldiers to their own resources, Sergeant Kurisu and Corporal Horisaka committed tmicido by shooting each other, and many followed their example. Sergeant Okano went on deck, drew his sword, and committed haia kiri, an "example, we aio told, which was followed by some of his men. A riithor more soldier-like way of spending- tho last, moments of their lives was tlmt of Corporal Hashimoto and somo 60 men, who, from tho deck, fired rcpeatodly at tho Russians by tho corporal's command. Tho enemy replied with fa,tnl effect, but tho end of all was now noar. Fifty minutes after the first torpedo was discharged a socond torpedo Btruck tho Kinshui Mam, and nearly cut tho vtv«ol in two parts. It sank in thirteen minutes, but during this time a hot" fire was kept up by the Japanese, who went down with Ihe ship, cheering and singing tho march or song of their regiment. The final stage of this chapter of the war is well known — how about 60 of the men succeeded in gt'H-ing clear of the ship, either boforo or after she sank, and reaching the coast, but there was on board si considerable number of non-combatants whoso fate i« quito uncertain, bluejackets and coolies, whom it in thought possible tho Russians may have picked up afterwards. Tho end of nimny on board tho Kinshui Mxru is ono moro striking oxnmplo of the heroism with which the men can be inspired when the alternative to death is surrender and the miiw of military disgrace. — London Daily Tclogiaph.

All tho fiuishing-ott details of work on the Petone waterworka will be completed within, nine or Un. dayn.

Leave of absence- from tho Legislative Council for the remainder of the session, on account of illness, was to-day granted to fche Hon. J. T. Peacock. Tho Blenheim Borough Council, though unable to givo a portion of tlio municipal reserve as a site for a technical echool, has expressed its willingncas to lease a site for a period of 21 years. ' The death of Mr. William Thomas Doikec, an old resident of the Tua JRarina district, occurred on Saturday night. .Deceased had reached the ago of 72 years. "It seems to me they are only complicating thinga," said Councillor Piper lost night when Potone Chamber of Commerce lent its support to tho request of the Technical .School Board for a school site in tho recreation reserve. "Is tho School Board dead?" ho asked. Coun- ' cillor Bowles thought tho Chamber of vCommorce, being ouch a strong body of mon, might make- a present of a site, and not come " to the poor old borough milking-cow all the time." Councillor Costlo sard the School Board wa§ anything but dead. The position woe that tho Chamber of Commerce was apparently alive to tho interests of tho borough as well as other people. Court Sir George iJowon, No. 5084, A.0.E., hold its fortnightly meeting last uight at tho Foresters' Hall, Tory-street, Bro. T. D. Bryant presiding. There wns a large attendance of members. Tho recommendation of tho Investigation Committco tbafc £3 be voted to, further assist a sick brothor was adopted. Bro. C. D. Robertson reported that all arrangements were complete for tho card tournament Oddfellows versus Foresters, to be hold next month. After tho business hnd concluded the members of the court participated in a card tournament against a team from tho Government Printing Office. Much excitement prevailed up to the lost game, when Court Sir Ceorge Bowen wero declared tho wiitnors by 26 gomes to 24. Refreshments were provided, and a pleasant evening terminated., with cheers. An " eyesore " that has been allowed to exist too long i was brought \indor the notice , of the Petone Council last night by tlio Engineer. He reported that there wero several houses in and near the Eaplwiado'in a very dilapidated condition. The chimneys were cracked from footings to tops, tho timbers were in a rotten state, and in ono house nt least there was hardly a sound window. Notice should at onco be sent to tho owner to put the house* in a thorough state of repair. The Borough Health Officer is to bo asked to report on tho buildings. The fact that louecs nro nea-ring their end is given as the reason for the houses being allowed to get into their present 'condition. Tho uso of the Petono Recreation Ground has been granted the Hutb Valley Caledonian Society for a sports meeting on Labour Day.