It began a few minutes earlier than we anticipated, for our range-finders had just given the distance of the head of the Russian column as nine thousand yards, when two bright flashes, followed by a great cloud of white smoke, broke from the _Oslabia's_ fore-turret, and presently we saw two great fountains of foam leap into the air some distance beyond the _Mikasa_. As though this had been a signal, the _Suvaroff, Alexander Third_, and _Sissoi Veliki_ instantly followed suit, and a second or two later we heard the loud, angry muttering of 12-inch shells hurtling toward us. But some flew over, and others fell short; not one touched us; and as the heavy, rumbling _boom_ of the reports reached our ears, the _Mikasa_ signalled another shift of helm a further four points east, and before the Russians fully realised what we were about, the Japanese fleet was "crossing the T,"--that is to say, passing athwart the enemy's course. Every gun which the Russians could bring to bear upon us was now being loaded and fired as rapidly as possible, so that in a very short time the enemy's ships were enveloped in whirling wreaths of powder smoke, yet not a single Japanese gun had thus far spoken. "Six thousand yards" was presently signalled by the range-finders; and at the same moment three shots roared forth from the turrets of the _Mikasa, Shikishima_, and _Fuji_. We knew at what target they were aimed, and those of us who happened to have our glasses at our eyes saw a bright flash and a cloud of smoke suddenly burst into view on the _Oslabia's_ conning tower. One of our 12-inch shells had found its mark, and--as we subsequently learned--instantly killed Admiral Folkersam! This instant success told us that we might unhesitatingly rely upon the accuracy of our range-finders, and at once every ship in the Japanese battle-line opened fire, first upon the _Oslabia_ and then upon the _Suvaroff_, our manoeuvre of "crossing the T" enabling us to bring every one of our broadside guns upon the enemy, while he, in turn, could only fire a few of his fore-turret guns, the rest being blanketed by the ships leading the line. The careful, deliberate fire of twelve ships upon two could have but one result; the _Oslabia_ and _Suvaroff_ both received a most fearful punishing; the unprotected portions of their hulk were blown to ribbons, dense columns of dark smoke poured from the _Oslabia_, and presently it was seen that she and the _Suvaroff_ were on fire and burning furiously. Both ships, as though instinctively, swerved away to the eastward, anxious not to shorten the distance any farther between themselves and the Japanese, and presently both the _Oslabia_ and the _Suvaroff_ fell out of their respective lines and dropped to the rear, with both their own lines between them and the enemy.