The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-30
ToGo's REPORT.
Official Report of Second Attempt to
Close Port Arthur Harbor.

Close Port Arthur Harbor.
Toxic, Tuesday. March 29-2 P. M
Admiral Togo's recital of the secoad
attempt to bottle up the Port Arthur
squadron and the sixth attack on that
port reached Toxic today. Admiral
Togo's report is as follows
The united squadron again left fer
Port Arthur last Saturday. On Sunday
morning at $3.50 we commenced prepar
ations for blocking the harbor en-
trance The four steamers, which
were to be sunk escorted by a fiotiila
of torpedo boat destroyers advanced to
the entrance, facing the enemys
Searchlights. About two miles from
the entrance the bottling up squadron
was discovered by the enemy. Expos
ed to the fire of the fortress on either
side and also to that from the enemyS
ships on guard and Drawing these dan-
gers the four steamers ran into the
waterway at the mouth of the harbor.
one Of the steamers, the Chi Yo Maru
anchored about half a chain from the
west shore of Golden Hill. blew itself
up and sank. The second one, the
F'ukui Maru passing to the left of the
Chi Yo Maru, advanced a short dis
lance and was about to come to anchor
when she was struck by a torpedo
from the enemy'Ss .deStroyers. She sank
in that position. The third one, the
Iahiko Maru, went to the left of the
F'ukui Maru and blew herself up aad
sank The fourth steamer, the Youe
rama A1dIu, TeacneQ the ndTDOr err
trance and cOIl1u1ng against the stern
of one of the enemy's torpedo destroy
ers she managed to reach the middle
passage by passing between the Chi
YO Maru and Fukui Manu- Just at that
moment one of the enemyS tOrpedOaS
struck and sunk her. Her momentum
brought her toward the left shore and
with her bow toward the left side she
sank sidewiSe. To have accomplished
the work so far under such great dis
uaT~ NJ -rrae nd do h.,
Eidered a success and should comman1
admiration. 1t is to be regretted, how
ever, that owing to some space being
left between the Yahiko Maru and the
YOne Yama Maru a complete blocking
Of the entrance has not been effected.
Those who engaged in this work
are those who had been engaged in
ehe same work before. It was by their
special request. Only petty officers
and crews were supplanted by new
men.
The casualties follow:
Killed-Commander Hirose and 3
petty officers.
"Mortally wounded-Lieut, Chimada.
Slightly wounded-Lieut Masuki,
Engineer Kurita and petty officers
sud men
''AE the remainder of the crews were
safely picked up by our destroyers
Commander Hiroz and boatswain
Sugino who We're killed displayed re-
Inarkable courage Boatswain Sugino
was just going down to light the mag
aZine in the Fukui Maru when the ship
was struck by an ~enemys torpedo
which killed him.
Commander Hirose, after causing
his men to take to the boats and not
finding Sugino. searched through the
ship for him. Finding his si,jp grad
ually going down, Commando Hirose
was compelled to give up the sea ron
and enter a boat. AS he was rowing
away under the snemy's- hot FIRE a
shell struck him on the head. His head
and part of his body was blown away,
Only a piece of flesh in the boat was
all that remained of the brave officer
body, Commander Hirose WAS always
81 model officer and he leaves n s.icri-
torious example, the memory of Which
will be everlasting.
For the protection of the STEINER
and the rescue of their crews all our
fotilla or torpedo destroyers did their
utmost in the face of the eQemV'S Sc
we're cannonade. Above all were the
efforts of the destroyers Aodaka and
Tsuhame. who penetrated to within
about 4 mile of the harbor entrance
where they encountered and engag ed
the enemy's destroyers infiicting con
siderable DANA ge.
"One Russian destroyer seemed te
have been hit in the boiler She scnt
up a volume of steam and retreated
AS the officers and men of the Aodaka
and Tsubane were leaving the harbol
after the work they had done they
observed that one of the enernys ships
below Golden Hill seemed to be com
pletely disabled. Despite the very hot
fire of the enemy to which our fotiIIa
was exposed until dawn no damage
whatever was sustained. The crews
aboard the Chi Yo Maru and the va.
hike Maru were taken on board the
destroyer Tsubame. The crew of the
Yone Yama Maru escaped in three
boats and were rescued by the destroy
ers Misazagi and the Karigane. The
crew of the F'ul5uI was taken on board
the Kasumi.
THE following torpedo boats and de-
stroyers participated in the movement
The destroyers .Shirakamo. Kasumi
Asashio, Akatsulxi Akebono, Oboro
Jnasuma, Aodaka, Tsuba1ne, Katouchi
Usugumo. Sazaniami and Shinone
Torpedo boats Karigane, Mizagi. Man
RdzurU and Hato. TOGO"