At dawn it was ascertained that the battleship division consisted of the _Nikolai I_, the _Orel_, the _General Admiral Apraxine_ and the _Admiral Seniavin_. At sunrise, May 28, smoke from the Japanese ships reappeared on the horizon, whereupon the admiral gave orders for increased speed. The _Admiral Seniavin_ and the _General Admiral Apraxine_ dropped behind. Toward 10 o'clock, the Japanese fleet appeared first to port and then to starboard, while the cruiser division manoeuvred behind the Russians to starboard. Baron Ferzen's account continues: [Sidenote: Flight Ends in Disaster] "I was cut off from the squadron and finding it impossible to rejoin it resolved to make for Vladivostok. I put on full speed and the enemy's cruisers came on in pursuit. Owing to the insufficiency of my coal supply and the certainty of meeting the enemy's cruisers, I subsequently altered my course for Vladimir Bay, where I arrived on the night of May 29. At 1.30 o'clock next morning, in pitch darkness, the _Izumrud_ ran full on a reef at the entrance of the bay. Having only ten tons of coal and seeing that it would be impossible to again float my vessel, I ordered the crew ashore and blew up the _Izumrud_ to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy. Ten of my sailors were wounded in the battle, but the officers and the rest of the crew are all safe." [Sidenote: The News Reaches Russia] Intimations of the extent of the disaster first reached Russia through foreign telegrams. The emperor and naval officials hoped against hope that their own advices would bring some ray of comfort. It was hoped that a portion of the fleet might reach Vladivostok strong enough to aid in protecting the fortress against attack from the sea. One unprotected cruiser and three torpedo boat destroyers were all of the splendid fleet that ever were to reach Vladivostok. The cruiser _Almaz_, which by reason of her lack of protective sheathing had been ordered by Rozhdestvensky to flee in event of battle, got through the Japanese lines with a minimum of damage, though well scarred by shots that had reached her by chance. Captain Chagir, her commander, speedily communicated with the emperor at St. Petersburg through Lieutenant General Linevitch, commander-in-chief in the Far East. This was the message: "The cruiser _Almaz_ has arrived at Vladivostok. Her commander reports as follows: "'On May 27, Vice Admiral Rozhdestvensky's fleet in the Tsu Strait engaged the Japanese in battle. During the day we lost the battleships _Kniaz Souvaroff_, _Borodino_, _Osliabya_, and the cruiser _Ural_. The battleship _Alexander III_ was seriously damaged at the start of the battle. "'After the separation of the cruiser _Almaz_ from the fleet the battle was renewed in the darkness. The result of the night battle is not known.'" The _Almaz_ was cut off from the fleet and reached Vladivostok.