The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-07-07

DISASTER
Daring Feat Results in Com
pIete Failure.
GUNBOAT KAlMON SUNK
apaneSe DestroyerS Attempted
10 Enter Port Arthur Harbor
TO Torpedo Ships,

Toxic, July News reached here
to day of the sinking of the Japanese
gunboat, Harmon, by mine in Tall
enwan bay.
The loss of life is not known but is
thought to have been small.
LONDON, July 7.-Advices from st
Petersburg say that Admiral Togo has
made bold attempt TO repeat the
Japanese exploit with torpedo boats at
Weihaiwel ,iaring the Chino-Japanese
war by sending torpedo boat destroyers
into the harbor of Port. Arthur to sink
the Russian warships at their anchor
age. but the attempt ended in disas
trous failure.
Four torpedo boat destroyers sue
ceeded during the night in creeping
into the harbor. which was not pro
tected 10y booms, but only one escaped.
Two were sunk by the shore batteries
and one crippled.
So far as known the japanese torpe-
do boat destroyers did not even succeed
in launching torpedOes.
Though II is believed other destroy
ers participated in the attack, only
four succeeded in getting in.
The admiralty has no confirmation of
the report from Liaoyang of an en-
gagement between the Vlndlvostok
squadron and japanese warships OFF
Gensan
For two days there has been heavy
fighting within twenty-five miles of
Liaoyang, the Japanese object being to
cut oft Mukden.
A battle is still proceeding, as the
sound Of the guns can be heard here.
Evidently the engagement is severe
one. as numbers of wounded are being
brought in from the mountains, slung
between mules or lying on mattresses
in carts.
Military experts at st. Petersburg
say that the siege of Port Arthur, the
holding and fortifying of the mountain
passes, juncture of the forces of Gen
erals Kuroki and Oku and possibly an
extension OF the line to the west coast
of Liautong in order to force out the
Russians from Newchwang so that
they may secure a new base there is
conservatively regarded as the Japa-
nese programme for the next two
months.
How General Kuropatkin intends to
oppose this plan is largely guesswork,
though his advance posts are extreme
iy active.
4 Tientsin report says that the Rus
sian torpedo boat destroyer Lieuten-
ant Burukoff. which successfully ran
the blockade at Port Arthur and
reached Ncwchwang June 20 with ad-
vices for St Petersburg from the be
lcaguered fortress, has returned safely
to Port Arthur.
Rear Admiral Prince Ouktomsky has
succeeded Rear Admiral Without at
Port Arthur.
Supplemental dispatches from Tokyo
Indicate that the fight at AIotenlien
pass was desperate hand to hand
affair A majority of the Japanese in
jured were wounded by bHyonets. The
Russians surrounded the outposts of
the japanese, who fought until relief
came.
Tokyo adyices say that Field Mar
shal Oyama, commander in chief of
the Japanese field forces, accompanied
by Generals Kodama and Fukushima
and "A numerous STAFF, has departed for
the front, embarking at SBmouOsekL
There WIS n remarkable farewell dem
onstration The three generals We're
cheered all along the route at Tokyo.
Troops lined the platform at the sta.
ton, and when the train started there
was tremendous cheering. while the
band played "Auld Lang Syne." y
short stop was made at Yokohama.