The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-03-16
BOATS BATTLE AT SEA
japanese and Russians Each Lose a
Vessel.
HOT FIGHT NEAR PORT ARTHUR.
S,x Russian Torpedo Boats In the Engage
ment-They We're Probably Making an At.
tempt TO Give the Japs the Slip-Five Rus.
sian Torpedo Boats Return to Port Arthur
Hsrbor.

London, (By Cable) 1.-The advices
from Port Arthur through Russian
sources of the engagement outside the
harbor between Russian torpedo
boats and japanese warships, sup
posedly torpedo boats or destroyers,
In which a Russian torpedo-boat de-
stroyer and Japanese torpedo boat
were sunk, seem to bear out the
opinion OF experts here that the Rus
sian situation at Port Arthur is
becoming desperate.
The continued Japanese attacks are
having the intended effect upon the
town and the iortfcations. Niceroy
Alexieff, in his report to the Gar,
while stating that 'the results OF the
tombai dment were insignificant ad-
mits that people in the town were
killed and wounded by the exploding
shells.
Admiral Markaroff, who has lust
assumed command OF the Russian fleet
at Port Arthur, is apparently making
bold attempts to enable some of his
vessels, including torpedo boats, to
escape.
Cabling from Yinkow a correspon-
dent says the British and American
gunboats at Niuechwang have receiv-
ed orders to leave Immediately the
river opens. At Lao Yang there a'c
now 10000 troops working night and
day on the forthcations. a great
fortified camp is being formed south
of the town; it extends three miles in
every direction.
The Rus sian force on the Galu
River now amounts TO 10000 men.
As an example OF the terrible power
of the Japanese "Shimose' powder a
corresp spondent OF the Standard at ! o.
k;o, relates that a Russian sailor who
was hurt in the naval fight off Che
mulpo, and who has been brought to
Matsuyama, Japan, has 100 wounds.
London, CBy Cable. The Daily Tele-
graph publishes dispatch from Toxic,
dated March 7 and saying;
ut is reported that the japanese fleet
engaged the Russian Vladivostok squad
ron at sea- The result of the engage
ment is not announced, but it is believed
the Russian ships were destroyed or
captured
st. Petersburg. The whereabouts of
Captain Reitzenstein's Nladivostok
squadron is carefully guarded by the
military authorities, but there is n strong
impression here that when the seven
japanese warships appeared off the har
Dor Sunday and Monday the Russian
squadron was outside, perhaps down the
coast, cooperating with the Russian land
force near the mouth of the Tumcn
river.
II the Russians were outside and the
Japanese definitely ascertained that fact,
big sea fight Is probably imminent, and
Il Is considered certain that the japanese
in that case will lie on and off Vladiyos-
tok 70 prevent the return of the Russians,
giving battle if they are caught in the
open sea. All the harbors along the
coast in which the Russians might seek
refuge are frozen and the squadron must
eventually be forced to return to Nladi-
vostok for coal.
Although the japanese squadron is
superior in numbers and guns consisting
of a battleship and four armored cruisers,
two of which are believed to be the Id
Eumo and the Yakumo, and two unar-
mored cruisers, the four armorcd cruisers
under Captain Reitzenstcin, the Rossia,
Gromboi, Rurik and Bogatyr, are among
the finest vessels in the Russian Navy,
constituting as sister ships homogene-
Gus fighting unit, and experts here are
not certain that they could not take the
measure of Rear Admiral Uriu's ships.
A naval service organ here argues
lengthily that the present japanese naval
disposition presages movement on Il
large scale in the Sea of Japan and tho
paper accounts for all the japanese ships
except the battleship Yashima and the
armored cruiser Tokiwa, one first-clas'
protected cruiser and five second class
reckoning the battleships Fuji and Shik
ishima, the armored cruisers lwate anC
Asama and the protected cruiser Taxa
shiho as being injured.