THE CONQUERING JAR

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 36, 11 February 1904, Page 5

THE CONQUERING JAR

TRIUMPH AFTER TRIUMPH.

PORT ARTHUR'S DESPERATE STRAITS.

FLEET MUST IOME OUT OR SURRENDER

[ivZ. Press Association.—Copybight.]

i Received 9., a.m. LOXDON". February 10. Xi.e " Fail Mall Gazette," the ! fc e si-iaf omied cf th : XiOiidoTi evenpaner-. states that Admiral C i i s in ".n obvious dileznTna. He iusv says tlie " Fall Mall," eithr ■ submit under tiie -rery juas of Port Artliar. or else fight under conations which reader defeat a j ar3 gone conclusion. The situation resembles that in vhict AdmirfJ Cervera va-as sliut jn helpless in the harbour of Saa£go. 2 during the Spanish-Aineri-caii War. [Cervera~ tleet, it may bp remembered, fii "Twtilei! up" in Santiago harbour, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War. \e American squadron lay in wan for then outside, ana when they -~entually nade a bold das'i for the sea. destroyed sad captured the whole of them.] Ike -'St. James' Gazette " states that the offirers at Whitehall de- j clare that while there is no fever- ; Jst anxiety the naval preparations ; B re nevertheless quietly proceeding. It is expected that the first-class | battleships Formidable and B.us- j geil will be sent to China. i Received 11.2 a.m.) LOXDON. February 10. It is lelieved by competent antiorities that the Japanese torpe-do-boats issued from, the British treaty port ot Wei-hai-wei. It TGok the Russian fleet three days to work their way out of the ice-bound Port Arthur. They vrere lying in the open roadstead outside the boom at the time of the attack. A Japanese jSoial states that the Russian war vessels Coreetz snd Varyag quitted ' Ciemulpho aad fought for an hour against tic- -'α-rision tinder Adm?ra_ Urins. After receiving severe injuries, the TfG vessels took refuge among the neighbouring -slands, where te Vary a g; sank and the Coreetz exploded. The crews of both vessels took refuge on beard a French cmiser. BATTLE OF~PORT ARTHUR. HOW THE SHIPS ARRIVED. A HEAVY BOMBARDMENT. SPLENDID SHOOTING BY JAPANESE. [Reetived 7.52 a.m.) NEW YORK. February 10. Tie special correspondent of the *New York Herald" fully describes &c great action in the harbour o£ j Port Arthur. It was eleven in the morning, •ays the " Herald's" despatch, and •whea the Russians were utterly Wiawarc oi' any formidable move ipoa the part of the enemy, that *&teen Japanese warships appeared oa the horizon. OPENING OF THE ACTION. They were in fine order, with their decke clear-id for action, and e y steamed rapidly up until &ej were within striking distance of the Eussian port. within a quarter of an hour from when they were first descried *ie Japanese opened fire upon the eatmy's warships, which were Stuped in somewhat loose order k> the outer harbour. first effective shot was a from a Japanese 12-inch S°a, which, landed .ear the Rtls- *** toipedo-boats, which, were & °nped around the entrance to J tt * harbour. wag perceived immediately J tnat the large missile * d ioile good werk, for one batestip a t i east bad been disab i ed . SEVERS BOMBARDMENT. A general bombardment was imI p' 3iatel y directed on the Russian c «, and this was maintained for [ tte space of an hour. j the Japanese shoot- | tt S Was C «">1 and accurate, and f <^l SeCt ** tte bombardment I e d ainch to the splendid discip- ; *** °* the invaders. J WELL-DIRECTED FIRE. I W^. s!lells were obserTed to 1 >» Wit ter "ffic force on the i fell ° ne ° f tie f Orts ' Otllers i sn ,f 0118 th e face of the cliff and c Russian gunnery was less I ****u> and ot their

shells fell short, leaving the Japanese unscathed. i A shell from one o£ tie invad- ' ers> vessels struck a Russian war ship at the base of her forward I funnel, and did considerable damage. A second hit a battleship amidships, wiiile a third struck another battleship well astern* So far as could be seen, although, the damage to some of the Russian vessels was very considerable, no siiip on either side wa..«: put out of action. I A PLUCKY RUSSIAN CRUISER. The ivussiazi cruiser Novii, a. ; new vessel of 3000 tons, fought most pluckily. and kept closer to the enemy than any of the other Russian vessels. Eventually, how- | ever, a heavy concentrated fire I from the Japanese lines compelled her to retire to the line of the batleships. [The Xovik is a remarkable vessel, built as a torpedo-destroyer, but rated a- a cruiser. Her speed is 25 knots, and ike carries six 4.7-inch guns.] The " New York Herald" correspondent goes on to state that tlie Russian vessels bought with, little j formation. This was probably due to the fact that t|»eir position was decidedly crampeS, since at no time -were they more than a mile and a half from the shore. Beyond this they were all the time under the guns of the fort, i which occasionally fired over their mastheads at the invading enemy. Meantime the Japanese had retained their splendid formation, and about midday they retired slowly and in line to the southeastward, gradually sinking on the horizon as qnietly as they had appeared an hour before. . MARCH ON SEOUL RUSSIANS CROSSING THE YALU. PATCHING UP THE WARSHIPS (Received 8.7 a.m.) LOXDON, February 10. The Russian * naval authorities forbade the British steamer Columbia to leave the roadstead. Pxosestiy, however, when the shells were bursting around, the captain steamed for the port of Chifu in Shantung, although she carried a number of Russian guards on board. The Russians are trying their utmost, by means of pumps and the use of collision mats, to stop the holes made in the battleships by the bombardment, and take them. , inside tne harbour at high -water. It is reported on several hands I that the Russian troops have crossed the Yaln River between SSanchuria and Corea, and are marcli--1 ing on the Corean capital, Seoul. INVADING COREA. RUSSIAN MAIL STEAMER CAPTURED. (Received 9 a.m.) LONDON. February 10. The Russian mail steamer Mongolia was captured by the Japanese off the peninsula of Shantung, opposite the ! centre of the coast of Corea. The movement of the Japanese for the asserion of their rights in Corea has now begun. Several transports, guarded by a strong torpedo division and by cruisers, rounded the Corean peninsula and made j direct for C'hemuipho, the port of Seoul, where they landed on Sunday. Before this they had been intercepted 'by the Russian cruisers Varyag and Coreetz, which they at once directed to surrender. This the Russians at once did, I without the slightest resistance. On arrival at Chemulpho 8,000 troops were quickly landed from the transports i and began the march on Seoul. Troops have also been landed at most !of the other ports of Corea, and the southern ports of Fusan and Masanpo have been occupied. A state of siege has been proclaimed in Japan, and definite rations are being served out under military supervision. A FRENCH MOVE. ! GARRISONING RUSSIAN FORTS A BRITISH PROTEST. (Received 5.55 a.m.) LONDON, February 10. The French Government is sending a battalion of troops from the French colony of Tonkin to garrison the forts of the i town of fcjhan-haf-Kwan, which is about ! half-way on the line from the Russian I port of Niwehwang to Tientsin. This town was being vacated by Russia, and apparently the French were rei placing the Russian garrison.

The British offlcer-ui-eharge at Shan-hai-Kwan has, however. protested against t&is occupation, and further developments are awaited. The French Squadron in the Far East have been ordered not to leave French waters. Serious differences prevail as to who is to assume supreme command over the Russian land forces. The friends of Admiral Alexeieff express in clear terms their objection to General Ivouropatkin, who is identical with thr Russian Minister of War. THE RUSSIAN LOSSES. MINIMISED, BUT PLAINLY LARGE (Received 10.52 a.m.) LONDON, February 10. The Russian losses by the bombardment on the morning of the 9th inst. are stated to be 10 killed and two officers and 54 men wounded. The second-class battleship Poltava and the cruiser Xovik were damaged below the waterline. The fortress is believed to have received but little damage. The report of Admiral Alexeieff, the Russian Commander-in-Chief, on the events oi the night of the Bth inst. covers the results of the attack by the Japanese torpedoes. It states that no ships of the Russian fleet were either sunk or had their boilers damaged. The report acknowledges that the Tsarewitch's steering gear retorts and pumping machinery suffered damage. The Pallada was damaged near the enemy's ships. Two of her seamen were killed, five drowned, and eight wounded. There is no allusion in the report to the beaching of the two battleships at the mouth of the harbour of Port Arthur, and this is confirmed by all the correspondents.

A SINISTER HINT. FEANCE MIGHT JOIN RUSSIA. (Received 8.49 a.m.) PARIS, February 10The "Temps'" states that the stress of ; events may lead to strengthening the j l'Vaneo-Russian Alliance. France is meanwhile acting in accoid j with those who desire to localise the j struggle, and will prevent others from ] profiting at Russia's expense (Received 9 a.m.) NEW YORK, February 10. The Japanese merchants in New York j celebrated the victory, and arranged, I if possible, to raise five million dollars j for a Japanese loan. THE FIRST ACTION. ATTACK WITH TORPEDOES. RUSSIAN WARSHIPS DISABLED ———— The following cables were received prior to those published above: — LONDON, February 10. The Japanese squadron, with lights out, approached Port Arthur betveen [ eleven and twelve o'clock at nigWA Russian despatch boat signalled the approach of the Japanese lleet, which is commanded by Vice-Admiral Togo. The protected cruisers Chitose, Kasagi and Takasago, and the battleship Yashima circled outside, drawing the Russian fire, and then joined the main fleet. All then joined in the attack on the Russian armoured cruisers. The Japanese fleet consisted of two divisions. The first included the flagship Mikasa and the battleships Fugi. Asahi, Yashima. Shikishima, Hatsuse and Tabuma- The second comprised Idsuriu (which is Admiral Kamimura's

"An engagement took place on the morning of February 9, four Russian ships being injured. * "None of the Japanese warships were damaged. "The steamer which brought the news witnessed the engagement^ '■An hour's engagement also took place between the Japanese escorting squadron and the Russian cruiser Varyag and I the gun-vessel Coreetx, outside C hem- i lupho, the port of Seoul, on the after- j noon of February 9. j •'The ships named took shelter in the ! port. "The former was placed liors de com- ' bat, and the latter sank." . . LONDON. February 10. j An official Tokio telegram states that ! four battalions of Japanese infantry | landed at Seoul. A Chefoo telegram adds that the .Japanese intercepted the Russian cruiser Var- i yag, and torpedoed the gunboat Coreetz ! at Chemulpho.