The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-03-31
FRESH ATTEMPT
TO BOTTLE UP
PORT ARTHUR
-Four japanese Merchant Steamers
Made Dash For Harbor.
REPuLssD AFTER FIERCE FIGHT


lng Up Prov Of the First and Then
Attacked Japan's Torpedo Boats
Losing SIX Men Killed and Thirteen
Wounded--Two Of Mikado's Fight
ers Reported Sunk.
St Petersburg. March %. - Under
cover Of darkness. Vice Admiral Togo
made another desperate attempt to
bottle mp the Russian fleet in Port
Arthur bnt he failed again. and when
after daylight Vice Admiral MakarOif
steamed oar TO give battle the Japa-
nesc commander refused the challenge
and sailed away.
The Japanese practically repeated
the tactics of February -. by sending
in four fire ships. preceded by a tor.
pedo boat notilla. with the exception
that the fire ships this time were
armed With Hotchkiss guns for the
purpose of keeping off the Russian tor
pcdo boat dcstroyers.
The cnemy's attempt was discovered
by means OF the shore searchlights
and heavy fire was opened from the
batteries and from the two gunbOats
which were guarding the entrance Ia
The harbor The Russian torpedo boat
destroyer SLIM was outside on scout
Ing duty. and 10 the dash and nerve
u her commander, Lieutenant
krinizN. is chiefly due the complete
failure of the plans OF the Japanese
He al once made straight for the on
coming shius under hail bf fire from
the Hotchldss guns, and tOrpedoed the
leading ship. which sheered of. FOL
lowed By the others. three OF them be
ing piled upon the shore under Golden
Hin and one under the lighthouse. The
stint then engaged the entire six tor
pedo boats OF the enemy. coming on
from a terrific fight with seven killed
and her commander and y OF hel
complement wounded. bat on the Japa
ncse side only one boats crew was
saved In addition. according to nm
official reports. il is believed that the
Japanpsc lost two torpedo boats.
Admiral Mskaroffs Report.
Vice Admiral Makarofi commanding
the Russian naval forces at Port Ar
thur. has sent the following telegram
to the emperor.
Il beg most humbly 10 report that
AZ = o'clock yesterday morning the enc
my attempted 10 block the entrance to
the inner roadstead For this purpose
they dispatched four large merchant
steamers. conveyed By six torpedo
boats 10 the entrance
The enemy's ships were promptly
discovered by the searchlights and were
bombarded by The batteries and by the
guardships Bohr and OWagny.
Fearing the cnemys ships might
break through, Lieutenant Krinizki,
commanding the torpedo boat SLIM.
attacked the enemy and destroyed the
bow of the foremost japanese steamer
with a torpedo This steamer turned
TO the right and was followed by two
others. with the result that the three
we're stranded 10 the right OF the en-
trance. A fourth steamer went to the
right OF the enemys ships and likewise
sank 10 the side Of the fair way. The
SLIM then battled with the enemy's
six torpedo boats. Engineer Artilicer
Swyeren and six men were killed. and
the commander and u seamen were
wounded
AT daybreak the enemy's battleship
and cruiser squadrons appeared, and |
proceeded with the feet under my
charge TO meet the enemy.
THE second attempt of the Japanese
to block the entrance to Port Arthur
has failed. thanks 10 the energetic de-
tense BY the sea and land forces who
acted as they did during the first at
tempt
THE harbOr remains perfectly clear.
THE torpedo boat destroyer Slim.
which stranded on a reef in conse-
auence OF damage caused to her en-
gines by one Of the enemy's shells,
was foated during the course of the
night and entered the harbor, thanks
TO the energy Of her crew. Her COM
mander. Lieutenant Krinizki, who was
slightly wounded in the arm, did not
quit his post
"On the fire ships were internal ma
chimes. the wires connected with which
were cut by Lieutenant Kedroff and
Ensign PllsOudsky, Of the irrcgulars,
who were dispatched on this task,
They boarded one of the steamers as
soon as it stopped, cut the electric wire
and extinguished the fire, which would
have lit up the entrance of the harboT
to the enemy in the roadstead.
I'm the morning floating mine was
found bearing an internal machine, but
the latter was successfully removed.
The inspection made showed that
the steamers utilized were not old.
/ hey were FdN II VI oDOuN -VVV AOho anu
they were armed with light caliber
guns"
In high official circles this new Of.
fort to bottle up the Russian fleet Is
looked upon as meaning only one
thing. namely. that the japanese are
preparing for a heavy landing OF
troops I'm the Gulf OF Lao Ting. either
at Newchwang or on the west coast
OF the Manchurian neutral zone, to EFF.
feet which in safety the immobility OF
Vice Admiral Makaroff's feet Is ALSO
lutely essential while the transports
are being conveyed around the south
ern end of the peninsula. II the at
tempt had succeeded il would have
taken several days at least to blow up
tLa etoop,ora and clpar away the