The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-02-13
THE FIRST BATTLE
STORY BY EEYE-WITNESSES
OF THE DARING JAPANESE
RAID ON RUSSION
SQUADRON.

Approach Harbor, Let Tor
pedoes Fly and Made
off in Darkness.
London, Feb. 9.-The decided
victory of the Japanese hotilla at
Port Arthur in the darkness of last
night lends strength to the belief
already strong in the minds of high
officials that in the warfare now be-
gun there may occur at least one if
not more of the greatest sea engage
ments of modern times.
It is generally conceded here that
the navies Of Russia and Japan will
be the most prominent factors in
the coming conflicts, and 1t is pos
sible that the world may at last
learn the actual fighting values OF
modern ships of war. There is but
slight difference in the strength of
the two conflicting naviee, for the
larger number of Russia's armored
ships is offset by the better types
and superior personnel Of the Jap
anese battleships and her armored
cruisers, and the fact that Japan's 3
facilities for supplying and main
tanning her feet are vastly superior
to those of Russia gives the smaller
navy a distinct advantage.
Russia's fight is practically way
from home. Port Arthur and Vlad-
ivostok, nearly 1900 miles apart,
are her only two naval ports in the
Orient. and, Vladivostok being ac-
cessible during the winter months,
only Port Arthur remains harbor
of refuge and defense for upward Of
80 vessels, including destroyers, tor.
pedo boats and transports.
Japan, on the other hand, has
four dockyards, and five naval har.
bors, five Of which are distant only
24o to 245 miles from Port Arthur,
and the latter port is far from being
an ideal harbor. 1t can accommo-
date a small number of vessels and
the dockyard could beshelled by an
enemy in the open sea without grea|
risk to it from the Russian forts
Thus Russia has ''all her eggs ir
a basket" while Japan's dockyarde
naval harbors and sourcesof supply
are distributed on three islands diff
icult to approach, well fortified
and impossible of blockade,
A protracted war, therefore, say
men in Great Britain foreign of
fee, would be disastrous to Russia
and efforts to strike decisive blow
to annihilate Japan's navy may b.
looked for. Should Russia fail il
this, or even only partially succeed
Japan's chances for final victor.
may still be considered excaedingl.
good.
Washington, Feb. Git is re
ported here officially that Japanes
torpedo boat destroyers have bee
lurking in the vicinity of Port Al
thur, and this is taken to mean tha
5 the concentration of Japan's vessel
8 can be made at any given time
. The Japanese appear to have playe
: smooth game of preparation, an
Z the Russians know that their ship
s ale menaced and may be all d.
s stroyed.
s The landing at Seoul of Japane:
: troops, covered by torpedo div
{ sion that is constantly cruising bac
2 and forth, keeping a lookout Fl
3 Russian ships, is constantly goir
s on. Eight thousand troops ha'
s been landed SO far.
z There is no truth in the .repo
Z that Germany will take a hand,
1 that France is desirous of havil
: the powers sending troops
s China. Official denial is made
s the French capital, and German
f sends word that she is preparing
E issue a proclamation of neutralit
s Pekin, Feb. 9.-Authentic I
s ports were received at the vario
f legations here today that broug
( great eurprise if not wonder. II
Z reports say that Japan has seiz
: three Russian ships, one of whi'
s is small gunboat, the other t,
: are transports loaded with Russi'
2 soldiers.
y Chez Foo, Feb. 9.-The Britt
: steamship Columbia, which arriv
here today from Port Arthl
+, brought news of the attack by t
Japanese feet upon the Russi
fleet. The Columbia was In
TX u roads at the time, and felt the fl
- shock of torpedo explosion at