Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 February 1904 — ONE ON THE JAP [ARTICLE]

ONE ON THE JAP

Coes Up Against the Czar’s Boats with Fire Ships. MILS TO MAKE CONNECTION And Has to Drop an Enterprise That Proves Too Hot. Kawians Sink His BlgtTorpedoes and Drive Him Off—Some of the Mikado’s Men Drowned. St Petersburg, Feb. 25.—Rumors •re in circulation here Thursday afternoon to the effect that a bombard•sent of Port Arthur is now going on. Seoul, Feb. 25.—Russian vidcttes. advanced south of Anju, have cut the telegraph wires between Anju andi Pang-Yang. St. Petersburg, Feb. 25. The Port Arthur correspondent of The Novosti telegraphs that at Port Arthur the Japanese lost steamers (number not stated) and one torpedo boat. “At the moment «f writing,’’ the correspondnt continued, “twent-three Japanese vessels are visible on the horizon, and cross firing has begun in which the Russian er misers Bay an, Novlk and Askold are participating."

St Petersburg. Peb. 25, 2:45 a_ n». — A telegram from Viceroy Alexleff to the czar says: “At a quarter before S In the morning of Feb. 24 numerous Japanese torpedo boats attempted to attack the battleship Retvizan and sink her with large steamers loaded wiih inflammables. Hie Retvizan was the first to observe the torpedo boats, and opened a strong fire on them. She Wes supported by the land batteries. She destroyed two steamers near the entrance of the harbor: they were coming directly towards her. AiullmU Departed Slowly. •One of them went on the rocks Bear the lighthouse on Tiger peninsular. and the other sank under Golden Bill. The Retviz.tn observed four steamers In a sinking condition, and eight torpedo boats departing slowly to rejoin the waiting Japanese warships. A portion of the crews of the Japan* se vessels was drowned. The grounded steamer fcs still burning. The enemy Is observed in the offing of Port Arthur in two lines. Japanese Crews Got Away. “The Japanese crews saved them*•elves in boats, and it is possible that some of them were picked up by the enemy’s torpedo boats. lam proctedIng to examine the coasts. The entrance of the harbor Is open. I attribute the complete derangement of the enemy’s plan to the brilliant action and destructive Are of the Retvizan. Floating mines are still visible In the roadstead. I have recalled the three cruisers sent in pursuit of the enemy In Order, In the first place, to clear the roadstead of floating mines. We had no losses.” • FOUR TORPEDO BOATS TAKEN.* Jtpi Cm Russian Signals to Approach Enemy’s Warships. Nagasaki. Feb. 24 —By skillfully counterfeiting the Russian signals Admiral Togo’s squadron was enabled Monday morning to approach so near the Russian fleet at Port Arthur that In the sharp engagement that-followed four of the Russian torpedo boats were captured and two of the big warships badly damaged. Such is the report that reaches here and it is credited by naval officials. Admiral Togo has never left the vicinity of Port Arthur since the first attack, but has kept liis vessels In readiness not far from the Russian stronghold for an attack Whenever the time seemed propitious. Details of Monday morning's engagement are lacking, but it is said that the attacking fleet succeeded iu getting within a short distance of the enemy’s vessels before they were discovered. The captured torpedo boats „were quickly taken out to sea, their crews placed on board the Japanese cruisers as prisoners of war and Japanese crews were placed In charge of the swift-sailing little craft, which will hereafter become part of Admiral Togo’s fleet It is said that ht the attack on Port Arthur Feb. 14 the Japanese sunk or destroyed two Russian battleships in addition to the torpedo boats previously reported, ST. PETERSBURG REJOICES. Failure of Japan’s Latest Coup at Port Arthur Creates Much Elation. 8t Petersburg, Feb. 25.—N0 further details were available Thursday morning of the unseccessful attembpt of the Japanese to bottle np the Russian fleet at Port Arthur by stoking big merchantmen at the mouth of the harbor. The <tef details contained in the official dispatches indicate that the coup was planned, according to the nsuai Japanese tactics, to take place during the night: that it was desperately pushed and backed by eight torpedo boats, which continued fighting until daylight, but, that it failed completely. Great praise la given to the Russian ' battleship Retvizan, which lay outside ( the harbor entrance, for her gallant j

arork to beating off the enemy. Her part in the action shown that the reports of. the Injuries which she Is said to have sustained In the attack of Feb. 8 were grossly exaggerated. The official dispatches do not make clear the exact number of ships sent In for the purpose of blocking the throat of the harbor, or whether the four vessels destroyed were beached by the fire from the shore.

CHINESE NEUTRALITY. Minister to Germany Believe. It I. Only of » Temporary Kind. Berlin, Feb. 23.—An interview attributed to the Chinese minister here quotes that diplomat as having proclaimed that China’s neutrality is only temporary; that no one, even the astutest diplomats, can tell what change a day will bring forth in China’s attitude. The minister is quoted as saying: “It should never be forgotten that the war will be fought out in Manchuria, on Chinese territory, and that the excitement of the Chinese people wiil increase as the war progresses. Naturally, therefore, the Chinese government may be expected on any one day to decide that its continued neutrality is neither possible nor desirable. Thirty thousand well-drilled Chinese jroops are already stationed in the province of Chili ready at a moment’s notice from Pekin to enter Manchuria. Our nation admires the Japanese and sympathizes decidedly with their efforts."

JAPANESE ARMY THE BEST. Landing Operations Show Organization Superior to That of Other Nations. Wei-Hai-Wel, Feb. 24.—Feb. 19 tbe steamer Haimun entered Chemulpo anchorage, being the first privately owned vessel to arrive since the engagement Feb. 9. The Japanese are landing an army corps of three divisions. The twelfth division Is now disembarking. The present base is Chemulpo. The regiments on landing wiil advance to Seoul. Small detachments have already been dispatched north to establish forage depots. A general advance along the Pekin road to PingYang Unexpected shortly. The disembarkation methods excite great admiration from the British officers, who state that they are an improvement on anything in experience and believe they demonstrate an organization superior to that of any European power. Japanese Officers Hanged. St. Petersburg, Feb. 25. —The Japanese who were hanged by Russians in Manchuria for attempting to blow up the railroad bridge over the Sangarl river were disguised as coolies. They were arrested just ns they were about to make the attempt. Inquiry revealed that three of them were Japanese officers of the general staff — namely: Colonel Assal of the engineers and Lieutenants Zoneloinseba and Kaeurta of the sappers. They i were at once hanged from the gilders of the bridge.

Jap* gdu Beef from America. Nagasaki, Feb. 25. —The Japanese government baa seized 670 tons of mesa beef which was shipped from San Francisco on tbe steamer Corea Feb. 2 and which was consigned to tbe Russian government at Vladivostok. It is tbougbt that tbe Japanese government will purchase the beef. Declined to Invite Cleveland. Jackson, Mass., Feb. 25.—8 y a vote of 42 to 33 tbe lower house of the Mississippi legislature defeated a resolution to invite Former President Cleveland to address tbe body. Japan Guarantees Korean Integrity. Washington, Feb. 24. —Secretary Hay has received Information that Japan has negotiated a treaty with Korea, wbeTeby she guarantees the independence and integrity of Korea.