Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-05-23
STOESSEL'S FIGHT.
Besiegers at Port Arthur Driv-
 en Back With Loss.
A THOUSAND LAPS HORS DE COMBAT
Russian Battleship Ore1 Had Narrow Escape-Bogatyr Wrecked at Vlnd- tvostoI1-ReIief Train Reach
 es Port Arthur.

ICScape-BO%Rtyr Wrecked at V1nd-
 tvostoI<-ReIief Train Reach
 es Port Arthur.
 LONDON, May 23.-A thousand Jap anese soldiers were killed or wounded in sortie made by General Stoessel's forces at Port Arthur, according to ad- vices received by the officials at St. Petersburg.
 The battleship Orel, it was reported from the Russian capital, was badly damaged on her way to Cronstadt and narrowly escaped sinking. The story of the Bogatyr's wreck finds credence in St. Petersburg despite official de nials, and it was reported from Kobe that she had been destroyed.
 Skirmishes took place north of Taku- shan, Russian troop of cavalry sus- taining heavy loss south of Fengwang- cheng and north of Wonsan. The movements of General Kuroki's army remain puzzle to the Russians.
 A St. Petersburg dispatch says Gen. eral Stoessel has made successful sortie from Port Arthur, resulting ill the defeat of the Japanese, with the loss of over a thousand killed or wounded. The news has been received by the government. Details of the at tack are conflicting, and the following account must be accepted with re- serve:
 .'The movement was carried out in combination with train bringing ill war munitions and supplies and Gen. eral Stoessel's force, communications being maintained by wireless telegra- phy. The Japanese barred the route between the train and General Stoes- seis force, whereupon the Russians at tackled and routed the Japanese. After the engagement General Stoessers force, with the train, returned to Port Arthur"
 General Stoessel, it is said, made new distribution of his guns before hand in order to cover the force taking part in the sortie. The Russian troops fought with the greatest bravery, breaking the Japanese line and driving back the troops for considerable dis tance.
 The Russians at Port Arthur are in desperate frame of mind and they have made their desperation an excuse to SOW the whole strait of Peehili with floating blockade mines.
 Not only have these diabolical ma- chimes been placed off their own shores and in their own waters, but 1t is reported that launches and junks have been sent out to drop mines at. night or in fogs in waters likely to be used by the Japanese warships and transports.
 These mines have drifted into the high seas and Chinese waters, where they constitute the gravest danger to neutral ships. Several of them have been seen near Weihaiwei.
 In spite of the continued denials from the Russian admiralty reports from Russian sources consistently re- peat that the Russian protected cruiser Bogatyr is on the rocks near Vladivos- tok. Her exact position is not reported, but Rear Admiral lessen is making determined efforts to save her, with good chances of success.
 A Vladivostok report says Vice Ad- miral Skrydloff arrived there | 4:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon. He was met at the Okeanski station, thirteen miles outside Vladivostok by Major General Voronetz and deputations of the military, naval and municipal au- thorities and was presented with bread and salt. Entering the town, the ad- miral drove to the pier, escorted by Cossacks, and boarded the cruiser Ros- sia, on which short service was held The chaplain sprinkled and blessed the admiral's flag before it was run up to the masthead where 1t was greeted with a salute from all the cruisers in the harbor. The admiral addressed the officers and crew of the Rossia, say ing:
 ''The emperor orders me to convey his greeting and loyal thanks for your gallant services, in consideration of which he reduces your tour of sea duty to three years"
 A St. Petersburg report says that Viceroy Alexeieff rendered his resigna- tion to the emperor, giving ill health as the reason for his. desire to be relieved, but that the emperor persuaded him in q gracious telegram to remain at his post.
 During a reconnaissance of Port Ar thur made by Admiral Togo a shell hit the torpedo boat destroyer Akatsuki killing one officer and twenty-four men,
 St. Petersburg reports say General Kuropatkin has sent the following tel egram to Emperor Nicholas:
 From reports received I have con cluded that the first Japanese army is concentrated as follows: Two divi- sions at Fengwangcheng and it's en- virons and one divisions at Habalin, halfway between Siuyen and Feng- wangcheng It is stated that Feng- wangcheng is being fortified"
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