Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 August 1904 — FLEET IS SCATTERED. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FLEET IS SCATTERED.

RUSSIAN SHIPS MAKE A DASH FROM PORT ARTHUR. Togo Reports Six-Hour Battle, and Says Only Part of Czar’s Squadron Escaped —Damaged Vessels Find Refuge at Kiauchan) Others Reach Shanghai. The Russian fleet, which left Port Arthur on Wednesday morning in an endeavor to break through Admiral Togo’s cordon and reach the open sea, was driven back to port after a battle which continued from noon until dark. From official reports sent in by Admiral Togo it is gathered that the battleship Czarevitch, badly damaged, managed to escape to the southward, accompanied by the cruisers Pallada, Askold and Novik, with several torpedo boat destroyers. The rest of tho fleet returned to Port Arthur. The Czarevitch, the Pallada, the Novik, and a torpedo destroyer sought refuge at Kiauchau bay, according to dispatches received in Toklo. Other dispatches say that the cruiser Askold, badly damaged, is at Woosun, the port of Shanghai, with a torpedo boat destroyer. Togo Tells of Battle. Admiral Togo has reported as follows: “Our combined fleet attacked the enemy’s fleet near Gugan rock. The Russian vessels were emerging from Port Arthur, trying to go south. We pursued the enemy to the eastward. %evere lighting lasted from 1 o’clock Wednesday afternoon until sundown, Toward the close the enemy’s Are weakened remarkably. His formation became confused and then his ships scattered. The Russian cruisers Askold and Novik and several torpedo boat destroyers fled to the southward. Other of the enemy’s ships retreated separately toward Port Arthur. ■tVe pursued them, and it appears that we inflicted considerable damage. We found life buoys and other articles belonging to the Russian battleship Czarevitch floating at sea. The Czarevitch probably was sunk. We have received no reports from the torpedo boats and the torpedo boat destroyers which were engaged in the attack on the ships of the enemy.

“The Russian vessels, with the exception of the Askold, the Novik, the Czarevitch, and the cruiser Pallada, appear to have returned to Port Arthur. Our damage was slight. Our fighting power has not been Impaired.”

The Navy Department in Toklo Issued a brief statement of the engagement with the Russian Port Arthur squadron. The statement follows: “According lo reports to date the enemy's fleet which emerged front Port Arthur was attacked by our fleet south of Y'entao Island. The Russian fleet fled during the night. The cruisers Askold, Novik, and another cruiser, with one torpedo boat destroyer, ran into Kiaochou bay on the evening of Thursday. “One torpi do boat destroyer went to Chefoo and three of the enem3’'s battleships, one cruiser, probably the Diana, one hospital ship, two gunboats and several torpedo boat destroyers seem to have separately returned to Port Arthur between dawn and noon of Thursday. Our fleet appears to have sustained no damage.” The casualties iu the Japanese navy on Wednesday numbered 170. The chief interest ir. London centers in the action of the Japanese destroyers, who seized tlie Russian dismantled destroyer in the neutral harbor of Chefoo. The question raised by this action is believed to be among the most serious of the.war thus far.

ADMIRAL TOGO.